Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus, Yin, Shijin, Qiu, Yanning, Pan, Zhaohui, Li, Shaobin & Di, Zhiyong, 2015

Yin, Shijin, Qiu, Yanning, Pan, Zhaohui, Li, Shaobin & Di, Zhiyong, 2015, Chaeriluspseudoconchiformus sp. n. and an updated key of the chaerilid scorpions from China (Scorpiones, Chaerilidae), ZooKeys 495, pp. 41-51 : 42-45

Taxon classification Animalia Scorpiones Chaerilidae

Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. Figs 1-4, 5−25, 26-35, Tables 1, 2

Type material.

Holotype, male, China: Xizang, Nyingchi County (Linzhi County), VIII/2014, Zhiyong Di and Tao Li leg. (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1401); paratypes: 1 adult male, 9 adult females, same data as holotype (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1402−11) (kept in USTC).

Diagnosis.

The new species differs from its congeners by the following features: approximately 30−40 mm in total length (Table 2); carapace with the anterior margin straight; chela with length/width ratio: average of 3.3 in males, and 2.5 in females (Table 2); eight or nine (usually eight) rows of denticles on fixed and movable fingers of pedipalp chelae; five pectinal teeth in males and three or four in females. Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. can be distinguished from the geographically and morphologically closely related species (Tables 2-3, and key). Morphologically closest are Chaerilus conchiformus and Chaerilus wrzecionkoi . Both these species have similar body lengths, as well as similar numbers of denticle rows on fixed and movable fingers of the pedipalp chelae. They can be distinguished by the length/width ratio of the pedipalp chela: manus of pedipalp in male narrow and long, chela length/width ratio in male higher than 3 (average of 3.3 in two males, and 2.5 in nine females) in Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n.; manus of pedipalp in male robust ( Kovařík 2012: Fig. 68), chela length/width ratio in both sex adults lower than 2.6 in Chaerilus wrzecionkoi ( Kovařík, 2012: 2); manus of pedipalp in both sex adults robust ( Zhu et al. (2008): Figs 3, 17), chela length/width ratio in one male adult is 2.4 (paratype: Ar. –MHU–XZ 0102), in two females (including the holotype) lower than 2.0 in Chaerilus conchiformus . Furthermore, Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. has more slender pedipalps than Chaerilus wrzecionkoi (Table 1; Kovařík 2012: 13), in other words, the length ratio of pedipalp (LRP) is distinctly larger than the length ratio of total length (LRT) of Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. and Chaerilus wrzecionkoi : 1.14 (LRP), 1.01 (LRT) in male holotypes; 1.08 (LRP), 0.95 (LRT) in female allotypes of Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus sp. n. and Chaerilus wrzecionkoi (Table 1).

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the geographically and morphologically most closely related species Chaerilus conchiformus , adding the Greek prefix “pseudo−” as “pseudoconchiformus”, because the habitus of both sexes is very similar to that of Chaerilus conchiformus .

Description.

Based on male holotype and female paratype.

Coloration (Figs 1-4). Basically reddish brown. Carapace dark red-brown with black parts and yellowish stripes. Mesosomal tergites dark red-brown with yellowish stripes. Metasoma: all segments dark red-brown. Telson dark red-brown with reddish brown part; aculeus light red-brown. Chelicerae reddish brown with dark reticular pattern on dorsal surface. Pedipalps: femur, patella and chela dark red-brown with dark carinae. Legs dark red-brown and red-brown on distal segments. Sternum, genital operculum and sternites red-brown with some light parts. Pectines light yellow.

Morphology. Carapace carinated, with the anterior margin straight; with dense granules of nearly equal size; lateral furrow moderately deep; large granules form 2 longitudinal lateral carinae (Fig. 5). Median ocular tubercle with granules. Lateral ocular tubercle small with a pair of lateral eyes and some granules (Fig. 6). Lateral eyes distinctly smaller than median eyes (Fig. 5).

Mesosoma: Tergites uniform distributing with granules of larger and unequal size; tergites I to II without carinae, each of tergites III to VI bearing a pairs of obsolete granular carinae on posterior margin, tergite VII bearing two pairs of obsolete granular lateral carinae, but middle pair is represented only by ridges without expressed carinae; sternum pentagonal; genital operculum triangular; pectinal teeth count 5/5 in males and 3−4 in females, with fulcra well developed (Figs 12-13); sternites III to VI are smooth, sternite VII granular without carinae (Fig. 11).

Metasoma: Length about 4.8 times as long as carapace in males and 4.4 in females; segment I always wider than long; segments I to V with 10-8-8-8-7 granular carinae; the ventromedian and ventrolateral carinae of segment V composed of strong, dentated granules, ventromedian carina posteriorly bifurcated as “Y” (Figs 14-15); all segments with sparse small granules. Vesicle is almost smooth; aculeus slightly curved (Figs 16-17).

Chelicerae: Tibia surfaces smooth; thickly covered with numerous short, silky hairs, extending to ventral aspect of chelicerae and dorsal aspect of fixed fingers; ventral inner edges of movable finger with some minute teeth (2−3 obsolete teeth in two males and 3−9 well developed and obsolete teeth in nine females) (Figs 7-10).

Pedipalp: Tegument granular. The femur has four carinae and the patella has five granular carinae (Figs 18-27). Chela with length/width ratio average of 3.3 in males (two adults) and 2.5 in females (nine adults), has seven granulated dorsointernal, except internal carina obsolete; entire tegument of chela manus densely covered with coarse granules, forming some indistinct reticular pattern (Figs 28-33); fingers straight, the cutting edge of movable finger with 8 or 9 (mainly 8) rows of denticles (Figs 34-35). Trichobothriotaxy of type B; orthobothriotaxic ( Vachon 1974) (Figs 18-33).

Legs: Tibia without tibial spur. Basitarsus with two pedal spurs strongly developed. Tarsi with two rows of spiniform setae.

Variation.

Coloration and morphology in holotype and paratypes are very similar (feature datasets please see Table 2).

Habitat.

Found under the stones in mixed forest.

Distribution.

China (Xizang).