Alpiscorpius alpha ( Di Caporiacco, 1950 ) Kovařík & Štundlová & Fet & Šťáhlavský, 2019

Kovařík, František, Štundlová, Jana, Fet, Victor & Šťáhlavský, František, 2019, Seven new Alpine species of the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Euscorpius 287, pp. 1-29 : 5-7

Alpiscorpius alpha ( Di Caporiacco, 1950) , comb. n.

( Figures 2–6, 71, Tables 1, 5) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:45C8FC9A-

512F-4BE9-8ADD-5894E8FC9E69

Euscorpius germanus “forma A”: Capra, 1939: 203.

Euscorpius germanus alpha Di Caporiacco, 1950: 211 ; Bonacina, 1980: 58 (in part).

Euscorpius (Euscorpius) germanus alpha: Fet & Sissom, 2000: 366–368 (in part; complete references list until 1998).

Euscorpius alpha: Gantenbein et al., 2000: 858 (in part); Braunwalder, 2001: 281 (in part); Soleglad & Sissom, 2001: 90; Fet et al., 2004: 55 (in part); Colombo, 2006: 3 (in part); Vignoli & Salomone, 2008: 206 (in part); Fet, 2010: 6 (in part); Tropea et al., 2015: 3.

Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha: Fet & Braunwalder, 2005: 34 (in part).

Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha Karyotypic race II (Eal 90): ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019: 156.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Italy: Lombardy, Lago di Como near Varenna; lectotype ♀ designated by Gantenbein et al. (2000: 858) ( MZUF 5569 ). Paralectotypes: type locality, 1♂ ( MZUF 5571 ), 5♀ ( MZUF 5568 , 5570-5574 ); Lombardy, Varese, 6♂ 5♀ ( MZUF 5584-5585 ); Trentino, Monte Stelvio, 1♀ ( MZUF 5567 ) [most likely A. delta sp. n.] .

MATERIAL EXAMINED ( NMPC): 23♂ 11♀ . Italy: Lombardy, Crespineto , 46.155°N 10.098°E, 1♂ (S462) ; Domaso , 46.157°N 9.328°E, 2♂ (S426, S523) 1♀ ; Mezzoldo , 46.016°N 9.665°E, 3♂ 1♀ (S180, S182, S253, S275) 1♀ ; Nuova Olomio , 46.161°N 9.433°E, 1♂ (S026) ; Olmo al Brembo , 45.973°N 9.650°E, 1♂ (S580) 1♀ (S627) ; Puria , 46.032°N 9.048°E, 3♂ (S439, S469, S521) 1♂ 4♀ ; Selvetta , 46.157°N 9.682°E, 2♂ (S464, S524) ; Sondrio , 46.175°N 9.857°E, 1♂ (S284) ; Teglio , 46.182°N 10.052°E, 3♂ (S433, S438, S447) 1♀ ; Varenna , 46.009°N 9.288°E, 1♂ (S846) . Switzerland: Grisons, Sottoponte , 46.339°N 9.555°E, 1♂ (S576) 2♀ . Ticino, Castel San Pietro , 45.860°N 9.017°E, 2♂ (S064, S066) ; Somazzo , 45.884°N 8.996°E, 1♂ (S1076).

DIAGNOSIS. We limit Alpiscorpius alpha ( Di Caporiacco, 1950) to the “Karyotypic race II (Eal 90)” defined by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019), which has 2n = 90 chromosomes. The karyotype is composed of 10 metacentric, 10 submetacentric, 2 subtelocentric, and 68 telocentric chromosomes (fig. S1B in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). The rDNA clusters are localized in the subterminal region of the long arms of the telocentric chromosome pair 21 (fig. 2B and fig. S1B in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). Number of pectinal teeth (Dp) in male usually 7 (>80% of eXamined specimens). Number of patellar ventral trichobothria (Pv) usually 6 (80%). Reduction of patellar eXternal trichobothria from 4 to 3 common in series et (>10%) and very common in series eb a (> 25%).

