Vaejovis franckei Sissom, 1989

A, Contreras-Félix Gerardo & Oscar, Francke B., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the “ mexicanus ” group of the genus Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Zootaxa 4596 (1), pp. 1-100 : 38-40

Vaejovis franckei Sissom, 1989

Figures 4 , 13g , 14f , 15g , 16g , 17g , 18g , 19g , 25

Vaejovis franckei Sissom, 1989 a: 150 –152, 157, Fig: 54–61.

Vaejovis franckei: Kovarík, 1998: 146 ; Beutelspacher, 2000: 83, 144, 153, map 52; Sissom, 2000: 540; Soleglad & Fet, 2008: 73, 77; Mondragon & Ruiz, 2009: 371 –372; Zárate-Galvez & Francke, 2009b: 21, 24; Graham & Bryson, 2010: 285; Santibáñez-López & Francke, 2010: 256, 259–261, Fig: 1, 9–15, 46; Bryson et al. 2013: 5.

Type material. Holotype female. MEXICO: Oaxaca, Sierra Alopaneca, 8–18 mi (via road) NE San Juan del Estado (elev. 2560–2956 m). Cols.: C. M. Bogert and M. R. Bogert. ( AMNH). Examined.

Paratypes: MEXICO: Oaxaca, El Punto, north of continental Divide on road to Guelatao (elev. 2133–2286 m.). VI-28-1967. Col.: M. R. Bogert. 2 ♀ ( AMNH) Examined . MEXICO: Oaxaca, 17.6 mi S of Ixtlán de Juárez , Oaxaca, México (elev. 2408 m., in bromeliads). VIII-19-1 973. Col.: A. Newton. 1 ♀ ( MCZ), not examined . MEXICO: Oaxaca, Cerro San Felipe (elev. 3200 m.). VIII-6-1965. Col.: M. L. Paulson. 2 ♀ ( WDS). Not examined .

Other specimens examined. Vaejovis franckei : MEXICO: Oaxaca, San Pablo Etla, Cerro de la Peña Robusta (N 17.16033°, W 96.73432°, elev. 2040 m). VIII-6-2006. Col.: C. Santibáñez. 3 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3149 ) . MEXICO: Oaxaca, Ixtlan de Juarez, 6 km W Llano Grande, San Antonio Cuajimoloyas (N 17.133333°, W 96.433333°, elev. 3134 m.). VII-20-2007. Cols.: C Santibáñez and A. Valdez. 5 ♂, 11 ♀. ( CNAN-SC3218 ; CNAN- SC3219; CNAN-SC3220 ; CNAN-SC3221 ) . MEXICO: Oaxaca, Ixtlan de Juarez, Campamento Tatachinto (N 17.283333°, W 96.416667°, elev. 2313 m.). VII-22-2 0 0 7. Cols.: O. Francke, A. Ballesteros, H. Montaño, C. Santibáñez and A. Valdez. 2 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3696 )

Diagnosis. Adults 19 to 26 mm long (Fig: 25-a, b). Carapace (Fig: 13-g), slightly longer than segment V (Carapace L/MS-VL 1.07±0.03 [1.07±0.13]) and longer than femur (Carapace L/Femur L 1.4± 0.05 [1.38±0.1]); anterior margin of carapace straight. Tergite VII with two pairs of short carinae, conspicuously elevated and crenulated. Pectinal teeth 12–14 [10–11]; sternites IV to VII with a lighter median longitudinal band; sternite V on males with whitish patch present only at posterior margin; sternite VII with a pair of weak carina, only present as some small, flat and scattered granules on the middle portion of the segment, and 10 to 16 (mode: 12) setae. Metasomal segment I two times wider than long, rectangular in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.54 ±0.04 [0.54±0.03]); intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV smooth, on segment V granulose, sides of segment V convex (MS-V L/ W 1.32 ± 0.15 [1.45±0.14]; W/D 1.27±0.06 [1.25±0.03]). Vesicle (Fig: 16-d) broad (L/ W 1.38 ±0.08 [1.31±0.04]), dorsoventrally flattened (W/D 1.58± 0.1 [1.65±0.15]) dorsal face flat with a small whitish vesicular gland (Fig: 14- g). Pedipalp femur (Fig: 15-g) less than three times longer than wide (L/ W 2.63 ±0.13 [2.79±0.1]), wider than deep (W/D 1.25±0.1 [1.27±0.09]). Pedipalp patella (Fig: 16-g) less than three times longer than wide (L/ W 2.65 ±0.1 [2.52±0.2]), almost as wide as deep (W/D 1.06±0.06 [1.11±0.01]); dorsointernal carina inconspicuous, without granules. Pedipalp chela (Fig: 17, 18-g) globular on males, slender on females (CM L/ W 1.64 ±0.1 [2.62±0.3]; W/D 0.98±0.05 [0.95±0.1]); dorsal retrolateral, dorsal prosubmedian, retrolateral median and prolateral median carinae weak and smooth. Pedipalp chela fixed finger on males slightly narrower than on females. Pedipalp chela dentate margin of fingers on males distinctly scalloped.

Hemispermatophore (Fig: 9-g): Lamelliform (Tl 2.3; LL 1.5; LW 0.3); lamella without distal crest; two lobe- shaped hooks located basally, one of them small, almost vestigial, lamella with a basal notch at level of hooks. Capsular region with mesal, median lobe present.

Full morphometric variation is given in tables 13 and 14. Setae variation is given in tables 9–12.

Distribution. This species has a limited distribution in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca ( Figure 4 ).

Natural history. This species inhabits pine forests and is commonly found under the bark of fallen logs; it is the only species of vaejovid thus far reported to inhabit inside bromeliads (Mondragon & Ruiz, 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Known distribution of all the species of Vaejovis, included in the “mexicanus” group.

FIGURE 13. Comparison in shapes on carapace in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Comparison of the different shapes in the caudal gland on species within the “mexicanus” group (each caudal gland, if present, is highlighted in red): a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov.

FIGURE 15. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp femur, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp patella, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of males in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Comparison in the different shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of females, that selected species within “mexicanus” group present: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 19. Comparison on the shapes in the hemispermatophore in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 25. Habitus of Vaejovis franckei (♂): a—dorsal view; b—ventral view. Scale bar = 1 cm.