Ananteris canalera, Miranda & de Armas, 2020

Miranda, Roberto J. & de Armas, Luis F., 2020, A new species of Ananteris (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Panama, Euscorpius 297, pp. 1-7 : 2-5

Ananteris canalera sp. n.

( Figures 1–9 , Table 1 ).

ttp: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: FE6CB237-3 D82-4BBD-828D-043DD85C02AA

Ananteris sp. Teruel & Cozijn, 2011: 2, fig. 1.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Panama, Panama Oeste Province , Capira, Trinidad de las Minas; ICGES .

TYPE MATERIAL. Panama, Panama Oeste Province , Capira, Trinidad de las Minas, 1♀ (holotype) (CoZEM-ICGES), 4 April 2019, R. Miranda & J. Lezcano. Capira, 2♂ 3♀ (paratypes) ( IESC), 21 November 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García & G. González; 1♂ 2♀ (paratypes) ( ICGES), 20 November 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García & G. González; 1♀ (paratype) ( ICGES), 14 August 2019, R. Miranda & I. Murgas. Trinidad de las Minas , 1♂ (paratype) ( ICGES), 24 August 2019, R. Miranda & J. Lezcano. Trinidad Arriba , 1♂ (paratype) ( ICGES), 9 March 2018, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, J. Lezcano & G. García; 1♀ (paratype) ( ICGES), 14 August 2018, R. Miranda, J. Lezcano, L. Domínguez, Gino Fatacioli. Aguacate, 1♂ (paratype) ( ICGES), 15 August 2018, R. Miranda, J. Lezcano, L. Domínguez. Majara, 1♂ (paratype) ( ICGES), 22 November 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García & G. González. Chame, Chicá, Parque Nacional Altos de Campana , 2♀ (paratypes), 21 September 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, J. Lezcano, G. García .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED (not paratypes). Panama, Panamá Oeste Province , Polanco, 8♂ 7♀, 20-21 November, 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García & G. González ( ICGES); 1♀, 22 March, 2018, I. Murgas, G. García, J. Lezcano ( ICGES). Trinidad de las Minas , 1♀, 8 March 2018, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García and J. Lezcano ( ICGES); 2♂ 3♀, 21- 28 August, 2018, R. Miranda, L. Domínguez & J. Lezcano ( ICGES). Trinidad Arriba , 1♂ 1♀, 9-15 March 2018, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, J. Lezcano & G. García ( ICGES). Majara , 4♂, 22 November, 2017, R. Miranda, I. Murgas, G. García & G. González ( ICGES). Parque Nacional Altos de Campana , 3♂ 1♀, 18-21 September, 2017, R. Miranda , I. Murgas, J. Lezcano, G. García .

ETYMOLOGY. The specific name is an adjective that commonly refers to the inhabitants of Panama.

DIAGNOSIS. A medium-sized species among its congeneric, from which it differs by the following unique combination of features: Carapace weakly, evenly biconcave and lacking anteromedian projection; metasomal carinal formula 10:10:10:8:5, with all carinae complete; pectines have 17–20 teeth (female 17–18, male 18–20); sternites III–V are smooth, VI bears few weak granules laterally, VII is densely and finely granulose, III and V without whitish smooth areas in the male; fixed finger trichobothria in the order eb: esb: db: est: et: dt, with est slightly distal to db ( Fig. 9 ); male telson similar to that of the female, but smoother; hemispermatophore with pars recta clearly wider than pars reflexa ( Fig. 5 ). Its closest relative seems to be A. platnicki , from which it differs by the structure of male hemispermatophore ( Fig. 4 ), and having only minor sexual dimorphism, whereas in A. platnicki the male has the telson ( Fig. 2 ) and pedipalps elongate. It also differs from the Colombian Ananteris leilae Lourenco, 1999 by its larger size, higher pectinal tooth count (15–16 teeth in A. leilae ), telson slightly globose, and chelicerae with a different color pattern. Hemispermatophore of A. canalera sp. n. resembles that of Ananteris columbiana (see Botero & FlÓrez, 2011: fig. 61), but the Colombian species has most attenuate pedipalps and telson.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FEMALE