VARIABILITY. We scored standard phenotypic markers for 23 eXamined specimens (22♂, 1♀), with the following variation observed:

Dp in males (n=22): 0/7 (1), 2/7 (1), 6/5 (1), 6/6 (3), 7/6 (1), 7/7 (14), 8/7 (1); in total (not counting aberrant pectines),

5 in 2.38% (1), 6 in 14.29% (6); 7 in 83.33% (35), and 8 in 2.38% (1); mean = 6.84, SD = 0.48.

Dp in females (n=1): 6/6.

Pv (n=23): 6/4 (1), 6/5 (5), 6/6 (15), 6/7 (1), 7/5 (1); in total, 4 in 2.17% (1), 5 in 13.04% (6), 6 in 80.43% (37) and 7 in 4.38% (2); mean = 5.87, SD = 0.50.

et (n=23): 3/4 (2), 4/3 (3), 4/4 (16), 5/4 (2); in total, 3 in 10.87% (5), 4 in 84.78% (39), 5 in 4.35% (2); mean = 3.93, SD = 0.39.

eb a (n=23): 3/3 (3), 3/4 (2), 4/3 (4), 4/4 (14); in total, 3 in 26.09% (12) and 4 in 73.91% (34); mean = 3.74, SD = 0.44.

DISTRIBUTION. Italy (Lombardy), Switzerland (Grisons, Ticino) ( Fig. 71).

NOTES. Populations of A. alpha (then addressed as Euscorpius germanus alpha or E. alpha ) from Italy and Switzerland were studied by Bonacina (1980), Gantenbein et al. (2000), Braunwalder (2001), and Fet & Braunwalder (2005). Here, we establish two more species, populations of which were formerly listed under “ Euscorpius alpha ”: Alpiscorpius beta ( Di Caporiacco, 1950) , comb. n., stat. n. (found to the west from A. alpha ) and a new species, Alpiscorpius delta sp. n. (found to the east from A. alpha ) ( Fig. 1). Since A. alpha is significantly restricted in our study, the Italian populations studied by Bonacina (1980) should be reassessed, and their phenotypic markers scored from the material deposited in MCSNB.

Some of the previously studied populations of A. alpha were the same as analyzed by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019) such as Sottoponte (Grisons), Olmo al Brembo, Sondrio (Lombardy). Gantenbein et al. (2000) published 16S mtDNA sequences for siX populations of “ Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha ” ( Switzerland: Ticino: Rancate; Grisons: Sottoponte; Italy: Lombardy: San Pellegrino, San Giovanni Bianco, Olmo al Brembo, Carona), which closely match DNA sequences of Eal 90 (= A. alpha ) obtained independently by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019). At the same time, 16S mtDNA sequences of other three populations of “ E. (A.) alpha ” further west and northwest published by Gantenbein et al. (2000) ( Italy: Lombardy: Tavernola; Trentino: Molino di Ledro; South Tyrol: Marling) closely match Eal 54 (= A. delta sp. n., see below).

Morphological variation was found to eXist within Euscorpius alpha ( Gantenbein et al., 2000; Fet & Braunwalder, 2005) but was inconclusive to support the species’ diagnosis. However, some of the populations formerly included under A. alpha are treated here as two more cryptic species: Alpiscorpius beta ( Di Caporiacco, 1950) and A. delta sp. n. With A. alpha limited to its current scope, there are indeed phenotypic markers, which, in combination with geographic distribution, can be used to identify A. alpha ( Tab. 5).

Fet & Braunwalder (2005) scored phenotypic markers for a large series (> 250 specimens) of this species from four populations in Switzerland, in the cantons of Ticino (Lugano, Mendrisio) and Grisons ( Val Bregaglia , Val Poschiavo ), with the following results :

Dp in males (n=87); in total, mean= 6.74, SD = 0.65.

Dp in females (n=161): mean= 5.76, SD = 0.58.

Pv (n=255): mean = 6.00, SD = 0.29.

et (n=244): 3 in 2.25% (11), 4 in 97.13% (474), 5 in 0.6% (3); mean = 3.98, SD = 0.17.

These phenotypic data are consistent with the 23 eXamined specimens used for karyotype and DNA phylogeny study by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019). Note that the Swiss populations, which are found at the northern margin of the species’ range, appear to be less diverse than Italian populations in having low frequency of et =3 reduction (ca. 2%).