Alpiscorpius delta, 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 : 9-10

Alpiscorpius delta sp. n.

( Figures 18–22, 71, Tables 1, 2, 5) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1716EDF0-

644D-4E76-865C-F1A39CADA178

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

Euscorpius (Euscorpius) germanus alpha: Fet & Sissom, 2000: 366–368 (in part).

Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha: Gantenbein et al., 2000: 858 (in part).

Euscorpius alpha: Colombo, 2006: 3 (in part; Brescia); Fet et al., 2004: 55 (in part); Vignoli & Salomone, 2008: 206 (in part); Fet, 2010: 6 (in part).

Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha Karyotypic race III (Eal 54): ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019: 156.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Italy, Trentino : Pannone, 45.871°N 10.933°E ; NMPC.

TYPE MATERIAL ( NMPC): 27♂ 17♀. Italy, Lombardy: Brescia, Monte Mondero , 45.777°N 10.183°E, 2♂ (paratype Nos. S 427, S476) 2♀ (paratypes) ; Pezzoro , 45.763°N 10.223°E, 1♂ (paratype No. S 287) ; Ponte Caffaro , 45.817°N 10.515°E, 2♂ (paratypes Nos. S456, S457), 2♂ 4♀ (paratypes) ; Sonvico , 45.819°N 10.131°E, 6♂ (paratypes Nos. S 183, S262, S282, S465, S466, S467) 1♂ (paratype) . South Tyrol: Bad Salz ( Bagni di Salto ), 46.570°N 10.790°E, 1♂ (paratype No. S 181) 1♀ (paratype) ; Baslan , 46.640°N 11.135°E, 1♂ (paratype No. S 443) ; TablÁ, 46.631°N 10.971°E, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes Nos. S1075, S1034). Trentino: Pannone , 45.871°N 10.933°E, 3♂ (holotype No. S 277, paratypes Nos. S458, S478) 2♂ 8♀ (paratypes) ; Tret , 46.468°N 11.147°E, 2♂ (paratypes No. S431, S476) 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes) ; Vermiglio , 46.290°N 10.678°E, 1♂ (paratype No. S 579) 1♀ (paratype) . Veneto, Lumini , 45.623°N 10.764°E, 1♂ (paratype No. S 288) .

ETYMOLOGY. Di Caporiacco (1950) named three subspecies of Euscorpius germanus after the letters of the Greek alphabet alpha, beta , and gamma . We continue in this style for another cryptic species and name it delta after Greek “δέλτα”.

DIAGNOSIS. Alpiscorpius delta sp. n. is a cryptic species of the “ alpha group” of the “ germanus compleX”, defined by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019) as “Karyotypic race III (Eal 54)”, which has 2n = 54 chromosomes. The karyotype is composed of 38 metacentric, 12 submetacentric, 2 subtelocentric, and 2 telocentric chromosomes (fig. S1C in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). The rDNA clusters are localized in the subterminal region of the long arms of the submetacentric chromosome pair 23 (fig. 2C and fig. S1C in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). Number of pectinal teeth (Dp) in male usually 7 (75% of eXamined specimens). Number of patellar ventral trichobothria (Pv) usually 5 (83%). Reduction of patellar eXternal trichobothria from 4 to 3 rare in series et (<10%) and more common in series eb a (>10%).

DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE HOLOTYPE. The following description is based primarily on the holotype male. Measurements of the holotype are presented in Table 1. Carapace, tergites, and pedipalps reddish-brown; carapace with some darker mottling; metasoma dark reddish-brown with dark mottling; telson, legs, and sternites dark yellow to reddish-brown; chelicerae light, slightly reticulated. Anterior edge of carapace essentially straight; smooth and lustrous, lacking any indication of carinae. There are two lateral eyes. Median eyes and tubercle are small in size. Tergites I–VII essentially smooth; tergite VII lacking lateral and median carinal pairs. Sternites III–VII smooth and lustrous; VII lacking lateral and median carinae. Stigmata are small, narrow elliptical. Metasomal segment V smooth without granulation and carinae. Vesicle of telson swollen and elongated, with short highly curved aculeus. Vesicle essentially void of granules, lustrous. Pectinal teeth number 7/7. Pedipalp carinae well-developed ( Figs. 18–20). Movable fingers bear 7 rows of denticles with eXternal and internal denticles. Trichobothrial patterns type C, neobothriotaXic: chela ventral = 4/4; patellar eb = 4/4, eb a =4/4, esb = 2/2, em = 3/3, est = 3/3, et = 5/5; patellar ventral = 5/5. Tarsus of legs with single row of spinules on ventral surface.

VARIABILITY. We scored standard phenotypic markers for 20 eXamined specimens (all ♂), with the following variation observed:

Dp in males (n=20): 6/6 (1), 6/7 (2), 7/7 (13), 8/7 (2), 8/8 (2); in total, 6 in 10% (4); 7 in 75% (30), and 8 in 15% (6); mean = 7.90, SD = 0.57.

Pv (n=20): 3/5 (1), 5/5 (15), 5/6 (1), 6/5 (2), 6/6 (1); in total (n=39, not counting one aberrant pectine with Pv =3), 5 in 82.5% (33), and 6 in 15.0% (5); mean = 5.15, SD = 0.37.

et (n=20): 3/4 (1), 4/3 (1), 4/4 (17), 5/5 (1); in total, 3 in 5% (2), 4 in 90% (36), 5 in 5% (2); mean = 4.00, SD = 0.32.

eb a (n=19): 4/3 (4), 4/4 (15); in total, 3 in 10.53% (4) and 4 in 89.47% (34); mean = 3.92, SD = 0.27.

DISTRIBUTION. Italy (west of the Adige River: Lombardy, South Tyrol , Trentino, Veneto) ( Fig. 71) .

NOTES. This new species includes populations formerly listed under Euscorpius alpha (eastern part of its range). Gantenbein et al. (2000) published 16S mtDNA sequences for three populations of this species under “ Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) alpha ” ( Italy: Lombardy: Tavernola; Trentino: Molino di Ledro; South Tyrol: Marling) that closely match Eal 54 (= A. delta sp. n.). The Italian populations studied by Bonacina (1980) should be reassessed, and their phenotypic markers scored from the material deposited in MCSNB.