Vaejovis trespicos Zárate-Gálvez & Francke, 2009

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 : 86-88

Vaejovis trespicos Zárate-Gálvez & Francke, 2009

Figures 4 , 35n , 36n , 3 hn, 38n, 39n, 40m, 41n, 54

Vaejovis trespicos Zárate-Gálvez & Francke, 2009: 21 –28, Figs: 1–15.

Type material. Holotype female. MEXICO: Chiapas, Villa de Corzo, from Cerro Trespicos, Reserva de la Biosfera La Sepultura (N 16.184444°, W 93.610278°, elev. 2460 m). III-14-2008. Col.: K. Zárate. ( CNAN-T0372 ). Examined.

Paratypes: 1 ♀, same locality as holotype. X-13-2007. Col.: K. Zárate ( CNAN-T0373 ). Examined ; 1 ♂, same locality as holotype. IV-26-2008 to VI-8-2008. Cols.: K. Zárate, C. Pérez and M. Araujo ( CNAN-T0374 ). Examined ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, same locality as holotype. X-13-2007 to XI-16-2007. Cols.: K. Zárate, C. Pérez, G. Salinas and N. J. Méndez ( CNAN-T0375 ). Examined ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality as holotype. X-13-2007 to XI-16-2007. Cols.: K. Zárate, C. Pérez, G. Salinas and N. J. Méndez ( AMNH). Examined .

Other specimens examined. MEXICO: Chiapas, Villa de Corzo, Reserva de la Biosfera “La Sepultura” (N 16.184444°, W 93.610278°, elev. 2460 m). XI-16-2007 to XII-13-2007, pitfall traps. Cols.: K. Zárate Gálvez, C. A. Pérez Bonifaz, G. Salinas Pérez and M. A. Rabasa Domínguez. 1 ♂, 9 ♀ ( CNAN) . Same locality as before. IV-26- 2008 to VI-8-2007 pit fall traps. Cols.: K. Zárate Galvez, C. A. Pérez and M. G. Araujo Gutiérrez. 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . Same locality as before. X-13-2007 to XI-16-2007 pitfall traps. Cols.: K. Zárate Galvez, C. A. Pérez Bonifaz, G. Salinas Pérez and N. J. Méndez Guzmán. 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . Same date and locality as holotype. 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . Same locality as holotype. I- 5-2008 to II- 16-2008, pitfall traps. Cols.: K. Zárate Galvez, C. A. Pérez Bonifaz, J. Martínez Meléndez and J. López Vázquez. 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . MEXICO: Chiapas, Villa de corzo, Reserva de la Biosfera “La Sepultura” (16.19561° N, 93.61047° W, elev. 2460 m). XII-16-2017. Cols: M. Cassella, I. Altúzar, S. Ocaña and K. Zárate. 13♀ ( CNAN) .

Diagnosis. Adults 16 to 23 mm long (Fig: 54-a, b). Carapace (Fig: 35-n) slightly shorter than metasomal segment V (Carapace L/MS-V 0.9±0.02 [0.97±0.1]), longer than femur (Carapace L/Femur L 1.29±0.03 [1.27±0.03]); anterior margin of carapace straight. Mesosomal tergite VII with a pair of granular carinae. Pectinal teeth 13–13 [11–12]; sternite V on males with a conspicuous, semi-oval, bright whitish patch along posterior margin; sternite VII with one pair of granular carinae, and 10 [10] setae. Metasomal segment I considerably wider than long, rectangular in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.6 ±0.01 [0.62±0.02]), intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV minutely granular; segment V stout (MS-V L/ W 1.76 ±0.07 [1.85±0.1]; W/D 1.2±0.05 [1.19±0.02]), lateral median carinae present on basal three fourths of segment V. Vesicle (Fig: 36-n) relatively short (L/ W 1.57 ±0.03 [1.72±0.1]) and thin (W/D 1.18±0.06 [1.27±0.1]), ventral surface with flattened granules and two conspicuous longitudinal bands ventrally: dorsal surface flat, with a medium sized vesicular gland on males. Pedipalp femur (Fig: 37-n) and patella (Fig: 38-n) less than three times longer than wide (Femur L/ W 2.85 ±0.15 [2.78±0.2]; Patella L/ W 2.87 ±0.13 [2.79±0.01]); patella wider than deep (W/D 1.25±0.08 [1.26±0.04]); external carina feebly granular; dorsointernal carina weak to vestigial and serrated on males, obsolete on females. Chela (Fig: 39, 40-n) thinner on males than on females (CM L/ W 1.7 ±0.01 [2.03±0.1]; W/D 0.95±0.05 [0.94±0.06]); fixed finger as long as manus (CM L/FF 1.03±0.03 [1.01±0.03]); dorsal median, dorsal prosubmedian and dorsal internal carinae feebly granular; ventral accessory carina may present some granules basally. Pedipalp chela fingers dentate margins straight, without scalloping.

Hemispermatophore (Fig: 41-n): Lamelliform (TL 2.9; LL 1.5; LW 0.4 mm); lamella simple, without distal crest; lamina constricted basally next to hooks; hooks located basally, lobe-shaped. Capsular mesal median lobe poorly sclerotized, faint.

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

Distribution. This species is only known from the highlands of Cerro Trespicos, Reserva de La Sepultura, Chiapas ( Figure 4 ).

Natural history. Most known specimens were recovered from pit-fall traps in cloud forest. One female had 14 offspring in captivity.

Figures

FIGURE 3. a—Hemispermathophore of V. vorhiesi, included in the “vorhiesi” group, showing the sclerotized mating plug. b—Vesicle, dorsal view (V. crumpi), showing the Lateral Aculear Serrations at the base of the sting. c—Hemispermathophore of V. kochi, included on the “Franckeus+nigrescens” group, showing the sclerotized mating plug. d—Vesicle, dorsal view (V. kochi), showing the Lateral Aculear Serrations at the base of the sting.

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

FIGURE 35. Comparison in shapes on carapace in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. nigrofemoratus; b—V. prendinii; c—V. pusillus; d—V. rossmani; e—V. santibagnezi sp. nov.; f—V. setosus; g—V. sierrae; h—V. smithi; i—V. sprousei; j—V. talpa sp. nov.; k—V. tapalpa sp. nov.; l—V. tenamaztlei; m—V. tesselatus; n—V. trespicos; o—V. zapoteca. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 36. 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. nigrofemoratus; b—V. prendinii; c—V. pusillus; d—V. rossmani; e—V. santibagnezi sp. nov.; f—V. setosus; g—V. sierrae; h—V. smithi; i—V. sprousei; j—V. talpa sp. nov.; k—V. tapalpa sp. nov.; l—V. tenamaztlei; m—V. tesselatus; n—V. trespicos; o—V. zapoteca.