Male (holotype): Measurements: TL 17.1, PL 8.6, PW 7.7, AW 3.8, OL 8.5, OW 4.8. Eyes: AME 0.40, ALE 0.73, PME 0.60, PLE 0.75, AME-AME 0.21, AME-ALE 0.05, PME-PME 0.31, PME-PLE 0.50, AME-PME 0.46, ALE-PLE 0.49, CH AME 0.95, CH ALE 0.60. Spination: Pp 131, 101, 2121; Fe I–III 323, IV 33(4)1; Pa I–III 101, IV 10(1)1; Ti I–IV 2226; Mt I–II 1014, III 2014, IV 303(4)6. Mt I–III with dense scopulae along entire length, IV with distal and proximal field and few rows of stronger setae along entire length. Measurements of palps and legs: Palp 13.5 (4.4, 2.1, 3.1, -, 3.9); I 48.0 (12.8, 4.8, 14.0, 12.8, 3.6); II 52.6 (14.4., 5.1, 15.4, 14.0, 2.7); III 39.9 (11.5, 4.2, 11.5, 10.0, 2.7); IV 44.1 (12.3, 4.0, 12.1, 12.6, 3.1). Leg formula: II-I-IV-III. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth, ca. 85 denticles in dense patch close to promarginal teeth and one escort seta.

Palp (Figs 1, 4a–c). As in diagnosis. RTA arising distally to sub-distally from Ti, vRTA in retrolateral view with rounded hump, dRTA with broader basal part and finger-shaped apical part, in ventral view with short acuminate tip. Cymbium longer than Ti, with indistinct small, rounded retro-proximal swelling. Spermophor slightly S-shaped in ventral view, with distinct loop proximally before entering embolus. Embolus arising from tegulum in 5-o’clock-position, narrow, its tip not easily visible from the ventral view, spermophor opening situated sub-apically. Conductor arising from tegulum in 9-o’clock-position, bluntly widened apically.

Figure 1.  

Heteropoda lebar sp. nov., holotype male from Bukit Fraser, Pahang State, Malaysia, left palp (a ventral, b retrolateral, c embolus tip, ventral, d conductor, ventral).

Figure 2.  

Heteropoda lebar sp. nov., female paratype from Bukit Fraser, Pahang State, Malaysia. a Epigyne, ventral; b, d–e Vulva (b dorsal, d anterior, e lateral); c Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal.

Figure 3.  

Heteropoda lebar sp. nov., female paratype from Bukit Fraser, Pahang State, Malaysia. a Epigyne, ventral; b Schematic course of internal duct system, dorsal; c Vulva, dorsal.

Figure 4.  

Heteropoda lebar sp. nov., male (a–c) and female (d–e) paratypes from Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Pahang State, Malaysia, copulatory organs. a–c Left palp (a prolateral, b ventral, c retrolateral); d Epigyne, ventral; e Vulva, dorsal.

Colouration (Fig. 5a–b). Yellowish-brown with vivid pattern consisting of dark setae. DS with posterior margin dark, anterior to the typical light crescent and dark area posterior to fovea, fovea with light setae, rest with dark patches, especially with pair of dark elongate patches between eyes and fovea; light patch in front of AME. Chelicerae reddish-brown with three dark longitudinal stripes each. Sternum, ventral coxae, gnathocoxae and labium light yellowish-brown without pattern. Palps and legs ventrally yellowish-brown without pattern, femora dorsally with dark, distinct patches. OS dorsally with dark patches and dark W-shaped pattern in posterior half, heart region lighter; laterally spotted; ventrally yellowish-brown without pattern. Live spiders with a much more contrasting pattern of yellow-brown and dark-brown to black on DS, appendages and dorsal opisthosoma (Fig. 6a).

Figure 5.  

Heteropoda lebar sp. nov., Male habitus (a dorsal, b ventral) and female habitus (c dorsal, d ventral).

a

b

c

d

Figure 6.

