Nilotonia ( Telotaolana ) kiraro, Goldschmidt, 2008

Nilotonia ( Telotaolana) kiraro sp. nov.

( Figs 71–76 View FIGURES 71–76 , Table 4)

Type series: Holotype female, MD 36 , Andrambovato ( Fianarantsoa), spring brook, 0.5 km south-east from the 1.07 km-railway-tunnel, 900 m asl, 16.1 °C, 35 µS/cm, 19.08.2001, mounted; paratype, same locality and date, 0/1/0 unmounted.

Habitat: Spring brook at 900 m asl.

Distribution: Madagascar (Eastern slope of Central highlands, rainforest region).

Derivatio nominis: Kiraro (Malagasy) — shoe, referring to the sandal-like shape of the antero-dorsal platelets.

Diagnosis: Dorsum with large pear-shaped posterior plate and two elongated, sandal-shaped anterior platelets; integument undulated with irregular lines; Cx-IV elongated, extended by secondary sclerotization; genital field oval to pear-shaped, acetabula mid-sized, elongated; post-genital sclerite large; legs slender, leg- IV bearing several strong, compact setae; claws on leg-I to -III with one small ventral and one very fine dorsal clawlet, sub-terminal seta on leg-IV-6 mid-sized, broad, pinnate; capitulum compact, with short pointed rostrum; palp relatively large and slender (tL 405), especially P4 elongated (L/H 4,69), ventral margin of P2 undulated, with strong seta on cone-shaped protrusion.

Description, female (n = 1): Idiosoma oval ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–76 ); dorsum mainly covered by three large, pale greyish plates, posterior plate irregular pear-shaped, anteriorly tapering (L/W 456/353), from antero-laterally to posteriorly surrounded by Dgl-4, -5, Lgl-4 and Dgl-6, especially Lgl-4 and Dgl-6 on extended platelets ( Fig. 72 View FIGURES 71–76 ), anterior plates oblique, irregularly elongated, sandal-shaped, medially approximate, bearing post-ocular setae (L/W 255/108); Dgl-2 anterior to anterior plates, Dgl- 3 in a lateral indentation; two pairs of small platelets lateral Dgl-2 and anterior Dgl-3; lateral eyes oval, separated on both sides, free under integument (partly lost in preparation), directly anterior of first pair of platelets; soft integument around and between dorsal plates irregularly lined, undulated; setae of Dgl-3 to -5 large, setae of other glandularia mid-sized ( Fig. 72 View FIGURES 71–76 ); medial margin of Cx-III straight; medial margin of Cx-III and Cx-IV slightly extended by secondary sclerotization; medial margin of Cx-IV concave, forming narrow genital bay, Cx-IV elongated, slender (also due to strong caudal and slight lateral secondary sclerotization), caudal margin with cone-shaped protrusion (Vgl-3 lying approximate in indentation lateral to this protrusion, included in secondary sclerotization), secondary sclerotization of Cx-IV laterally extended far antero-dorsally – to area dorsal of Cx-II ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–76 ); Cxgl-2 between Cx- II and Cx-III, Cxgl-4 at anterior margin of Cx-III ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–76 ); genital field elongated-oval, slightly trapezoid, tapering anteriorly, lateral margins straight, anteriorly and posteriorly smoothly rounded; acetabula mid-sized, elongated-oval, touching each other, Ac1 distant from anterior margin of genital flaps; pre-genital sclerite broad rounded-triangular, wider than genital flaps, post-genital sclerite large, laterally and especially caudally greatly extended by secondary sclerotization, setae of Vgl-1 free between secondary sclerotization of postgenital sclerite and Cx-IV ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–76 ); Vgl-2 on large, oval platelets; Vgl-4 and Lgl-3 on rounded platelets; midsized pair of platelets between Vgl-4, Lgl-3 and Cx-IV; excretory pore without sclerotization ( Fig. 71 View FIGURES 71–76 ); legs slender with several heavy setae; claws on leg-I to -III with one small ventral clawlet (relatively far proximal) and one very fine, hardly visible dorsal clawlet (nearly parallel to claw) ( Fig. 73 View FIGURES 71–76 ), leg-IV-3 to -5 distally with several very broad, strong setae, leg-IV-6 distally tapering, with two small, peg-like terminal setae and one broad sub-terminal seta ( Fig. 74 View FIGURES 71–76 ); capitulum compact, ventral margin concave, rostrum small, pointed ( Fig. 75 View FIGURES 71–76 ), palps strong, slightly elongated, P1 with one dorsal seta, P2 with sharp pointed ventral seta — in right palp of holotype, seta is bifurcate ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 71–76 ) — on cone-shaped protrusion, directed slightly to lateral, and six pinnate dorsal setae, P3 with two lateral and two medio-dorsal setae, P4 elongated, straight, ventral setae in distal half on small protrusions, P5 slender ( Figs 75, 76 View FIGURES 71–76 ).

Male: Unknown.

Remarks: Nilotonia ( Telotaolana) kiraro is separated from N. ( Telotaolana) ankaratra as well as N. ( Telotaolana) hodivaventy by more slender legs and palps. Furthermore the sclerotization is weaker than in the females of N. hodivaventy and the coxal field is more elongated than in N. ankaratra .