Tityus haetianus Teruel et Santos, 2018

Teruel, Rolando & Santos, Gabriel de los, 2018, Two new Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones Buthidae) from Hispaniola, Greater Antilles, Euscorpius 257, pp. 1-16 : 1-8

Tityus haetianus Teruel et Santos , sp. n.

( Figures 1–6, 10; Table I) http: //zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2143C0

01-7308-435A-805B-7824785D14D7

TYPE DATA. HAITI, Département du Sud, Tiburon Peninsula, Massif de la Hotte, Pic Macaya National Park , Formond, 18°21'00"N - 74°01'00"W, 2,300 m a.s.l., 04–06 February 2006, coll . R. H. Bastardo, 1♀ holotype ( MNHNSD 08.436 ) . Same data except 08 February 2006, 1♂ paratype ( RTO, ex MNHNSD 08.437 ) .

ETYMOLOGY. The selected epithet is the Latinized noun that names the Haitian natives. It alludes the country where this species is known and suspected to be endemic from.

DIAGNOSIS. A member of the "crassimanus" species-group. Adult size moderately large (male 69 mm, female 67 mm) for the group. Coloration basically yellowish brown, densely spotted with medium to dark brown on carapace, legs and metasoma; tergites with three longitudinal dark stripes; pedipalp fingers, metasomal segments IV–V and telson reddish-black. Pedipalp chelae with manus large, oval, much wider than patella (ratio 1.27 in male, 1.18 in female), conspicuously more elongate in male, but more strongly granulose and carinate in female; fixed/movable fingers with 12/13 principal rows of denticles, respectively, basal lobe/notch combination strong. Pectines with 14/14 teeth; basal middle lamella moderately enlarged, angulose-oval (male) to round (female). Sternite V with the smooth patch large, triangular, and wider than long, bulky and translucent; spiracles long, slit-like. Metasoma long, slender and posteriorly wider (much more elongate in male), with 10/8/8/8/5 complete to essentially complete, serrate to crenulate carinae; dorsal lateral carinae on segments II–III with terminal denticle moderately enlarged; intercarinal spaces of segments IV–V densely and coarsely granulose. Telson vesicle oval, densely and coarsely granulose, with subaculear tubercle small, spiniform and with two dorsal granules.

DESCRIPTION (adult female holotype). Coloration ( Fig. 1) base yellowish brown, with a reddish shade on pedipalp chelae and metasomal segments I–III, pedipalp fingers black, metasomal segments IV–V and telson reddish black. Chelicerae with manus heavily reticulated with blackish brown, except in extreme base, fingers entirely blackish. Pedipalp femur and patella faintly but densely infuscate; chela with manus essentially immaculate, only with irregular infuscation externally, fingers black. Carapace symmetrically spotted with dark to blackish brown, especially around median eyes and on posterolateral areas; eyes and ocular tubercles black. Tergites symmetrically spotted with blackish brown, arranged into three longitudinal stripes. Pectines immaculate whitish to yellowish, with basal portion and basal plate progressively darker due to heavier sclerotization. Sternites essentially immaculate; V with the smooth patch translucent. Aculeus dark reddish, fading to black distally.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 2). With dentition standard for the genus, teeth relatively large and sharp. Tegument glossy but with fine granulation scattered, dorsodistal portion of manus with coarse granulation irregularly arranged transversally, defining a depressed area. Setation very dense ventrally, but essentially lacking dorsally, except for six rigid, whitish macrosetae around depressed area of manus.

