Tylopus monticola sp. nov. Figs 1A, 2, 3, 4

Material examined.

Holotype: Myanmar - Shan State • ♂; Taunggyi District, near Montawa Cave; elev. 1204 m; 20°45'15.9"N, 97°01'03.4"E; 21 Sep. 2016; J. Sutcharit, R. Srisonchai leg.; CUMZ . Paratypes: Myanmar - Shan State • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as holotype; CUMZ • 1 ♀; same collection data as holotype; ZMUM • 3 ♀♀; near Aye Say Tee Cave; elev. 1583 m; 20°47'29.5"N, 97°03'01.6"E; 21 Sep. 2016; J. Sutcharit, R. Srisonchai leg.; CUMZ • 1 ♂; Parpant area, outside the cave; elev. 1159 m; 20°15'03.7"N, 97°14'23.9"E; 23 Sep. 2016; J. Sutcharit, R. Srisonchai leg.; CUMZ • 1 ♂; same collection data as previous; ZMUM .

Diagnosis.

Using the latest key to Tylopus species (Likhitrakarn et al. 2016), as well as the information concerning all 12 congeners described since (Golovatch et al. 2016; Golovatch 2018, 2019, 2020; Golovatch and Semenyuk 2018), T. monticola sp. nov. keys out to T. rugosus Golovatch & Enghoff, 1993 on account of the particularly strong similarities in the gonopodal structure (Fig. 8). Thus, even though they both share most of the somatic and gonopodal features, the new species differs in the large and long process z with a serrate edge along the dorsal margin, which protrudes beyond the apicolateral lobe (l) (Figs 3B-D, 4A, B) (vs. smaller and not protruding beyond l) (Fig. 8B, C), all ♂ legs with the prefemora swollen laterally except for leg 1 (vs. except for legs 1 and 2), coupled with the pleurosternal carinae complete crests with an evident, sharp, caudal denticle produced past the rear tergal margin on segments 4-7, gradually decreasing in size until segments 15(16) (♂) or 13(12) (♀) (Fig. 2B, D, E) (vs. same, but gradually decreasing in size until segment 18).

Description.

Length of holotype ca 30 mm; adult paratypes 29-31 (♂) or 32-35 mm (♀), width of midbody pro- and metazonae of holotype, 2.4 and 3.6 mm; adult paratypes 2.4-2.5 and 3.4-3.7 mm (♂) or 2.9-3.5 and 3.7-4.5 mm (♀), respectively.

Colouration of live animals dark brown (Fig. 1A); calluses of paraterga, venter and legs lighter brown; colouration of alcohol material after two years of preservation faded to dark brown; head, antennae and tip of epiproct light brown, calluses of paraterga yellowish brown to pallid, venter and legs light brown to light yellowish (Fig. 2).

Clypeolabral region and vertex sparsely setose, epicranial suture distinct. Antennae short (Figs 1A, 2A, B), reaching body segment 3 (♂) or 2 (♀) when stretched dorsally. In width, head <segment 3 <4 <5 <6 <collum <segment 2 <7-16 (♂, ♀); thereafter body gently and gradually tapering. Collum with three transverse rows of strong setae: 3+3 anterior, 2+2 intermediate, and 3+3 posterior; a small lateral incision near midway; caudal corner of paraterga rounded, slightly declined ventrad, not produced past rear tergal margin (Fig. 2A, B).

Tegument rather smooth and shining, prozonae very finely shagreened, metaterga mainly smooth, but often rugulose; surface below paraterga finely microgranulate (Fig. 2A-F). Postcollum metaterga with two transverse rows of rather long setae: 2+2 in anterior and 3+3 in posterior row, the latter often abraded, but then readily traceable as insertion points. Tergal setae long, strong, slender, about 1/3 metatergal length. Axial line visible both on pro- and metazonae.

Paraterga strongly developed (Fig. 2A-F), especially well so in ♂, subhorizontal, slightly upturned posteriorly, always lying high, at upper 1/3 of midbody height, but remaining below dorsum; anterior edge well-developed, mostly regularly rounded and narrowly bordered, fused to callus; caudal corner narrowly rounded, extending increasingly past rear tergal margin, especially strongly so on segments 15-19; in segments 16-19, tips strongly curved mesad, posterior edge slightly oblique (Fig. 2A, C, F); paraterga very thin blunt blades in lateral view, a little thicker only on pore-bearing segments (Fig. 2D). Calluses on paraterga delimited by a sulcus only dorsally. Paraterga 2 broad, lateral edge with three evident incisions: one in anterior 1/3, one at midway, and one at posterior 1/3; anterior incision particularly evident. Paraterga 3 and 4 with two small incisions at lateral edge (Fig. 2A), one in anterior 1/3, the other at posterior 1/3; anterior incision also particularly evident. Lateral edge of paraterga of following segments with two small incisions, one in anterior 1/3, the other at midway, caudal incision being smaller in pore-bearing segments (Fig. 2C). Ozopores evident, lateral, lying in an ovoid groove at about 1/3 metatergal length in front of posterior edge of metaterga (Fig. 2D). Transverse sulcus usually distinct (Fig. 2A, C, F), slightly incomplete on segment 18, complete and clearly visible on metaterga 5-17, deep, reaching the bases of paraterga, arcuate, faintly beaded at bottom. Stricture between pro- and metazonae narrow, shallow, beaded at bottom down to base of paraterga (Fig. 2A, C, F). Pleurosternal carinae complete crests on segment 2-3(4) (Fig. 2B), with an evident and sharp denticle caudally on segments 4(5)-7 (♂, ♀), thereafter increasingly well reduced and remaining only a small sharp caudal tooth until segment 15(16) (♂) or 13(12) (♀), thereafter missing (Fig. 2B, D, E). Epiproct (Fig. 2E-G) conical, flattened dorsoventrally, subtruncate, with two evident apical papillae directed caudally, both pointed at tip; pre-apical papillae evident, lying close to tip. Hypoproct subtrapeziform (Fig. 2G), small setiferous knobs at caudal edge well-separated and evident.

Sterna densely setose, without modifications (Fig. 2G); cross-impressions shallow; a deeply notched sternal lobe between ♂ coxae 4 (Fig. 2H, I). Legs long and slender, midbody ones ca 1.4-1.5 (♂) or 0.9-1.0 (♀) as long as body height; all ♂ legs except leg 1 with prefemora swollen laterally; femora and tibiae with particularly dense setae and ventral microgranulations; legs on segments 7-18 with an evident adenostyle (tubercle) medially on each postfemur and tibia (Fig. 4C); tarsal brushes absent.

Gonopods (Figs 3, 4A, B) simple; coxite slightly curved caudad, sparsely setose distoventrally. Prefemorite densely setose, about 1/3 as long as femorite + “postfemoral” part. Femorite rather stout, expanded distad, suberect, showing a distinct mesal groove/hollow (g); apicolateral lobe (l) simple; process z large and long, serrate along dorsal margin and protruding beyond apicolateral lobe (l); process h short and stout, suberect, with a narrowly rounded tip; solenophore long and slender, typically coiled, tip subtruncate.

Name.

To emphasize the habitats where this new species was discovered; " Tylopus monticola " meaning a mountain-dweller or a highlander; noun in apposition.

Remark.

The species was found quite far away (about 120 air-km) from the type locality of the most similar species, T. rugosus Golovatch & Enghoff, 1993 (Fig. 9). Both new species described here have been found to occur syntopically.