Vaejovis vorhiesi Stahnke, 1940

Graham, Matthew R., 2007, Sky island Vaejovis: two new species and a redescription of V. vorhiesi Stahnke (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Euscorpius 51 (51), pp. 1-14 : 3-6

Vaejovis vorhiesi Stahnke, 1940

( Figs. 2–14 )

Diagnosis. Vaejovis vorhiesi is a small yellowishbrown to dark brown scorpion with darker mottling on the carapace, legs, tergites, and metasoma. The anterior margin of carapace slightly emarginate and carapace and tergites are smooth to finely granular. Stahnke (1940) incorrectly stated that the carapace is longer than the fifth metasomal segment. The carapace length is actually about equivalent to and can even be less than the length of the fifth metasomal segment.

V. vorhiesi can be distinguished from the related species V. cashi sp. nov. and V. feti sp. nov. by the following: larger in size; pattern less fuscous on carapace, metasoma, pedipalps, tergites and legs; weaker crenulation on metasoma, mesosoma, pedipalps, tergites and legs; 6–7 median denticles (MD) on denticle row 3 of the movable finger, instead of 8–9 MD denticles; known from the Huachuca Mountains, Santa Catalina Mountains, and Tucson , Arizona ( V. cashi sp. nov. known only from the Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona; V. feti sp. nov. only from the Black Mountains of New Mexico) ( Fig. 1 ). V. vorhiesi is also unique in morphometric ratios and pectine counts (see Comparison of Species).

Type Data. Lectotype (designated here): female, Miller’s Canyon , Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, USA, 10 October 1938 (H.L. Stahnke) specimen #291, CAS No. 15172 [metasoma detached at segment II] . Paralectotype: male, Santa Catalina Mountains, Pima County , Arizona, USA, date unknown (H.L. Stahnke) specimen #296, CAS No. 15172 [heavily damaged] .

Etymology. This species was named in honor of Charles T. Vorhies, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona.

Distribution. Known from the type locality, Miller’s Canyon of the Huachuca Mountains of Cochise County, from the Santa Catalina Mountains of Pima County, and from Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Redescription based on lectotype

Color ( Figs. 2–3 ). Carapace, tergites, legs, and metasoma with dark brown to black variegations dorsally. Ocular tubercle surrounded by a yellow to brown diamond-shaped region which is flanked by four elongate lighter patches. Remainder of carapace variegated with dark brown and lateral yellowish-brown areas. Yellowish-brown V-shaped marks found laterally on tergites II–VI.

Measurements (in mm). Lectotype: total length 24.28; carapace length 3.36; mesosoma length 10.00; metasoma length 10.92; Metasoma: segment I length/ width 1.53/1.91; segment II length/width 1.67/1.81; segment III length/width 1.79/1.76; segment IV length/width 2.52/1.65; segment V length/width 3.41/1.53. Telson : length 3.03; vesicle length/width/ depth 1.95/1.06/0.89; aculeus length 1.08. Pedipalps: total length 10.73; femur length/width 2.82/0.92; patella length/width 2.99/1.06; chela length 4.92; palm length/ width/depth 2.00/1.18/1.18; movable finger length 3.08; fixed finger length 2.54.

Carapace ( Fig. 11 ). Anterior margin of carapace slightly emarginate, with three lateral eyes found on each side. Median furrow moderate and traverses entire length of carapace, including the median eyes. Carapace finely granular with scattered coarse granules. Ratio of median eyes location (from anterior edge)/carapace length 0.34; carapace length/width at median eyes 2.95. V. Entire carapace dorsolaterally convex, especially the posterior half. Carapace longer than pedipalp movable finger but slightly shorter than metasomal segment.

Mesosoma. Tergites coarsely granular with weak median carinae on I–VI. Tergite VII with weak median carina on anterior half and strong dorsal lateral and lateral supramedian granular carinae. Pretergites smooth to finely granular. Sternites III–VI smooth and without carinae. Sternite VII with granular ventral lateral carinae on posterior one-fifth to posterior three-fifths. Presternites smooth. Spiracles ovoid with median side rotated 35º away from posterior sternite margin. Posterior margin of sternites bearing variable numbers of microsetae.

Genital Operculum. Sclerites separated on posterior one-fifth.

Pectines ( Fig. 14 ). Pectinal tooth count 13/13. Middle lamellae 7/7 (note that Stahnke originally miscounted 6/7 middle lamellae for this specimen).

