Vaejovis feti Graham, 2007
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.18590/euscorpius.2007.vol2007.iss51.1 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6ABF85F5-5F7D-46B5-A43B-0C05BB065F8B |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5BC7122B-D9A4-40E4-90AA-C9A8129D17CD |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:5BC7122B-D9A4-40E4-90AA-C9A8129D17CD |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Vaejovis feti Graham |
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sp. nov. |
Vaejovis feti Graham View in CoL , sp. nov.
( Figs. 28–39 View Figures 28–29 View Figures 30–36 View Figures 37–39 )
Diagnosis. Vaejovis feti sp. nov. is the smallest of the sky island species. It differs from the other two, V. vorhiesi and V. cashi sp. nov., by being more reddish
brown in color and possessing more robust pedipalp palms and metasoma. More specifically it differs from V. vorhiesi by possessing 8–9 MD denticles on row 3 of the movable pedipalp finger, instead of 6–7 ID denticles. This species completely lacks a subaculear tubercles, unlike V. cashi sp. nov. which has a small to moderately sized subaculear tubercle. V. feti sp. nov. is also unique in morphometrics ratios and pectine counts (see Comparison of Species).
Type Data. The female holotype and male paratype were collected from Meadow Creek, New Mexico, USA, 6 July 1978 (Martin Muma), deposited in the private collection of MES .
Etymology. This scorpion is named after my college advisor Dr. Victor Fet, for his remarkable contributions to scorpion biology.
Distribution. Known only from Meadow Creek in the Black Mountains of New Mexico, USA.
Description
Color ( Figs. 28-29 View Figures 28–29 ). Base color brown to mahogany with darker mottling. Dark brown to black median eye area. Telson orange to reddish-brown with two dark stripes running longitudinally along ventrolateral surface. Pectines yellow-orange with reddish-orange teeth.
Measurements (in mm). Holotype (female): total
length 22.36; carapace length 3.65; mesosoma length 6.70; metasoma length 9.06; Metasoma: segment I length/width 1.18/1.72; segment II length/width 1.32/ 1.69; segment III length/width 1.46/1.62; segment IV length/width 2.16/1.55; segment V length/width 2.94/ 1.51. Telson : length 2.94; vesicle length/width/depth 1.88/1.08/0.82; aculeus length 1.06. Pedipalps: total length 9.79; femur length/width 2.52/0.87; patella length/width 2.71/0.99; chela length 4.56; palm length/width/depth 1.98/1.18/1.18; movable finger length 2.45; fixed finger length 2.19.
Paratype (male): total length 17.40; carapace length 2.35; mesosoma length 4.80; metasoma length 7.65; Metasoma: segment I length/width 0.99/1.41; segment II length/width 1.18/1.39; segment III length/width 1.27/ 1.36; segment IV length/width 1.79/1.29; segment V length/width 2.42/1.27. Telson : length 2.26; vesicle length/width/depth 1.53/0.92/0.71; aculeus length 0.73. Pedipalps: total length 7.50; femur length/width 1.93/ 0.64; patella length/width 2.16/0.71; chela length 3.39; palm length/width/depth 1.41/0.87/0.85; movable finger length 2.00; fixed finger length 1.62.
Carapace ( Fig. 37 View Figures 37–39 ). Anterior margin of carapace slightly emarginate with a shallow posterior median furrow. Carapace finely granular with scattered coarse granules.
Mesosoma. Median carina on tergite I obsolete, very slight on tergite II–III, and weak on IV–VI. Tergite VII with weak to moderate median carina and strong crenulate lateral carina.
Genital Operculum. Sclerites separated on posterior one-fifth.
Chelicerae. Dorsal edge of movable finger with two subdistal (sd) denticles; ventral edge smooth with conspicuous serrulae on distal half.
Pectines. Pectinal tooth count 10/10 on female holotype, 12/12 on male paratype.
Metasoma. Ratio of segment I length/width 0.69; of segment II length/width 0.78; of segment III length/ width 0.90; of segment IV length/width 1.39; of segment V length/width 1.95. Segments I–IV: dorsolateral carinae strong and granular with distal denticle of II–IV enlarged and spinoid; of segment I slightly enlarged and spinoid. Lateral supramedian carinae I–III strong and granular with enlarged spinoid distal denticle; on IV strong and granular on anterior 1/2 and weak on posterior 1/2, terminus flared. Lateral inframedian carinae moderately granular on segment I, posterior 2/5 of II, 1/5 of III, and obsolete on IV. Ventrolateral carinae I weak, finely granular; on II–III moderate, granular; on IV–V strong, granular. Ventral submedian carinae gran ular. Dorsal and lateral intercarinal spaces very finely granular. Ventral submedian setae 3/3:3/3:3/3:3/3. Segment V: Dorsolateral carinae moderate, distally cren- ulate, basally granular. Lateromedian carinae moderate and granular on basal 3/4, obsolete on distal 1/4. Ventrolateral and ventromedian carinae strong, crenulate. Intercarinal spaces finely granular. Segment V ventrolateral setae 5/5.
Telson ( Fig. 38 View Figures 37–39 ). Smooth with no subaculear tubercle. LAS denticles 6/7 on holotype, 3/6 on paratype.
