Euscorpius olympus, Blasco-Aróstegui & Prendini, 2023

Blasco-Aróstegui, Javier & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2023, Glacial Relicts? A New Scorpion from Mount Olympus, Greece (Euscorpiidae: Euscorpius), American Museum Novitates 2023 (4003), pp. 1-36 : 9-30

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1206/4003.1

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4120AD22-DF48-4F42-66F4-4D3DFC6FC0FB

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Euscorpius olympus
status

sp. nov.

Euscorpius olympus , sp. nov.

Figures 1–19 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 View FIGURE 11 View FIGURE 12 View FIGURE 13 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 View FIGURE 19 ; tables 1–4

TYPE MATERIAL: GREECE: Central Macedonia: Pieria Regional Unit: Holotype Ƌ ( AMNH), Foteina, road exiting village, along foothills of Mount Olympus , 40°12′28.5″N 22°18′05.3″E, 509 m, 26.x.2021, J. Blasco-Aróstegui and A. Calatayud-Mascarell, deciduous forest slope with several rocks, in deep crevices. Paratypes: 1 subad. ♀ ( AMCC [ LP 16177 ]), Foteina, 2 km SE on road to Agios Dimitrios, 40°12′28.1″N 22°18′05.3″E, 461 m, 24.v.2018, S. Schaffrath and M. Bläser, night with GoogleMaps UV light, cracks in rocky slope with vegetation; 1 ♀ ( AMNH), 3 ♀ ( AMCC [ LP 17925 , 17932 View Materials , 17940 View Materials ]), 1 juv. Ƌ ( AMCC [ LP 17986 ]), same data as holotype; 8 Ƌ, 7 ♀ ( AMNH), Foteina, road exiting village, along foothills of Mount Olympus , 40°12′28.5″N 22°18′05.3″E, 509 m, 24. vi.2023, J. Blasco-Aróstegui; 2 Ƌ, 2 ♀ ( AMNH), Foteina, secondary trail originating from main road, 40°12′36.4″N 22°18′07.8″E, 499 m, 24.vi.2023, J. Blasco-Aróstegui GoogleMaps .

DIAGNOSIS: Euscorpius olympus , sp. nov., most closely resembles E. aquilejensis , a widespread species distributed from the southeastern Italian Peninsula to Slovenia and Croatia ( Tropea, 2013a). The two species are somewhat similar in coloration, with a slender, elongated pedipalp chela, similar trichobothrial patterns, and a broad telson in both sexes. However, E. olympus differs from E. aquilejensis in the following respects. Euscorpius olympus is a proportionally larger species, measuring 38.2–48.4 mm in length (fig. 5; tables 2, 3), whereas E. aquilejensis is medium-sized, usually measuring 29–38 mm but occasionally reaching 41 mm ( Tropea, 2013a). The subdistal teeth on the movable finger of the chelicera are clearly separated in E. olympus , but almost united, forming a bicuspid in E. aquilejensis . The carapace anterior margin possesses a shallow median notch in E. olympus (fig. 6) but is sublinear in E. aquilejensis . The carapace surface is almost asetose in the male of E. olympus (fig. 6), but noticeably more setose in the male of E. aquilejensis . The carapace lateral surfaces and pedipalp femur prodorsal surface are less finely and sparsely granular in E. olympus (figs. 6, 7A, B) than E. aquilejensis . The medial lobe of the pedipalp chela movable finger is rounded in the male of E. olympus (fig. 8B) but slightly conical in the male of E. aquilejensis . The ventromedian row of spinules on the leg IV telotarsi comprise 10–13 short, blunt spinules in E. olympus (fig. 10A–D) and 9–11 elongate spinules in E. aquilejensis . The median lateral carinae of metasomal segment I are obsolete and incomplete, restricted to the anterior half of the segment in E. olympus (figs. 11B, 12B), but distinct and complete in E. aquilejensis .

