Tachycines (Tachycines) huaxi, Huang & Luo, 2019

Huang, Shihui & Luo, Changqing, 2019, A new species of the subgenus Tachycines (Tachycines) (Othoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) from Guizhou, China, Zootaxa 4658 (2), pp. 396-400 : 397-399

Tachycines (Tachycines) huaxi sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Description. Male. Body medium sized ( Figs. 1 A–C). Vertex of head divided into two conical tubercles, bases of the well-developed tubercles drawn together, obtusely rounded apices separated ( Fig. 1D ).

Anterior margin of pronotum straight, posterior margin protruding backward, ventral margin arc-shaped; posterior margin of mesonotum protruding backward; posterior margin of metanotum rather straight.

Legs long and slender; coxae with pronounced medial projections; fore femur about 1.52 times longer than the pronotum, ventrally with 12–15 spines, internal genicular lobe with 1 small spine, external genicular lobe with 1 long spine; fore tibiae ventrally with 1inner 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 unarmed ventrally, 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 with 7–9 inner spines and without outer spine; hind tibiae dorsally with 40–65 inner spines and 42–62 outer spines, arrange in groups, ventral and dorsal surface with a pair of small subapical spines respectively, apex with 1 pair of dorsal spines and 1 pair of ventral spines; the longest dorsoapical spine reaching apex of dorso-apical spine of hind metatarsus ( Fig. 1E ). Hind metatarsus with bristles beneath. Epiproct transverse, with wide apical part; hind margin of epiproct notched.

Epiphallus of male genitalia like the shape of “A”; median lobe of genitalia with 2 pairs of apical lobules and distinct lateral sclerites; dorsal and ventral pairs of lateral lobes almost equal in length ( Figs. 1H, I ).

Female. General appearance similar to that of male ( Figs. 2 A–C). Ovipositor longer than half the length 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. 2D ). Subgenital plate rounded, with hind margin notched ( Fig. 2E ).

Coloration. Body light brown with distinct dark brown stripes. The two conical tubercles of vertex black. Face with 2 dark brown longitudinal stripes ( Fig. 1F ). Posterior margin of pronotum, mesonotum, metanotum and abdominal tergites with dark brown irregular stripes ( Figs. 1A, B ). Middle part of pronotum with 2 dark brown stripes ( Fig. 1G ). Legs with dark brown annular stripes.

Material examined. Holotype: 1♂, Huaxi District, Guiyang City , Guizhou Province, 15.VI.2017, coll. Shihui Huang & Changqing Luo. Paratypes: 6♂, 4♀, same data as the holotype .

Measurements (mm). Body: ♂ 11.45–14.50, ♀ 13.80–13.96; pronotum: ♂ 5.87–6.88, ♀ 6.25–7.23; fore femur: ♂ 8.33–10.52, ♀ 9.55–11.51; hind femur: ♂ 16.06–19.63, ♀ 19.05–20.24; ovipositor: 13.24–14.60.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Discussion. Recently, Qin et al. (2018) detailedly redescribed the species T. (T.) asynamorus . The new species is rather similar to T. (T.) asynamorus , and the two species are different from all other species in this subgenus in that: hind metatarsus with bristles ventrally. However, some significant characteristics of males can be applied to distinguish T. (T.) huaxi sp. nov. and T. (T.) asynamorus . The shape of the median lobe of male genitalia is distinctly different between the two species. The epiproct of T. (T.) huaxi sp. nov. is transverse and its hind margin is notched, but in T. (T.) asynamorus , the epiproct is rounded. In addition, there are two dark brown stripes on the middle part of the pronotum of T. (T.) huaxi sp. nov., but in T. (T.) asynamorus , the middle part of the pronotum possess three dark brown stripes.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Huaxi district where this species occurs.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Tachycines (Tachycines) huaxi sp. nov. (male). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. hind tarsus, dorsal view; E. vertex of head, showing conical tubercles; F. head, frontal view; G. pronotum, dorsal view; H. genitalia, dorsal view; I. genitalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Tachycines (Tachycines) huaxi sp. nov. (female). A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, lateral view; C. habitus, ventral view; D. ovipositor, lateral view; E. subgenital plate, ventral view.