Pedipalps. Trichobothrial pattern type C (see pattern in Figs. 30–36 View Figures 30–36 ). Pedipalpal ratios: chela length/width 3.86; femur length/width 2.90; fixed finger length/carapace length 0.60.
Chela. All carinae weak and smooth except dorsolateral, which is slightly crenulate. All vestigial carinae outlined with dark fuscosity. Fixed fingers: Dentate margin with six subrows of MD denticles divided by five enlarged OD denticles; five ID denticles granules on right finger and six on left. Movable fingers ( Fig. 39 View Figures 37–39 ): Dentate margin with six subrows of MD denticles divided by five enlarged OD denticles; six ID granules. No distinct scalloping on Chela fingers.
Femur. Carinae strong, granulose; internal surface with moderate carinae on proximal 2/3.
Patella. Internal carinae oblique and granulose; all other carinae strong and crenulate.
Legs. Ventral surface of tarsus with single median row of spinules terminating distally with one spinule pair.
Remarks. There appears to be variation in the most proximal ID denticles of the fixed finger of this species. Many that were examined, including the holotype, possess six denticles on one side and five on the other. The sixth OD denticles, when present, also varied in size from barely visible to conspicuous.
Comparison of Species
V. vorhiesi (based on female lectotype and topotype) can be distinguished from V. cashi sp. nov. (based on female holotype and paratype) by the following morphometrics ratios ( V. cashi sp. nov. ratios in parentheses): metasomal segment I length/width 0.80– 0.81 (0.70–0.72); metasomal segment II length/width 0.92 (0.83); metasomal segment III length/width 1.02– 1.07 (0.94–0.95); metasomal segment IV length/width 1.48–1.53 (1.36–1.38); metasomal segment V length/ width 2.21–2.23 (2.05–2.18); metasoma length/carapace length 3.18–3.25 (2.73–2.96); femur length/width 3.07– 3.09 (2.92–3.06); telson vesicle width/depth 1.18–1.19 (1.25–1.28); movable finger length/palm length 1.54– 1.60 (1.34–1.46); fixed finger length/palm length 1.27– 1.30 (1.11–1.15). The pectinal tooth count of females is 12–13 with a mean of 12.389 [18] (11, mean = 11 [4]), based on eight topotype V. vorhiesi females and female lectotype.
Significantly different morphometric ratios between V. vorhiesi (based on female lectotype and topotype) and V. feti sp. nov. (based on female holotype) are as follows ( V. feti sp. nov. ratios in parentheses): metasomal segment I length/width 0.80–0.81 (0.69); metasomal segment II length/width 0.92 (0.78); metasomal segment III length/width 1.02–1.07 (0.90); metasomal segment IV length/width 1.48–1.53 (1.39); metasomal segment V length/width 2.21–2.23 (1.95); metasoma length/ carapace length 3.18–3.25 (2.48); femur length/width 3.07–3.09 (2.90); telson vesicle width/depth 1.18–1.19 (1.32); movable finger length/fixed finger length 1.20– 1.21 (1.12); movable finger length/palm length 1.54– 1.60 (1.24); fixed finger length/palm length 1.27–1.30 (1.11). The pectinal tooth count of females is 12–13 with a mean of 12.389 [18] (10, mean = 10 [6]), based on eight topotype V. vorhiesi females and female lectotype.
The two new related species, V. cashi sp. nov. and V. feti sp. nov., are most obviously different by their base color, which is brownish in the former and more reddish or mahogany, especially on the pectinal teeth, for the latter. V. feti sp. nov. also possesses a more robust metasoma relative to carapace size, and more swollen pedipalp palms. Female pectine tooth counts are 10 [12] teeth per comb instead of 11 [4] found in V. cashi sp. nov. Morphometric ratios vary between the two species as follows: ( V. cashi sp. nov. ratios based on female holotype and paratype in parentheses): metasomal segment III length/width 0.90 (0.95); metasomal segment V length/width 1.95 (2.05–2.18); metasoma length/carapace length 2.48 (2.73–2.96); patella length/width 2.73 (2.83–2.84); movable finger length/fixed finger length 1.12 (1.21–1.26); movable finger length/palm length 1.24 (1.34–1.46); palm length/width 1.68 (1.82–1.86).
The three sky island species, V. vorhiesi , V. cashi sp. nov., and V. feti sp. nov., all possess 6 ID denticles on the movable pedipalp finger, a trait not shared by any other “mexicanus” group species. Their closest relative, however, is V. paysonensis , a superficially very similar species which has the more usual 7 ID denticles on the movable finger. V. paysonensis also differs by having a more orangish-brown base color with less mottling. This species is known from Gila County, 40 km northeast of Payson, Arizona. V. paysonensis is known from Gila County, 40 km northeast of Payson, Arizona and 340 km northwest of the nearest sky island type locality (Meadow Creek, New Mexico for V. feti ).
Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke is also quite similar to the four abovementioned Vaejovis sp., but can be easily distinguished by its conspicuously wide and planate carapace. The four others have a more rounded and elongated carapace.
Lastly, a species from near Wupatki National Monument, Arizona, V. jonesi Stahnke is also somewhat related. The differences are more obvious, however, as this species is nearly three times as large and has a carapace shorter than metasomal segments I + II. The carapace is markedly shorter in the other five species.
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