Euscorpius olympus may be separated from the other two species of Euscorpius occurring in the vicinity of Mount Olympus as follows. The carapace, tergites and metasomal segments are uniformly dark brown in E. olympus (fig. 3) but variably dark brown with light brown infuscation in E. aff. sicanus and, to a lesser extent, E. kinzelbachi . The carapace anterior margin possesses a shallow median notch in E. olympus (fig. 6) but is sublinear in E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus . The carapace surface is entirely finely and sparsely granular, more densely so laterally, in E. olympus (fig. 6) but smooth, except for the lateral surfaces which are finely and sparsely granular, in E. kinzelbachi . The pedipalp femur is more elongated (width 32% of length) in E. olympus than in E. kinzelbachi (width 37.4% of length) and E. aff. sicanus (width 38.3% of length; tables 2, 3). The retrodorsal carina of the femur is obsolete, comprising small granules in E. olympus (figs. 7A, B, 16A) but distinct, comprising large granules in E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus . The patellar process is more developed in E. olympus (height: width 137.5%) than E. aff. sicanus (height: width, 102.9%). Although the trichobothria of the patellar retrolateral surface are similar in all three species, each comprising six trichobothria in the et series (fig. 16C), E. aff. sicanus often possesses an additional et trichobothrium, whereas E. kinzelbachi sometimes lacks an et trichobothrium, possessing only five trichobothria in the series. Additionally, both E. olympus and E. kinzelbachi possess only four trichobothria in the eb series (fig. 16C), whereas E. aff. sicanus possesses five. The pedipalp chela of E. olympus is slenderer and elongate in both sexes than the chelae of E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus which are shorter and broader (fig. 15). The retroventral carina of the chela is costate-granular and more pronounced in E. olympus than E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus (figs. 8, 9, 15). In the male of E. olympus , the medial lobe of the chela movable finger fits evenly with the medial notch of the fixed finger, leaving little to no gap between the fingers, when closed, unlike the males of E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus , in which the medial lobe fits unevenly with the medial notch, creating a distinct gap between the fingers, when closed (fig. 15). Furthermore, the medial lobe and notch are broad and shallow in the female of E. olympus , whereas the lobe is distinct and rounded, the notch deep in the female of E. kinzelbachi , and the lobe absent or obsolete, the notch distinct in the female of E. aff. sicanus (fig. 15). The pectinal tooth counts of E. olympus are lower, 8/8 (Ƌ) or 7/7 (♀) (fig. 6; table 4), than the counts of E. aff. sicanus , 10/10 (Ƌ) or 8–9/8–9 (♀). The spinules in the ventromedian row of the leg telotarsi are short and blunt (fig. 10) in E. olympus but elongate in E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus . The telson is relatively slender and shallowly convex ventrally in the male of E. olympus (fig. 14A, B), as in the male of E. kinzelbachi , but markedly globose in the male of E. aff. sicanus .

The hemispermatophore of E. olympus differs markedly from that of the other two species (figs. 18, 19). Whereas the flagellar lamina of E. olympus is rounded distally and lacks a constriction proximally, the lamina of E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus tapers distally and exhibits a marked constriction proximally. The capsule of E. olympus bears two distinct lateral lobes each terminating in a crownlike structure (“dorsal trough margin” sensu Sissom, 1994: 269– 270; “tube-like structure” sensu Soleglad and Sissom, 2001: 56), two distal external lobes, two distal internal lobes and two basal lobes (fig. 18D), whereas the capsule of E. kinzelbachi and E. aff. sicanus exhibits only one of each (fig. 18E, F). The shape of the distal external lobe also differs among the three species, with a more flattened dorsal process and acute proximal termination in E. olympus (fig. 19D); a semicircular structure terminating in an abrupt invaginaof Natural History (AMNH), New York, including the Ambrose Monell Cryocollection for Molecular and Microbial Research (AMCC). Counts (sinistral/dextral) of median denticle subrows, prolateral accessory denticles (PAD) and retrolateral accessory denticles (RAD) on fixed and movable fingers of pedipalp chela; ventromedian spinules (VMS) on telotarsi of legs I–IV; and pectinal teeth.

Sternum: Subpentagonal (fig. 6C, D) with marked posterior depression. Surface with four or five macrosetae and few additional microsetae.