Metasoma. Ratio of segment I length/width 0.80; of segment II length/width 0.92; of segment III length/width 1.02; of segment IV length/width 1.53; of segment V length/width 2.23. Segments I–IV: dorsolateral carinae strong and granular with distal denticle of II-IV enlarged and spinoid; of segment I only slightly enlarged and spinoid. Lateral supramedian carinae I-III strong and granular with enlarged spinoid distal denticle; on IV strong and granular on anterior 1/2 and weak on posterior 1/2 with terminus flared. Lateral inframedian carinae moderately granular on segment I, posterior 2/5 of II, 1/5 of III, and obsolete on IV. Ventrolateral carinae I weak and granular; on II–III moderate, granular; on IV strong, granular. Ventral submedian carinae granular. Dorsal and lateral intercarinal spaces very finely granular. Segment I-IV ventral submedian setae 3/3:3/3:3/3:3/3. Segment V: Dorsolateral carinae moderate, distally crenulate, basally granular. Lateromedian carinae moderate and granular on basal 3/4, obsolete on distal 1/4. Ventrolateral and ventromedian carinae strong, crenulate. Intercarinal spaces finely granular. Segment V ventrolateral setae 5/5.

Telson ( Fig. 12 ). Smooth with small but conspic- uous subaculear tubercule. LAS denticles 4/4.

Chelicerae. Dorsal edge of movable cheliceral finger with two subdistal (sd) denticles; ventral edge smooth to crenulate with conspicuous serrula on distal half.

Pedipalps. Trichobothrial pattern type C (see pattern in Figs. 4–10 ). Pedipalpal ratios: chela length/ width 4.17; femur length/width 3.07; patella length/ width 2.82; fixed finger length/carapace length 0.76.

Chela. All carinae weak and smooth except for a few weak to moderate granules on the inner surface of palm. Median (MD) denticles of fixed finger aligned and divided into six subrows by five outer (OD) denticles; flanked by five inner (ID) denticles. Movable finger ( Fig. 13 ) with six subrows, five OD denticles and six ID denticles. Movable finger shorter than both the carapace and metasomal segment V.

Femur. Carinae strong, granulose; internal surface with large scattered granules that almost form a carina on the middle three fourths.

Patella. Internal carinae oblique and granulose; all other carinae strong and crenulate.

Legs. Ventral surface of tarsus with single median row of spinules terminating distally with one spinule pair.

Remarks. There are four specimens of this species listed in Stahnke’s doctoral dissertation (Stahnke, 1939), but only two are found in Stahnke’s collection (CAS). These two specimens were listed as syntypes by Sissom (2000: 544). The second type series specimen (CAS 15172), which becomes a paralectotype with lectotype designation, is a male labeled #296, and is in such bad condition that it was not used for this study. The dissertation, however, does state the following about the specimen: carapace length 3.2; cauda length 12; telson length 3.0; total length 26.0, pectinal tooth count 13/13; middle lamellae 7/7. The specimen was collected from the Santa Catalina Mountains of Pima County, Arizona, by Stahnke at an unknown date. Based on a contiguous series of high altitude ridgelines, with lowest points over 1,200 m in elevation, the Santa Catalina scorpions are probably disjunct populations of V. vorhiesi and not another species. On the other hand, it is hard to say how long the populations have been isolated and the Santa Catalina Mountains scorpions definitely warrant further study if specimens become available.

Stahnke (1939) also reports a specimen from Tucson. It is unknown where exactly that Stahnke collected the specimen in Tucson, or at what elevation, so it is hard to speculate about what species it is until it becomes available for study.

Figures

Figure 1: Relief map displaying type localities of three sky island Vaejovis in Arizona and New Mexico. Solid circle indicates V. vorhiesi Stahnke, open circle indicates V. cashi sp. nov., and triangle represents V. feti sp. nov.

Figures 2–3: Vaejovis vorhiesi Stahnke, 1940 lectotype. 2. Dorsal view. 3. Ventral view.

Figures 4–10: Trichobothrial patterns of Vaejovis vorhiesi Stahnke, based on lectotype. 4. Right pedipalp chela, external. 5. Right pedipalp chela, ventral. 6. Right pedipalp chela, internal. 7. Right pedipalp femur, dorsal. 8. Right pedipalp patella, dorsal. 9. Right pedipalp patella, external. 10. Right pedipalp patella, ventral.

Figures 11–14: Vaejovis vorhiesi Stahnke. 11. Carapace, dorsal view (mottling not illustrated). 12. Telson, lateral view. 13. Pedipalp chelal finger dentition, right movable finger. 14. Pectines and genital operculum of female.