Vaejovis maculosus 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 : 41-43

Vaejovis maculosus Sissom, 1989

Figures 4 , 13i , 14h , 15i , 16i , 17i , 18i , 19i , 27

Vaejovis maculosus Sissom, 1989 a: 141 –144, Fig: 29–36, 74–75; Kovarík, 1998: 147; Beutelspacher, 2000: 95, 144, 153, map 71; Sissom, 2000: 541; Soleglad & Fet, 2008: 30, 77, 100.

Type material. Holotype male. MEXICO: Puebla, from 5–10 mi toward Totalco , along MEX highway 140, hills NE Zacatepec. V-28-1984 Cols.: D. Sissom and C. S. Colwell. ( AMNH). Examined.

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( AMNH), examined ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( CAS), examined ; 14 ♂, 4 ♀ and 1 J#, same data as holotype ( WDS), not examined .

Other specimens examined. Vaejovis maculosus : MEXICO: Veracruz, Totalco, 2 km. SW from El Limón , highway 140 (N 19.48289°, W 97.36631°, elev. 2348 m.). V-7-2006. Cols.: O. Francke and A. Ballesteros. 2 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3638 ) , 2 ♀ ( AMNH) . MEXICO: Veracruz, San Martin Tenextepec, Cerro de la Cruz (N 19.470551°, W 97.26994°, elev. 2685 m.). VI-18-2013. Cols.: O. Francke, J. Mendoza, R. Monjaraz, J. Bokma and G. Contreras. 5 ♂, 9 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3632 ) .

Diagnosis. Adults 15 to 23 mm long (Fig: 27-a, b), conspicuously mottled throughout. Carapace (Fig: 13-i), shorter than metasomal segment V (Carapace L/MS-V 0.91±0.01 [0.91±0.08]), longer than femur (Carapace L/ Femur L 1.28±0.07 [1.29±0.05]); anterior margin of carapace straight. Mesosomal tergite VII with a pair of well developed, granular carinae present from middle of segment and not reaching posterior margin. Pectinal teeth 16–17 [14–15]; sternite V on males usually with a conspicuous shiny whitish patch, half oval-shaped at posterior margin; sternite VII with a pair of vestigial median carinae and 12 to 14 setae (mode: 12) [12–16 (mode 15)]. Metasomal segment I sub-quadrangular in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.74 ±0.04 [0.71±0.05]); intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV smooth, may present some scattered granules; segment V with noticeably darker coloration than rest of metasoma. Vesicle slender (Fig: 14-i) (L/ W 1.96 ±0.3 [1.85±0.09]) and thin (W/D 1.25±0.19 [1.3±0.13]), ventral surface smooth; with two median longitudinal lighter bands, slightly differentiated in color; dorsal surface smooth and flat, with a slender, long and diffuse whitish vesicular gland. Pedipalp femur (Fig: 15-i) and patella (Fig: 16-i) always less than three times longer than wide (Femur L/ W 2.79 ±0.06 [2.92±0.08]; patella L/ W 2.76 ±0.2 [2.68±0.1]); patella dorsointernal carina granulose, composed by a single, continuous row of granules. Pedipalp chela (Fig: 17, 18-i) on male greatly inflated; less than twice as long as wide (CM L/ W 1.75 ±0.1 [1.86±0.6]), keelless, with the surface smooth. Pedipalp chela dentate margin of fingers on males straight.

Hemispermatophore (Fig: 19-i): Lamelliform (TL 2.3; LL 1.5; LW 0.3 mm); lamella simple, with hooks located basally, lobed, the accessory hook merged to principal lobe and not well differentiated; notch present basally on the lamella, at level where hooks are located. Median lobe present.

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

Distribution. Mexico: Puebla, Veracruz ( Figure 4 ).

Natural history. This species inhabits the highlands of part of the Mexican states of Puebla and Veracruz. Some specimens were collected in re-planted pine forest, but also can be found under and between the leaves of dead Agave sp. in a very humid microhabitat. Additionally, this species has a litter size of approximately 20 juveniles; females with their broods and adult males can be found in the months of June and July.

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