Vaejovis monticola Sissom, 1989

A, Contreras-Félix Gerardo & Oscar, Francke B., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the “ mexicanus ” group of the genus Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Zootaxa 4596 (1), pp. 1-100 : 47

Vaejovis monticola Sissom, 1989

Figures 4 , 13m , 14l , 15m , 16m , 17m , 18m , 19m , 31

Vaejovis monticola Sissom, 1989 a: 149 –152, Fig: 46–53, 78–79.

Vaejovis monticola: Kovarík, 1998: 147 ; Beutelspacher, 2000: 97, 139, 141, 153, map 77; Sissom, 2000: 542; González- Santillán et al., 2004: 11; Soleglad & Fet, 2005: 7; Soleglad & Fet, 2008: 30, 77, 100; * McWest, 2009: 20, 76, 102, 121.

Vaejovis dugesi (MIS): * Beutelspacher, 2000: 80, 142, map 54 (part); *Ponce Saavedra & Beutelspacher, 2001: 46, 48, 49, 72–73, 101, maps 16, 17.

Vaejovis granulatus (MIS): * Sissom, 1989 a: 135 (part, record from Michoacán only); * Sissom, 2000: 542 (part, record from Michoacán only).

*Note: several of the localities cited in these works may belong to another species closely related to V. monticola and thus may be part of the distribution of one or more undescribed species.

Type material. Holotype female. MEXICO: Jalisco, northern side of Nevado de Colima. No date. No collector. ( MCZ). Not examined.

Paratypes: 2 ♀ same locality as the Holotype ( MCZ) ; 1 ♀ MEXCO : Jalisco, Volcán de Colima. No date. No collector. ( MCZ) ; 1 ♀ MEXCO : Jalisco, Nevado de Colima. No date. No collector. ( WDS) ; 1 ♂ from MEXICO: Jalisco, Guadalajara. No date. No collector. ( AMNH). Examined .

Other specimens examined. Vaejovis monticola : MEXICO: Jalisco, San Gabriel, RMO Las Víboras, El Floripondio (elev. 2300 m.). V-29-1998. Cols.: J. Navarrete and H. Fierros. 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3614 ) . MEXICO: Jalisco, San Gabriel, El Floripondio (N 19.64063°, W 103.62346, elev. 2346 m.). III-26-2011. Col.: G. Montiel. 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3217 ). MEXCO : Jalisco, San Gabriel, El Floripondio. XI-11-2011. Without collector data. 3 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3613 ). MEXCO : Jalisco, San Gabriel, El Floripondio. XI-24/25 -2011. Without collector data. 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3616 ). MEXCO : Jalisco, San Gabriel, Nevado de Colima (N 19.60876°, W 103.57082°, elev. 2616 m.). X-2011. Col.: G. Montiel. 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3216 ). MEXCO : Jalisco, San Gabriel, Nevado de Colima (N 19.61384°, W 103.56789°, elev. 2435 m.). X-2011. Col.: G. Montiel. 2 ♂ ( CNAN-SC3215 ) .

Diagnosis. Adult size from 24 to 33 mm long (Fig: 31-a, b). Carapace (Fig: 13-m) as long as metasomal segment V (Carapace L/MS-V 0.99±0.03 [1.05±0.02]), longer than femur (Carapace L/Femur L 1.33±0.1 [1.34±0.05]); anterior margin of carapace concave, with a median “U” shaped notch. Mesosomal tergite VII with a pair of well-developed granular carinae, beginning in middle third and not reaching posterior edge. Pectinal teeth 14–15 [12–13]; sternite V without a whitish spot; sternite VII presents one pair of granular carinae paramedially and 10 [10] setae. Metasomal segment I wider than long, rectangular in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.61 ±0.03 [0.57±0.03]); intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV conspicuously granular; segment V wider than deep (MS-V W/ D 1.28±0.06 [1.33±0.07]). Vesicle (Fig: 14-m) rounded (L/ W 1.5 ±0.03 [1.39±0.05]), thin (W/D 1.28±0.02 [1.38±0.03]) dorsal surface flat, with brighter coloration on posterior half, but not resembling a vesicular gland. Pedipalp femur (Fig: 15-m) and patella (Fig: 16-m) always less than three times longer than wide (Femur L/ W 2.76 ±0.15 [2.54±0.04]; Patella L/ W 2.63 ±0.1 [2.47±0.06]); patella dorsointernal carina smooth, with some pointed granules. Chela (Fig: 17, 18-m) with dorsal internal, prolateral median and dorsal prosubmedian carinae slightly granular, other carinae smooth. Pedipalp chela fingers dentate margins straight, without scalloping.

Hemispermatophore (Fig: 19-m): Lamelliform; lamella short (TL 4.8; LL 1.6; LW 0.9 mm), wider at level of hooks, with a distal crest; small pointed hooks located basally and bent 90° near tip.

Full morphometric variation is given in tables 13 and 14. Setae variation is given in tables 9–12.

Distribution. Jalisco, Colima. This species is only known from the Nevado de Colima; specimens from other localities cited in the literature as V. monticola may represent misidentifications of other species ( Figure 4 ).

Natural history. This species inhabits the pine forests of the Nevado de Colima; it can be found under the bark of fallen logs or trunks and is seldom located under rocks. One female kept in captivity gave birth to just one juvenile, after being isolated for more than 2 years, probably by storing sperm or by means of delayed implantation.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Known distribution of all the species of Vaejovis, included in the “mexicanus” group.

FIGURE 13. Comparison in shapes on carapace in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Comparison of the different shapes in the caudal gland on species within the “mexicanus” group (each caudal gland, if present, is highlighted in red): a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov.

FIGURE 15. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp femur, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp patella, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of males in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Comparison in the different shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of females, that selected species within “mexicanus” group present: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 19. Comparison on the shapes in the hemispermatophore in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 31. Habitus of Vaejovis monticola (♂): a—dorsal view; b—ventral view. Scale bar = 1 cm.