Pedipalps ( Fig. 3). Large for the group but noticeably robust, almost glabrous. Orthobothriotaxic A-α, but with chelal trichobothria est -et -db -et placed in distal half of finger and essentially with no "petite" trichobothria (basically all trichobothria with noticeably small, subequal areolae). Femur almost straight and essentially bare; all carinae strong and glossy, coarsely dentate to granulose; intercarinal tegument very finely and densely granulose, with abundant medium-sized, glossy granules scattered; space delimited by internal (i) trichobothria almost entirely flat, i.e., with only a small conical tubercle between i 1 and i 2. Patella straight and essentially bare; all carinae strong and glossy, coarsely granulose to subcostate; intercarinal tegument very finely and densely granulose, with abundant medium-sized, glossy granules scattered, internally with some larger conical tubercles. Chela robust and sparsely setose; manus oval (1.49 times longer than wide), conspicuously wider than patella (ratio 1.18), and with the basal half markedly widest, all carinae strong and glossy, very coarsely granulose to subcostate, intercarinal tegument coriaceous, with abundant medium-sized, glossy granules scattered on all surfaces and many small, sharp, conical granules internally; fingers long (movable finger 1.52 times longer than underhand), evenly curved, sparsely setose, and with tegument smooth and glossy; fixed finger with 12/12 principal rows of denticles, movable finger with 13/13 plus an apical subrow of four denticles and a large internal accessory denticle (large terminal denticle not included), basal lobe/notch combination strong.

Carapace ( Fig. 2). Trapezoidal and slightly wider than long; anterior margin rough and widely bilobed, with scattered setation. Carination greatly reduced: the only definable carinae are the irregularly fused anterior medians and superciliaries (coarsely granulose), and the also irregularly fused central medians and posterior medians (moderately granulose). Furrows: anterior median, median ocular, central median, posterior median and posterior marginal fused, wide and moderately deep, posterior laterals and posterior transverse long, wide and shallow, other furrows indistinct. Tegument very finely and densely granulose, with abundant granulation scattered, coarser and denser in ocular triangle. Median eyes large and separated by more than one ocular diameter, lateral eyes much smaller but also relatively large.

Sternum ( Fig. 4a). Standard for the genus: type 1, medium-sized, markedly longer than wide and subpentagonal, with two pairs of inconspicuous macrosetae. Tegument coriaceous to very finely granulose.

Genital operculum ( Fig. 4a). Medium-sized, halves not separated and roundly subtriangular in shape, with a few setae scattered; tegument coriaceous. Genital pa- pillae absent. Pre-pectinal plate heavily sclerotized and widely crescent-shaped, with a large and oval median depression.

Pectines ( Fig. 4a). Size and shape standard for the group: not reaching leg IV trochanter, subrectangular and densely setose. Tooth count 14/14, teeth long, essentially straight and only slightly swollen. Basal middle lamella round, conspicuously enlarged. Basal plate highly sclerotized, wider than long; anterior margin with a narrow and deep V-shaped anteromedian notch, posterior margin shallowly convex; tegument coriaceous.

Legs. Relatively long and slender, with all carinae weakly granulose to smooth, intercarinal tegument coriaceous, with abundant vestigial but coarse granules scattered. Prolateral and retrolateral pedal spurs long and thick. Ventral surface of telotarsi round and with many thin, dark setae irregularly arranged into a single longitudinal, broad, dense row. Claws short and strongly curved.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 2, 4). Tergites very densely granulose, with coarser and glossy granulation scattered; I– VI with only one well-defined median longitudinal carina which is long, strong, granulose to crenulate, formed by partially anastomosed, very coarse, glossy granules that do not project beyond posterior margin; VII with the standard five carinae which are long, strong, granulose to crenulate, formed by partially anastomosed, very coarse, glossy granules. Sternites coriaceous to finely and densely granulose, with abundant medium-sized granules scattered; spiracles oblique, long and slit-like; posterior margin of III shallowly convex, of IV widely bilobed, of VI–VI shallowly concave, and of VII markedly concave; smooth patch of V poorly defined, triangular, much wider than long, flat, translucent and glossy.