Heteropoda spp., habitus, dorsal view (these pictures were taken by Peter Jäger).

a: H. lebar sp. nov., holotype male from Bukit Fraser, Pahang State, Malaysia;  
b: H. lebar sp. nov., female paratype from Bukit Fraser, Pahang State, Malaysia;  
c: H. tetrica Thorell, 1897, male from Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos;  
d: H. tetrica Thorell, 1897, female from Thakek, Kkammouane Province, Laos.  

Female (paratype syntopic with holotype): Measurements: TL 27.8, PL 11.9, PW 9.8, AW 5.5, OL 15.9, OW 10.7. Eyes: AME 0.50, ALE 0.85, PME 0.70, PLE 0.82, AME-AME 0.32, AME-ALE 0.11, PME-PME 0.47, PME-PLE 0.81, AME-PME 0.75, ALE-PLE 0.77, CH AME 1.33, CH ALE 0.81. Spination: Pp 131, 101, 2121, 1014; Fe I–III 323, IV 331; Pa I–III 101, IV 001; Ti I–IIII 2026, IV 2126; Mt I–II 1014, III 2014, IV 3036. Mt I–III with dense scopulae along entire length, IV with distal and proximal field and few rows of stronger setae along entire length. Measurements of palps and legs: Palp 16.9 (5.1, 2.5, 4.0, -, 5.3); I 44.4 (12.5, 5.5, 12.4, 10.9, 3.1); II 47.8 (13.7, 5.8, 13.5, 11.6, 3.3); III 39.7 (11.6, 4.9, 11.0, 9.3, 2.9); IV 44.9 (13.0, 4.7, 12.0, 11.7, 3.5). Leg formula: II-IV-I-III. Chelicerae with 3 promarginal and 4 retromarginal teeth, 80–90 denticles in dense patch close to promarginal teeth, 8 denticles in proximal half and one escort seta.

Copulatory organ (Fig. 2). As in diagnosis. Epigynal field only slightly wider than long, anterior bands distinct, fused, with one slit sensillum on each side close to field. Median septum distinctly longer than wide, with anterior part narrow, septal pocket distinctly developed. First winding wide, ventro-laterad; glandular appendages connected with posterior part by an S-shaped duct, visible in ventral view; posterior part of internal duct system consisting of various bulged parts; fertilisation ducts postero-ventrad.

Colouration (Fig. 5c–d). As in male, but generally darker. DS with dense cover of dark setae, light patches visible through this cover. Legs dorsally uniformly covered with dark setae. OS almost uniformly brown, dorsally darker with dense cover of dark setae and light patches, the latter larger in anterior and smaller in posterior half. Live spiders almost uniformly dark brown to black with iridescent purplish shimmer on femora; DS with typical light, almost white crescent submarginally on posterior DS and with many small light spots on legs and OS (Fig. 6b).

Variation. Male: TL 16.0–19.1, PL 7.9–9.3, OL 8.1–9.8. Female: TL 18.6–24.4, PL 9.0–14.0, OL 9.6–12.8. Some females with lateral lobes bulging more medially and, thus, covering more strongly median septum (Fig. 3a). Posterior part of internal duct system relatively narrower and without strongly bulging parts (Fig. 3c).

The males of H. lebar sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of all other congeners by the widened apical part of the conductor with retrolaterad, acuminate, triangular and rounded part (Figs 1, 4a–c). Females of H. lebar sp. nov. resemble H. aemulans Bayer & Jäger, 2009 (Bayer and Jäger 2009) by the shape of median septum in ventral view, but can be recognised by the following combination of characters (Figs 2, 3, 4d–e): 1. Width of anterior part of median septum one fifth of maximal width of median to posterior part, 2. Glandular appendages elongate, small rounded in ventral view, situated at lateral margin of first winding, 3. Posterior part of internal duct system wider than long.

The specific name is derived from the Malay word lebar (ليبار), meaning broad and referring to the fact that the males with a widened conductor; adjective.

Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Pahang State) (Fig. 7).

Figure 7.  

Distribution records of Heteropoda lebar sp. nov.

Spiders were observed during the night on the forest floor on the leaf litter of secondary or primary forests in elevations between 1000 and 1300 metres. Only in two females scars were found (one irregular elongated scar on left patella IV dorsally; one small round scar on right coxa III proximo-ventrally). It might be that mating bites do not often occur in this species.