Coloration. Yellowish with variegated pigmentation over almost the entire body and appendages ( Figs. 1 , 6–8 ). Carapace predominantly brown with some yellow spots ( Figs. 1 , 5 ); median ocular tubercle black, surrounded by brown spot. Chelicerae hand with dense and complete brown reticular pattern on dorsal view ( Fig. 6 ); fingers almost completely brownish. Coxosternal region yellow with vestigial variegated pigmentation; genital operculum, pectinal basal piece and pectines, immaculate yellow; sternites III–VI mostly yellow, vestigially spotted in lateral and posterior submargins; sternite VII most darkened. Tergites primarily brown ( Fig. 1 ); each side of tergites I–VI with two marginal slender yellow stripes; two longitudinal submedian yellow stripes crossing tergites I–VI are limited to the posterior one-third of each segment; each side of tergites I–VI with two transverse yellow lines converging near the axial line, arrow-like; tergite VII mostly brown dorsally, with small yellow regions dorsally and laterally. Metasoma predominantly yellowish to reddish ( Fig. 7 ); dorsal intercarinal spaces of segments I–III with a median brown design wider anteriorly, arrow-like ( Fig. 8 ); all segments with variegated pigmentation on all surfaces and carinae; segment V darker ( Fig. 7 ). Telson vesicle pale yellow orange, laterally spotted with brown. Pedipalp trochanter predominantly yellow, with a dorsal quadrate mark; femur and patella mainly brownish ( Fig. 6 ), dorsally darker; trichobothrial pits surrounded by yellow areas; chela with hand uniformly yellow; fingers light brown. Legs with variegated pigmentation, brown spots on all segments except for the tarsomere II, which is completely yellow.

Carapace. Densely covered with fine rounded granules, mostly on the brown areas; anterior margin very slightly bi-concave, without a definite median projection ( Fig. 6 ); superciliary carinae moderately strong and subgranulose, others inconspicuous. Median ocular tubercle on the posterior half of the anterior third of the carapace; median eyes separated by almost an ocular diameter. Furrows: anterior median, central median, posterior median, posterior marginal and posterior lateral evident, moderately deep; median ocular furrow wide and deep, mostly smooth, with rudimentary granules posteriorly to the eyes.

Chelicerae. Dentition characteristic of the family Buthidae ( Vachon, 1963) . Movable finger dorsally with two small basal teeth, one median (the largest), one subdistal and one distal tooth; ventrally with three moderately strong teeth: one basal, one median (slightly smaller than the basal), and one distal tooth. Fixed finger dorsally with one basal and one median tooth forming a bicuspid, one subdistal, and one distal tooth. Ventrally with one subdistal tooth.

Coxosternal region. Smooth, scarcely setose; sternum type 1, subtriangular, with deep and wide posterior depression that reaches the “apical button”, with two pairs of small lateral setae; coxapophyses I–II with numerous anterior setae.

Pectines. Long, almost reaching the posterior end of coxae IV, with vestigial fulcra; pectinal basal piece slightly wide than long, deeply notched anteriorly and strongly convex posteriorly.

Sternites: with abundant short and translucent setae; III–VI smooth; VII finely and densely granulose, with short and finely granulose paramedian carinae, lateral carinae absent; spiracles elongated, approximately 1.5 longer than wide in III–V and 2.0 times longer than wide in VI.

Tergites. Granulation similar to that of carapace; tergites III–VI with median carina that only occupies the posterior half of each plate; tergite VII tetracarinate, and granulose anteromedian elevation on the position of the median carina.

Metasoma. Scarcely setose. Segments I–III with 10 carinae, IV with eight, and V with five; lateral inframedian carinae on III rudimentary, only evident on the basal one-half of the segment; dorsal lateral carinae converge distally on segments I–III, and also ending in a larger distal granule on II-IV; all carinae minutely serrulate; intercarinal spaces with granulations. Telson ( Fig. 3 ): vesicle lightly elongated; lateral surfaces mostly smooth, except for some vestigial granules towards the ventral surface; ventrally with three poorly developed longitudinal carinae composed by low and large granules; subaculear tubercle strong and spine-like; aculeus long and curve.