Pedipalps: Femur width of length, 32.7% (30.9–33.8%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 31.3% (29–32.8%, n = 5) (♀) (tables 2, 3). Proventral carina complete, costate-granular, with large subspiniform granules (fig. 7A, B, 16A). Promedian carina complete, costate-granular, spiniform granules more pronounced in Ƌ than ♀, with few macro- and microsetae. Prodorsal carina complete, costate-granular, with several subspiniform granules. Retrodorsal carina complete, granular, becoming obsolete distally. Retromedian carinae complete, costate-granular, except at proximal and distal margins of segment, spiniform granules more pronounced in Ƌ than ♀, and with few macro- and microsetae. Retroventral carina granular, restricted to proximal half of segment. Other carinae absent. Dorsal and ventral intercarinal surfaces finely granular; prolateral and retrolateral intercarinal surfaces smooth or nearly so. Patella width of length, 37.8% (37.5–38.1%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 37.4% (34–39.9%, n = 5) (♀) (tables 2, 3). Proventral carina complete, granular to costate-granular, more pronounced in Ƌ (fig. 7G) than ♀ (fig. 7H). Prodorsal carina complete, costate-granular, proportionally more developed than retrodorsal carina, and slightly more pronounced in Ƌ (fig. 7C) than ♀ (fig. 7D). Retrodorsal and retroventral carinae complete, costate-granular (Ƌ) (fig. 7C, E, G) or granular (♀) (fig. 7D, F, H), except at proximal and distal margins of segment. Retromedian carina incomplete, granular (fig. 7E, F). Other carinae absent. Dorsal and ventral intercarinal surfaces finely granular to smooth (fig. 7C, D, G, H); prolateral surface with distinct patellar process, finely granular, with few larger granules, more spiniform in Ƌ (fig. 7C, G) than ♀ (fig. 7D, H), at base; surface of process with scattered FIGURE 14. Euscorpius olympus , sp. nov., telson, microsetae and single macroseta near apex (fig. ventral (A, C) and lateral (B, D) aspects. A, B. Holotype Ƌ (AMNH). C, D. Paratype ♀ (AMNH). Scale 7C, D, G, H); retrolateral intercarinal surface bars = 2 mm. smooth (fig. 7E, F). Chela slender, elongated, fingers notably curved, narrower in Ƌ (fig. 8) than ♀ (fig. 9); chela length of manus width, 30.6% (29.4–31.7%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 29.6% (27.1–31.5%, n = 5) (♀); manus width of length, 53.5% (52.9–54.3%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 51.9% (50–53.8%, n = 5) (♀); manus height of width, 72.5% (67.5–76.2%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 64.1% (57.5–74.2%, n = 5) (♀); movable finger length: manus length, 92.1% (88.6–98.5%, n =

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5) (Ƌ) or 90.6% (87–94.9%, n = 5) (♀); fixed finger width of length, 8.3% (6.9–10.3%, n = 5) (Ƌ) and 8.9% (7.4–10%, n = 5) (♀); movable finger width of length, 4.8% (4.2–5.6%, n = 5) (Ƌ) or 7.4%, (5.1–9.5%, n = 5) (♀) (tables 2, 3). Chela dorsal surface flat (♀) (fig. 9A, B) to slightly convex (Ƌ) (fig. 8A, B), sloping slightly from proximal to distal margin (more so in ♀), proximal margin slightly curved; prolateral surface convex proximally, moderately (♀) (fig. 8D) to markedly (Ƌ) (fig. 7D) concave distally (proximal to fixed finger); retrolateral surface slightly (Ƌ) (fig. 8B) to markedly (♀) (fig. 9B) convex medially; ventral surface flat, sloping slightly from proximal to distal margin (more so in ♀), shallow depression proximal to movable finger condyle, proximal margin slightly curved (figs. 8C, 9C). Proventral carina obsolete, finely granular, more developed than ventromedian carina (figs. 8C, D, 9C, D). Promedian carina obsolete, finely granular, extending to base of fixed finger (figs. 8D, 9D). Prodorsal carina obsolete, granular, comprising discontinuous row of granules (figs. 8A, B, 9A, B). Dorsomedian carina obsolete, reduced to fine granulation along manus, absent on fixed finger (figs. 8A, B, 9A, B). Digital carina costate-granular to granular, incomplete, reduced to discontinuous row of subspiniform granules distally (figs. 8A, B, 9A, B). Subdigital carina vestigial, reduced to few granules at proximal margin of segment (figs. 8A, B, 9A, B). Retromedian carina incomplete, comprising obsolete row of granules decreasing in size distally (figs. 8B, C, 9B, C). Retrolateral secondary and secondary accessory carinae vestigial, reduced to distal quarter of segment, proximal to movable finger condyle (figs. 8B, C, 9B, C). Retroventral carina complete, costate-granular, comprising subspiniform granules (figs. 8B–D, 9B–D). Ventromedian carina obsolete, finely granular (figs. 8C, D, 9C, D). Intercarinal surfaces sparsely setose, smooth and glabrous to finely granulo-reticulate (figs. 8, 9). Fixed and movable fingers with pronounced proximal and medial lobes, respectively, and correspondingly deep proximal and medial notches in Ƌ (fig. 8B, D); proximal and medial lobes both wider than high, but medial lobe higher and medial notch deeper; median lobe fits evenly with median notch, leaving little to no gap between fingers, when closed. Proximal and medial lobes, and corresponding notches, of fixed and movable fingers obsolete, shallow in ♀ (fig. 9B, D). Median denticle rows of fixed and movable fingers each comprising seven subrows (table 4), forming sublinear row, discontinuous at accessory denticles (figs. 8, 9); fixed and movable fingers each with 11–13 prolateral and 7 or 8 retrolateral accessory denticles (n = 10; table 4) and single terminal denticle, interlocking unevenly, movable finger moderately displaced retrolaterally, when closed (figs. 8, 9); intercarinal surfaces smooth, slightly setose (figs. 7, 8).

