Tachycines (Gymnaeta) plumiopedella, Li & Feng & Luo, 2021

Li, Bing, Feng, Xueli & Luo, Changqing, 2021, Four new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Gymnaeta) (Rhaphidophoridae Aemodogryllinae: Aemodogryllini) from caves in northern Guizhou, China, Zootaxa 4991 (1), pp. 150-160 : 153-155

Tachycines (Gymnaeta) plumiopedella sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 4 )

Description. Male. Body medium size ( Figs. 3A–C ). Vertex of head divided into two conical tubercles, bases of the well-developed tubercles not drawn together, obtusely rounded apices separated ( Fig. 3D ). Eyes normal, not reduced ( Fig. 3D ). Anterior margin of pronotum straight, posterior margin protruding caudad, ventral margin arcshaped; posterior margin of mesonotum protruding caudad; posterior margin of metanotum caudad.

Legs long and slender. Coxae with small medial projections. Fore femur about 2.1 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 tibiae 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 67–69 inner spines and 66–67 outer spines, arrange in groups, ventral and dorsal surface with a pair of small subapical 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. 3E ). Hind metatarsus keeled beneath.

Abdominal sternites with short ventral projections. Epiphallus of male genitalia like the shape of “H”; median lobe of genitalia with 1 pair of apical lobules, divided by a deep notch; paired lateral sclerites rather large; ventral lateral lobes longer than dorsal lateral lobes ( Figs. 3F, G ).

Female. General appearance similar to that of male ( Figs. 4A–C ). Ovipositor shorter than the half of hind femur; base of ovipositor broad, narrowing to apex; apex pointed and slightly curved upwards; almost indistinct denticles on ventral edge of distal part of inferior valves ( Fig. 4D ). Subgenital plate with 3 nearly triangular lobes, median lobe rather large and paired lateral lobes small ( Fig. 4E ).

Coloration. Body brown with distinct deep brown stripes on the posterior margins of the tergites. The two conical tubercles of vertex dark brown. Face without longitudinal stripes. Hind femora with plumose stripes laterally.

Material examined. Holotype: 1♂, Yinxing Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 6.X.2019, coll. Bing Li. Paratypes: 2♂, 1♀, same data as the holotype . Other specimens: 28♂, 35♀, Shui Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 6.X.2019, coll. Bing Li ; 3♂, 1♀, Er Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 26.X.2019, coll. Bing Li ; 1♂, Youcai Cave, Xihe Town , Meitan County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 14.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng ; 1♀, Shang Cave, Xihe Town , Meitan County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 15.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng ; 3♂, 1♀, Qin- glong Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng ; 2♂, 1♀, Xiao Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li ; 2♂, 5♀, Shirong Cave, Xihe Town , Meitan County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng.

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂ 13.68–14.65, ♀ 14.44–16.41; pronotum: ♂ 5.53–6.56, ♀ 5.74–5.84; fore femur: ♂ 12.05–13.12, ♀ 11.95–12.50; hind femur: ♂ 23.93–25.05, ♀ 24.66–25.31; ovipositor: ♀ 12.67–13.93.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Discussion. The new species is similar to T. (G.) lalinus Feng, Huang & Luo, 2019 in the shape of the epiphallus of male genitalia, but can be separated from the latter by several morphological features. First, the shape of the lateral sclerites of male genitalia and the shape of the female subgenital plate are different between the two species. Second, the number of spines on the hind tibiae of this new species is higher than that in T. (G.) lalinus Feng, Huang & Luo, 2019 . Third, the coloration of the body is different between these two species.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the plumose stripes on the hind femora.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) plumiopedella sp. nov. (male). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. vertex of head, showing conical tubercles; E. hind tarsus, lateral view; F. genitalia, dorsal view; G. genitalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 4. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) plumiopedella sp. nov. (female). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. ovipositor, lateral view; E. subgenital plate, ventral view.