Tachycines (Gymnaeta) multispinus, Lin & Huang & Luo, 2023

Lin, Chun, Huang, Shihui & Luo, Changqing, 2023, Description of five new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) (Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from caves in Guizhou, China, Zootaxa 5389 (5), pp. 582-596 : 587-588

Tachycines (Gymnaeta) multispinus sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 6 )

Description. Male. Body medium-sized ( Figs. 5A–C ). Head. Vertex divided into two conical tubercles, bases of the well-developed tubercles drawn together, obtusely rounded apices separated ( Fig. 5D ). Eyes normal, not reduced ( Fig. 5D ).

Thorax. Anterior margin of pronotum straight, posterior margin protruding backward, ventral margin arc-shaped ( Fig. 5E ); posterior margin of mesonotum protruding posteriorly; caudal margin of metanotum straight.

Legs. All legs long and slender; coxae with small medial projections. Fore femur about 1.8 times longer than the pronotum, ventrally unarmed, internal genicular lobe with 1 small spine, external genicular lobe with 1 long spine; fore tibia ventrally with 1 inner spine and 2 outer spines, apex with 1 small outer spine on dorsal surface and 1 pair of long spines on ventral surface, between the paired ventral spines with 1 small spine. Middle femur ventrally unarmed, internal and external genicular lobes with 1 long spine respectively; middle tibia ventrally with 1 inner spine and 1 outer spine, apex with 1 pair of dorsal spines and 1 pair of ventral spines, between the paired ventral spines with 1 small spine. Hind femur ventrally unarmed; hind tibia dorsally with 71–81 inner spines and 70–88 outer spines, arrange in groups, ventral and dorsal surface with a pair of small sub-apical spines respectively, apex with 1 pair of long dorsal spines and 1 pair of long ventral spines; the longest dorso-apical spine not exceeding the dorso-apical spine of hind metatarsus ( Fig. 5F ). Hind metatarsus keeled beneath.

Abdomen. Abdominal sternites with rather short ventral projections. Epiphallus of male genitalia “H”-shaped; median lobe of genitalia with 1 pair of apical lobules, divided by a shallow notch; paired lateral sclerites developed; ventral lateral lobes smaller than dorsal lateral lobes ( Figs. 5G, H ).

Female. General appearance similar to that of male ( Figs. 6A–C ). Ovipositor about half the length of hind femur, base broad, narrowing to apex; apex pointed and slightly curved upwards; with nearly indistinct denticles on ventral edge of distal part of inferior valves ( Fig. 6D ). Subgenital plate nearly pentagonal ( Fig. 6E ).

Coloration. Body yellowish-brown. Posterior margins of the tergites with irregular dark brown stripes. Head brown with dark brown tubercles. Eyes black. Hind femora with light brown stripes laterally.

Material examined. Holotype: 1♂, Bike Cave, Zhexiang Town, Zhenfeng County, Qianxinan Buyi Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, 24.VIII.2020, coll. Changqing Luo, Shihui Huang & Xueli Feng . Paratypes: 9♂, 6♀, same data as the holotype . Other specimens: 14♂, 2♀, Polao Cave , Zhexiang Town , Zhenfeng County, Qianxinan Buyi Miao Autonomous Prefecture , Guizhou Province, 24.VIII.2020, coll. Changqing Luo, Shihui Huang & Xueli Feng.

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂ 11.98–13.94, ♀ 12.98–15.20; pronotum: ♂ 6.10–6.48, ♀ 5.54–5.70; fore femur: ♂ 11.28–11.48, ♀ 10.00–10.60; hind femur: ♂ 20.70–23.62, ♀ 21.90–24.10; ovipositor: ♀ 11.68–11.90.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Discussion. The new species is similar to T. (G.) cavernus ( Jiao, Niu, Liu, Lei & Bi, 2008) , but can be separated from that species by several morphological features. Firstly, the number of spines on the hind tibiae of this new species is higher than that in T. (G.) cavernus (both inner and outer margins with 28–48 spines). Secondly, there are no longitudinal stripes on the face of T. (G.) multispinus sp. nov., but the face of T. (G.) cavernus possess 2 pairs of longitudinal stripes. Thirdly, these two species differ in the shape of the female subgenital plates ( Figs. 4B ; 6E ).

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the high number of spines on the hind tibia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. The shape of female subgenital plates of four Tachycines (Gymnaeta) species. A. subgenital plate of T. (G.) chenhui, after Rampini et al. (2008); B. subgenital plate of T. (G.) cavernus, after Jiao et al. (2008); C. subgenital plate of T. (G.) zorzini, after Rampini et al. (2008); D. subgenital plate of T. (G.) lalinus, after Feng et al. (2019).

FIGURE 5. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) multispinus sp. nov. (male). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. head, frontal view; E. pronotum, dorsal view; F. hind tarsus, lateral view; G. genitalia, dorsal view; H. genitalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 6. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) multispinus sp. nov. (female). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. ovipositor, lateral view; E. subgenital plate, ventral view.