Pedipalps. femur with five longitudinal carinae; dorsal surface coriaceous, with some disperse small granules. Patella without well-defined carinae, with some moderate granules on the internal surface. Chela acarinate; fingers with six almost linear rows of denticles, being the basal the longest; also, on the movable finger there is a short apical row of four denticles (it is considered by some authors as a seventh row). Trichobothriotaxy type A, femur with β configuration ( Vachon 1974, 1975); fixed finger trichobothria in the order eb: esb: db: est: et: dt, with est slightly distal to db ( Fig. 9 ). Measurements ( Table 1 ).

Legs: tarsomeres I and II with numerous ventral setae; tibial spur on legs III–IV; prolateral pedal spur single on legs I–II, bifid on III–IV; retrolateral pedal spur present on all legs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE. Similar to female, from which it differs in the following characters: smaller in size; pectines longer, slightly reaching beyond the posterior end of coxae IV, with higher tooth counts (18 – 20); and telson not elongated ( Fig. 2 ), but slightly most attenuate (vesicle twice as long as wide). Measurements ( Table 1 ).

Hemispermatophore (description based on two specimens from Capira, Majara). Flagelliform, thin and poorly sclerotized. Foot narrow and flat. Pedal flexure inconspicuous but movable. Body very long. Capsular region located near the middle of the body, with two lobes, the basal and the internal subequal and strong. Flagellum with long pars recta, wider than the curved but not coiled pars reflexa ( Fig. 5 ). Carapace length to hemispermatophore body length ratio = 1:2. There was no variation between the two hemispermatophores examined.

VARIABILITY. Pectinal teeth count: 17 to 20 on males (n = 23; mode = 18); 16 to 19 on females (n = 17; mode = 17 and 18). Total body length (including telson): male 21–24 mm, female 25–30 mm. No variation was observed in the trichobothrial pattern on the pedipalp fixed finger.

ANOMALIES. One female paratype (IES) has only 11 teeth on the left comb, but it lacks the distal piece of the marginal lamella (a similar case was recorded for a male of Ananteris solimariae by Botero-Trujillo & FlÓrez, 2011: 32); such anomalies may be congenic or due to postembryonic accident. One male has four rows of granules in the movable finger of left pedipalp (lacks the apical part).

NATURAL HISTORY. This species is associated with soil and leaf litter in areas of secondary forest or scrubland. It is sympatric with Centruroides granosus (Thorell, 1876) and Tityus tayrona Lourenco, 1991 . Births have been registered in May-June (n = 5) and October to December (n = 6). Average litter size 18 (n =14, range = 4–31).

DISTRIBUTION. Panama, Panama Oeste province, at several locations from Capira and Chame districts ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Geographical distribution of Ananteris canalera sp. n. and A. platnicki in Panama. Inside is the dorsal habitus of the female holotype of A. canalera.

Figures 2–5: Figure 2. Male telson, lateral aspect, A. platnicki from Hitoy Cerere, Costa Rica (2a) and A. canalera sp. n. (2b). Figure 3. Female telson, lateral aspect, A. platnicki from Carretera El Llano-Cartí (3a) and A. canalera sp. n. (3b). Figures 4–5: Hemispermatophore in ectal aspect and detail of the capsular region in ventral aspect, A. platnicki from Parque Nacional Altos de Campana, Panamá Oeste Province (4) and A. canalera sp. n., paratype from Polanco (5).

Figures 6–9: A. canalera sp. n., paratypes (ICGES). Figures 6–8. Female, pedipalps, carapace and tergites I–III (6), metasoma and telson lateral view (7), and metasoma I–III, dorsl view (8). Figure 9. Male, pedipalp chela, external view, showing trichobothria.