Femur with three trichobothria (figs. 7A, B, 16A), two on dorsal surface (d 1, d 2), one on prolateral surface (i). Patella with 35 or 36 trichobothria, one petite (esb 2), 34 or 35 full sized (figs. 7C–H, 16B, C, D): 9 or 10 on ventral surface (v 1 – v 10); 24 on retrolateral surface (et 1 – et 6, est 1 – est 4, em 1 – em 4, esb 1 – esb 2, esb a1 – esb a4, eb 1 – eb 4); two on dorsal surface (d 1, d 2); and one on prolateral surface (i). Chela with 26 trichobothria, two petite (Et 4, Esb), 24 full sized (figs. 8, 9, 17A–D): 18 on manus, four on ventral surface (V 1 – V 4), 10 on retrolateral surface (Et 1 – Et 5, Est, Esb, Eb 1 – Eb 3,), two on dorsal surface (Dt, Db), two on prolateral surface (it, ib); eight on fixed finger, four on dorsal surface (dt, dst, dsb, db), four on retrolateral surface (et, est, esb, eb).

Legs: Femora each with granular retrodorsal carina complete on legs II and III, incomplete, restricted to proximal three quarters, on I and IV, and costate-granular proventral carina complete on I–III, incomplete, restricted to proximal threequarters on IV, other carinae absent; prolateral and retrolateral surfaces finely granular; few macrosetae on carinae and other surfaces. Patellae each with granular retrodorsal carina on legs I–III, obsolete on IV, other carinae absent; few macrosetae on carina and other surfaces; pro- and retrolateral surfaces finely granular to smooth. Tibiae acarinate, each with few setiform macrosetae on pro- and retrolateral surfaces; tibial spur absent. Basitarsi acarinate; prolateral and retrolateral surfaces sparsely setose, more so on legs I and II than III and IV; distally with pro- and retrolateral pedal spurs, and proventral row of short, blunt spinules, 11 or 12 spinules on leg I, 3–5 on II and III, and 0–2 on IV (fig. 10). Telotarsi each with truncate laterodistal lobes and ventromedian row of short, blunt spinules; 8–11 spinules in ventromedian row on legs I and II, 10–13 on III and IV, last pair of spinules slightly elongated; ungues curved, equal in length; dactyl pronounced (fig. 10; table 4). Genital operculum: Opercula suboval, separated longitudinally, slightly overlapping (Ƌ) or partially fused (♀). Genital papillae well developed, protruding from below opercula (Ƌ) (fig. 6C) or absent (♀) (fig. 6D). Hemispermatophore: Lamelliform (figs. 18, 19A). Flagellar lamina elongate, broad proximally and progressively tapering distally; dorsal and ven- FIGURE 16. Euscorpius olympus , sp. nov., holotype tral margins weakly sclerotized; apex blunt, Ƌ (AMNH), dextral pedipalp femur, dorsal aspect rounded (figs. 18, 19A). Capsule complex, divided (A) and patella, dorsal (B), retrolateral (C), and ventral (D) aspects, illustrating trichobothrial pattern. into two similar parts (fig. 18A, D); two lateral Annotations: d, dorsal; e, external; eb, external lobes, one anterior to the other, each terminating in basal; em, external medial; esb, external suprabasal; crownlike structure (“dorsal trough margin” sensu est, external subterminal; et, external terminal; i, internal; v, ventral. Scale bar = 2 mm. Sissom, 1994: 269–270; “tube-like structure” sensu Soleglad and Sissom, 2001: 56; figs 18C, 19A, D); posterior crownlike structure (cls 1) and anterior crownlike structure (cls 2) bearing ca. 13 and ca. 9 denticles, respectively (fig. 19D); two well-developed distal external lobes, posterior distal external lobe (lde 1) less pronounced than anterior distal external lobe (lde 2), which exhibits more rounded dorsal process (fig. 19D); two obsolete distal internal lobes; two well-developed basal lobes, posterior basal lobe (bl 1) terminating in tubular apex and larger than anterior basal lobe (bl 2), terminating acutely (fig. 19D). Trunk broad, unsclerotized, with distinct truncal flexure and short pedicel.