Metasoma ( Fig. 5a). Moderately long, slender and progressively wider distally. Segment I with ten complete carinae, II–IV with eight, V with five: dorsal laterals moderately serratocrenulate to serrate on I–III, with terminal denticle moderately enlarged on II–III, moderately granulose to subserrate on IV, absent on V; lateral supramedians moderately serrate to subserrate on I–III, coarsely granulose on IV–V; lateral inframedians moderately serrate on I, absent on III–V (but indicated by isolate, irregularly aligned granules on II); ventral laterals coarsely serrate on I–IV, coarsely granulose on V; ventral submedians coarsely serrate on I–IV, absent on V; ventral median absent on I–IV, coarsely granulose on V (regular but poorly defined). Intercarinal tegument coriaceous, with abundant coarse but glossy granules scattered on all surfaces, much coarser and denser laterally and ventrally on IV–V; dorsal furrow complete, moderately narrow and shallow on all segments; setation sparse, with inconspicuous ventrolateral macrosetae on I–V.

Telson ( Fig. 5). Vesicle globose (1.36 times longer than wide, 1.19 times wider than deep) and with some setae of different sizes scattered; tegument coriaceous, with abundant coarse but glossy granules scattered on all surfaces except dorsally; ventral median carina vestigially granulose, raised abruptly into the subaculear tubercle which is small, sharp, spiniform and ornate with some small granules, two of them in dorsal location. Aculeus short (shorter than vesicle length and width), thick but sharp, and shallowly curved.

MALE (paratype: Figs. 1–6; Table I). Similar to female in coloration, but with well-marked sexual dimorphism: 1) size slightly larger; 2) overall coloration paler and more sharply contrasting, especially much darker tergite stripes and distal portion of metasoma and telson; 3) pedipalps comparatively longer, more slender, and less strongly carinate, with manus elongate and fingers with tegument coriaceous; 4) mesosoma narrower and parallel-sided; 5) genital operculum with valves widely separated, with papillae present and conspicuously protruding; 6) pectines with teeth longer and stouter, and with basal middle lamella angulose-oval and less enlarged; 7) smooth patch of sternite V better defined and slightly bulky; 9) metasomal segments much longer and narrower.

COMPARISONS. Across the whole "crassimanus" species-group, the combination of large size and slender habitus of this species is matched only by Tityus ottenwalderi Armas, 1999 , an endemism from the Central Range (= Cordillera Central) of Hispaniola; in fact, both type-specimens were previously misidentified as such (see below in Remarks section). But it can be reliably distinguished from T. haetianus sp. n. as follows: 1) coloration generally paler and with the dark pattern much sparser and paler, especially in carapace and tergites; 2) pedipalps and metasoma comparatively shorter and more robust in same size-class specimens, especially females; 3) metasoma and telson with carinae stronger and intercarinal granulation much stronger and denser; 4) telson with subaculear tubercle vestigial to absent; 5) pectinal tooth count apparently higher, up to 18.

DISTRIBUTION. Known only from the type locality.

REMARKS. Each type-specimen bears two additional white-paper labels: 1) museum codes 08.95-07 (holotype) and 08.96-07 (paratype), which correspond to the taxonomical catalogue and are for intra-institutional use only; 2) former identification as Tityus ottenwalderi by K. Polanco, dated 2007 (both specimens).

It is very interesting to note here that the morphologically closest-relative of T. haetianus sp. n. is not, as expected, its nearest endemic neighbor Tityus crassimanus (Thorell, 1876) from Bahoruco Range (the eastern counterpart of the Massif de la Hotte), but the Central Range endemic T. ottenwalderi . At least among non-spider arachnids, such biogeographic relationship is unprecedented.

The comparative material examined of the most closely related species is listed as follows:

