Euscorpiops yangi, Zhu & Zhang & Lourenço, 2007

Zhu, Ming-Sheng, Zhang, Lu & Lourenço, Wilson R., 2007, One new species of scorpion belonging to the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 from South China (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae), Zootaxa 1582 (1), pp. 19-25 : 20-25

Euscorpiops yangi sp. nov.

( Figs 1–22 )

Type material: Male holotype, CHINA: Yunnan Province, Maguang County, Gulingqing Town , 23°00´N, 104°18´E, 20/VII/2006, Zi-Zhong Yang and Yu-Lung Wang leg. (Ar.-MHU-0011); 3 males and 1 female paratypes, same data as for holotype (1 male paratype in MNHN, the others in MHU) .

Diagnosis: Medium-sized scorpion with total length 46.1 to 51.3, and can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus Euscorpiops , and in particular from Euscopiops vachoni and Euscorpiops shidian by the following features: (1) patella of pedipalp with 9 to 10 ventral trichobothria, whereas in E. shidian 11 are present; (2) pectinal tooth number is 5 to 7, E. vachoni has 7 to 8; (3) chela narrow and elongated; the ratio between length and width is 3.4 on males and 3.3 on female, whereas in E. vachoni it is respectively 1.5 and 1.9 and in E. shidian it is 1.6 and 2.7; (4) cheliceral movable finger with 5 basal teeth on ventral edge, both E. vachoni and E. shidian present a higher number of basal teeth than the new species.

Etymology: The specific name is a patronym in honor of Dr. Zi-Zhong Yang, Dali University, Yunnan, China, who collected the type material.

Description based on male holotype and female paratype

Coloration. Body dark brown. Carapace dark brown.Tergites dark brown with pale spots. Appendages blackish-brown. Telson reddish-brown with four longitudinal yellowish-brown stripes, Vesicle blackishbrown with the end of the aculeus dark reddish. Pedipalp dark brown. Chela manus and fingers blackish. Legs reddish-brown with pale patches except tarsi, tarsi yellowish-brown. Sternites yellowish-brown, sternum brownish.

Morphology. The entire carapace is granulated except for anterior paler areas; anterior granules larger than the posterior ones; carinae absent. Lateral and posterior median furrows distinct but shallow. Median ocular tubercle smooth, forming a conspicuous promontory with one pair of small median eyes, located anteriorly to the centre of the carapace ( Fig. 1 ). Lateral ocular tubercles each with three ocelli. Mesosoma covered with minute granulations on the dorsal surface ( Fig. 1 ); tergites I to III without carinae, tergites IV to VI each with one vestigial median carina, tergite VII bears a very weak median and two pair of lateral carinae. Sternum and sternites III to VI are smooth except for sternite VII, which has a few granules on lateral surfaces and no distinct carina. Pectinal tooth count 7– 7 in male holotype and 5–6 in female paratype ( Figs. 6, 13 ). Metasomal segments II to V longer than wide, segment I wider than long; segments I and II with a few granules strongly marked; segments I to V have 10-8-8-8-7 carinae; All dorsaldor, solateral and ventrolateral carinae of segments I to IV are serrated, but dorsolateral carinae of segment V are weak, other carinae are granular. Vesicle is smooth with a few setae ( Fig. 14 ). Cheliceral movable finger with 5 basal teeth on ventral edge. Pedi- palps: femur has four carinae, covered with irregular granules on dorsal and ventral surface ( Figs. 2, 9 ), interior aspect with serrated carinae; patella with five carinae, covered with irregular granules on dorsal surface and smooth ventrally ( Figs. 4, 5, 11, 12 ). Trichobothrial pattern of type C, neobothriotaxic by Vachon (1974); patella with 18 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), 10 ventral trichobothria ( Figs. 3, 5, 10, 12 ). Chela is narrow and elongated ( Figs. 15–18, 19–22 ); the ratio between length and width is 3.4 in male holotype and 3.3 in female paratype. Digital, ventroexternal and ventrointernal carinae are moderately granular, Dorsal internal carina is strongly granular, other carinae are vestigial or absent ( Figs. 15–18, 19–22 ). Size range of total length 46.1–49.1.

Description based on male holotype and one female paratype. Measurements in Table 1.

Variation. number (left/right) of ventral trichobothria on the pedipalp patellae, male holotype, 2 male paratypes and 1 female paratype with 10/10, 1 male paratype with 9/10. Number of pectinal tooth, male holotype and 1 male paratype with 7/7, 1 male paratype with 6/7, 1 male paratype with 6/6, 1 female paratype with 6/5.

Habitat: Found under the stones.

Distribution: South China (Yunnan Province).

Figures

FIGURE. 1. Euscorpiops yangi sp. nov. Male holotype, dorsal view. Scale = 2mm.

FIGURES 2–14. Euscorpiops yangi sp. nov. 2–8, 14. Male holotype, 9–13. Female paratype. 2. Femur, dorsal aspect. 3–5. Patella (3. external, 4. dorsal and 5. ventral aspect). 6. Genital operculum and pectines, ventral aspect. 7–8. chelicera (7. dorsal, 8. ventral aspect). 9. Femur, dorsal aspect. 10–12. Patella (10. external, 11. dorsal, 12. ventral aspect). 13. Genital operculum and pectines, ventral aspect. 14. Telson, lateral aspect. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURES 15–22. Euscorpiops yangi sp. nov. 15–18. Male holotype, 19–22. Female paratype. Chela, 15 and 19. dorsoexternal aspect, 16 and 20. external aspect, 17 and 21. ventral aspect, 18 and 22. internal aspect. Scale = 1mm.