Pectines: Pectinal tooth count, 8/8 (n = 5) (Ƌ) or 7/7 (n = 5) (♀). Surfaces with macro- and microsetae, mostly on marginal lamellae. Basal plate anvil shaped, with moderate (♀) (fig. 6D) to pronounced (Ƌ) (fig. 6C) anteromedian invagination.

Tergites: Pretergites and posttergites progressively increasing in length. Pretergites glabrous; posttergites III–VII finely and densely (Ƌ) or sparsely (♀) granular submedially and along posterior margins, more coarsely so on VII, especially in Ƌ; posttergites III–VII each with obsolete dorsomedian carinae.

Sternites: Sternites III–VII surfaces smooth and sparsely setose medially, finely granular (Ƌ) or smooth (♀), each with 10–12 microsetae, along lateral and posterior margins; III–VI each with pair of oval-shaped spiracles sublaterally; VII with obsolete ventrolateral and ventrosubmedian carinae.

Metasoma: Segments I–V narrow and slender, progressively increasing in length and decreasing in width (tables 2, 3). Dorsolateral carinae obsolete, granular on segments I and II (figs. 11A, B, 12A, B); granular to costate-granular posteriorly, posterodorsal granules slightly larger than preceding granules on III and IV (figs. 11A, B, D, E, 12A, B, D, E); granular on V (fig. 13A, B, D, E). Median lateral carinae obsolete, reduced to few granules in anterior half of segment I; reduced to few granules in anterior half or absent on II; absent on III–V (figs. 11B, 12B). Ventrolateral carinae absent or obsolete on segments I–IV (figs. 11B, C, E, F, 12B, C, E, F); distinct, costate-granular, with spiniform granules on V, but incomplete posteriorly, granules not reaching anal lobes (fig. 13B, C, E, F). Ventromedian carinae absent on segments I–IV (figs. 11C, F, 12C, F); distinct, but incomplete on V (fig. 13C, F). Anal arch of segment V with 12 ventral lobes, two lateral lobes on each side and rounded dorsal depression (fig. 13). Dorsal intercarinal surfaces finely granular on segments I–V (figs. 11A, D, 12A, D, 13A, D); retrolateral intercarinal surfaces finely granular on I and V (figs. 11B, 12B, 13B, E), smooth on II–IV (figs. 11B, E, 12B, E); ventral intercarinal surfaces smooth on I–IV (figs. 11C, F, 12C, F), finely granular on V (fig. 13C, F). Macrosetae arranged in groups of 8–9 per segment (figs. 11, 12), with more setae on segment V (fig. 13).

Telson: Vesicle globose, shallowly convex ventrally, more so in Ƌ (fig. 14); pairs of anterodorsal, ventrolateral, and ventrosubmedian longitudinal sulci; surfaces smooth, with scattered macro- and microsetae anterior to aculeus. Aculeus short, curved, forming acute (Ƌ) or obtuse (♀) angle with vesicle (fig. 14B, D); approximately one third (Ƌ) to half (♀) the length of vesicle (tables 2, 3).

DISTRIBUTION: Euscorpius olympus , sp. nov., is known only from the type locality, Foteina , in the foothills of Mount Olympus, Central Macedonia, Greece (figs. 1B, 2B, 4B) .

ECOLOGY: The type specimens of E. olympus , sp. nov., were collected at night on a deciduous forest slope, from deep, narrow crevices in limestone outcrops (fig. 4B). The habitat and habitus of this species are consistent with the lithophilous ecomorphotype ( Prendini, 2001).

Euscorpius olympus is sympatric with two other euscorpiids, a species of the E. sicanus complex that lives primarily among the leaf litter, and E. kinzelbachi , a montane species inhabiting pine forests mostly at higher elevations across Mount Olympus. A buthid, Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) , has been recorded in drier, rocky habitats at lower elevations, around the massif.

AMNH

American Museum of Natural History

AMCC

Ambrose Monell Cryo Collection, American Museum of Natural History

UV

Departamento de Biologia de la Universidad del Valle

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Scorpiones

Family

Euscorpiidae

Genus

Euscorpius

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