• Tityus ottenwalderi (14 specimens: 5 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 4 juveniles). DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Central Range, Elías Piña Province, Río Limpio , 720 m a.s.l., 5 February 2002, D. Pérez, R . Bastardo, B. Hierro, 1 juvenile ♂ ( MNHNSD 08.453 ). Santiago Province, Jánico, Loma Alto de la Bandera, 1,478–1,597 m a.s.l., 11–12 March 1999, L. F. de Armas, R . Ramírez, 1♂ holotype, 1♂ paratype, 2♀♀ paratypes ( IES). La Vega Province, Manabao, La Ciénaga, 1,140 m a.s.l., 29 July 1999, M. A. Ivie, K. A. Guerrero, 1♂ ( MSU). Same locality, 22 February 2008, P. Muñoz, 1♂ ( RTO: Sco. 0380). Jarabacoa , Pinar Quemado , 1,200 m a.s.l., 10 March 2002, A. Abud, 1♀ ( RTO). Jarabacoa , Loma La Sal , 1,480 m a.s.l., 5 August 1988, E. R . Martínez, 2 juvenile ♀♀ paratypes ( IES). Constanza, El Río, 1,000 m a.s.l., 20 August 1975, J. A. Ottenwalder, 1♀ paratype ( RTO: Sco. 0313). Monseñor Nouel Province, Bonao , densely forested creek midway road Bonao to Casabito , 795 m a.s.l., 12 September 2017, R . Teruel, F. Schramm, J. Nigl, M. Seiter, 1 juvenile ♂ ( RTO). Bonao, Blanco, Arroyón [= Los Guázaros], 700 m a.s.l., 8 September 2002, A. Abud, A. S. Reinoso, 1♂ (holotype of Tityus anasilviae, IES ). San Cristóbal Province, El Majagual , 585 m a.s.l., 3 September 2017, R . Teruel, F. Schramm, J. Nigl, M. Seiter, 1♀ ( RTO) .

• Tityus crassimanus (79 specimens: 17 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, 52 juveniles). DOMINICAN REPUB- LIC, Pedernales Province, Bahoruco Range, Las Abejas, 1,290 m a.s.l., 19 May 1992, 1 juvenile ♀

( IES). Same locality, 22 July 1999, M. A. Ivie, 1 juvenile ♀ (paratype of Tityus bahoruco, MSU ) . Same locality, October 2011, N. Navarro, S. Incháustegui, 2♂♂, 1♀ ( MNHNSD) . Bahoruco Range, Mencía, [= Banano], Río Mulito [= El Mulito or Las Agüitas], 409 m a.s.l., 22 August 1987, L. F. de Armas, A. Abud, 1♂ (holotype of Tityus bahoruco, IES ) . Same locality, 12 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 3♂♂, 1♀, 2 juvenile ♀♀ ( RTO) . Bahoruco Range, densely forested creek midway road Mencía to Aguas Negras , 564 m a.s.l., 12 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 1♂, 1♀, 1 juvenile ♂ ( RTO) . Bahoruco Range, km 24 of road Cabo Rojo to El Aceitillar, 782 m a.s.l., 11–12 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 4♂♂, 1♀, 30 juveniles ( RTO) , 4♂♂, 2♀, 13 juveniles ( FKCP) . Bahoruco Range, km 17 of road Cabo Rojo to El Aceitillar, 324 m a.s.l., 11–13 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 2 juveniles ( FKCP) . Los Tres Charcos, Fondo Paradí , 50 m a.s.l., 20 March 1999, L. F. de Armas, B. Hierro, K. Polanco, 1♀ ( IES) . Same locality, 1 February 2005, R. Teruel, A. Fong, D. Maceira, A. Sánchez, 1♀ ( RTO, Sco. 0274) . Barahona Province, Bahoruco Range, km 7 of road Cabral to Polo , 221 m a.s.l., 7–8 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 1♀ ( RTO) . Bahoruco Range, km 18 of road from Cabral to Polo , 1.5 km southeast of Monteada Nueva , 26 July 1999, M. A. Ivie, 1 juvenile ♂, 1 juvenile ♀ ( MSU) . Bahoruco Range, margin of Nizaíto River , near La Lanza Arriba, 800 m a.s.l., 5 November 2005, E. Gutiérrez, 1♂ ( IES) . Bahoruco Range, dirt road Cabral to Enriquillo , 5–6 km north of Maniel Viejo , 633 m a.s.l., 8 March 2014, R. Teruel, F. Kovařík, P. Kindl, 1♂ ( RTO) , 1♀ ( FKCP) .

• Tityus sp. [ aff. ottenwalderi ]. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Hato Mayor Province, Los Haitises, El Naranjo , 80 m a.s.l., 19 January 1980, E. J. Marcano, 1 juvenile ♀ ( MNHNSD) .