Tachycines (Gymnaeta) ater, 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 : 157-159

Tachycines (Gymnaeta) ater sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 , 8 )

Description. Male. Body medium size ( Figs. 7A–C ). Vertex of head divided into two conical tubercles, bases of the well-developed tubercles not drawn together, obtusely rounded apices separated ( Fig. 7D ). Eyes normal, not reduced ( Fig. 7D ). Anterior margin of pronotum straight, posterior margin protruding caudad, ventral margin arcshaped; posterior margin of mesonotum protruding caudad; posterior margin of metanotum straight.

Legs long and slender. Coxae with small medial projections. Fore femur about 2.3 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 27–29 inner spines and 26–28 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. 7E ). Hind metatarsus keeled beneath.

Abdominal sternites with short ventral projections. Epiphallus of male genitalia nearly triangular, the lower end slightly notched, the upper end deeply notched; median lobe of genitalia with 1 pair of apical lobules, divided by a deep notch; paired lateral sclerites developed; dorsal and ventral pairs of lateral lobes almost equal in length ( Figs. 7F, G ).

Female. General appearance similar to that of male ( Figs. 8A–C ). Ovipositor longer than the half of hind femur; base of ovipositor broad, narrowing to apex; apex pointed and slightly curved upwards; small denticles on ventral edge of distal part of inferior valves ( Fig. 8D ). Subgenital plate with a projection in the middle part of hind margin ( Fig. 8E ).

Coloration. Body yellowish brown. The two conical tubercles of vertex black. Face without longitudinal stripes. Posterior margin of pronotum, mesonotum, metanotum and abdominal tergites with dark brown irregular stripes. Hind femora with dark brown stripes.

Material examined. Holotype: 1♂, Shui Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Prov- ince, 6.X.2019, coll. Bing Li. Paratypes: 30♂, 26♀, same data as the holotype . Other specimens: 5♂, 4♀, Yinxing Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 6.X.2019, coll. Bing Li ; 3♂, 7♀, Er Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 26.X.2019 coll. Bing Li ; 3♂, 12♀, 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 ; 5♂, 2♀, Qinglong Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng ; 3♂, 5♀, Xiao Cave, Yongan Town , Fenggang County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng ; 3♂, 5♀, Shirong Cave, Xihe Town , Meitan County, Zunyi City , Guizhou Province, 16.XI.2019, coll. Bing Li & Xueli Feng.

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂ 13.39–15.92, ♀ 15.10–15.52; pronotum: ♂ 4.30–7.00, ♀ 4.79–5.09; fore femur: ♂ 10.87–12.21, ♀ 12.24–12.61; hind femur: ♂ 20.45–23.21, ♀ 23.22–23.77; ovipositor: ♀ 11.72–13.39.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Discussion. The new species is similar to T. (G.) femoratus (Zhang & Liu, 2009) , but can separated from the latter by several morphological features. First, in T. (G.) ater sp. nov., the lateral margin of the epiphallus of male genitalia is curving, but in T. (G.) femoratus (Zhang & Liu, 2009) , the lateral margin of the epiphallus is straight. Second, the lateral sclerites of male genitalia of T. (G.) ater sp. nov., are more developed than those in T. (G.) femoratus (Zhang & Liu, 2009) . Third, the number of spines on the hind tibiae of this new species is lower than that in T. (G.) femoratus (Zhang & Liu, 2009) .

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the coloration of the two conical tubercles of vertex.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) ater 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, dorsal view; F. genitalia, dorsal view; G. genitalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 8. Tachycines (Gymnaeta) ater sp. nov. (female). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. ovipositor, lateral view; E. subgenital plate, ventral view.