Scorpiops sp.

Di, Zhi-Yong, He, Ya-Wen, Cao, Zhi-Jian, Wu, Ying-Liang & Li, Wen-Xin, 2011, The first record of the family Euscorpiidae (Arachnida: Scorpiones) from Central China, with a key of Chinese species of the genus Scorpiops, Euscorpius 118 (118), pp. 1-9 : 2-4

Scorpiops sp.

[ hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex”] Figures 1–18

Material examined: Female and male immature specimens, CHINA: Hubei Province, Jingzhou , Jingshan County, Huzhaoshan Mountains , 3 June 2007, Guanglin Xie leg. ( MWHU, Ar.-MWHU-HBJS0701–02). These specimens were dry with two pinholes penetrating female’s carapace and male’s genital opercula; we placed them in 75% alcohol .

According to the revision of Scorpiops published by Kovařík (2000), and further considerations given by Kovařík & Ahmed (2009), forms belonging to S. hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex”, have 6–8 ventral trichobothria and 17 external trichobothria on the patella; pectinal teeth number 4–9; pectines without fulcra; chela manus length to width ratio is about 1; tegument coarse.

Scorpiops hardwickii “complex” can be distinguished from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994 , which is the most geographically close species of the genus in China, by the following features: (1) carapace with dense granules, while in S. jendeki it bears very sparse large granules; (2) the manus of pedipalps dorsally with coalescing large granules forming clear dorsoexternal carinae; in S. jendeki , irregular rows of granules form a loose dorsoexternal carinae; (3) chela fingers strongly curved, while they are straight in S. jendeki .

Description (based on an immature female specimen):

Coloration: Mostly yellow-brown to red-brown. Carapace dark brown, Median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Tergites mainly dark red-brown. Metasoma segments dark red brown with yellow brown stripes; vesicle red-brown with a yellowish aculeus. Chelicerae yellow-brown, with fingers red-brown and gradually lighter toward the tip. Pedipalp femur and patella dark brown; and the chela red-brown. Legs yellow brown. Claws yellowish brown. Sternum, genital operculum, venter and sternites brown. Pectines yellowish.

Morphology: Carapace coarse ( Figure 1 ), with dense, minute granules; lateral furrow broad and flat; anterior median furrow broad and moderately deep; posterior median furrow deep; anterior margin smooth; posterior and lateral margins and other parts with dense, minute granules, anterior granules larger than the posterior ones. Median eyes situated anterior to the center of the carapace; three pairs of lateral eyes, the third smallest. Median ocular tubercle smooth with a pair of median eyes, which larger than the first two pairs of lateral eyes. Lateral ocular tubercle smooth with some granules ( Figure 4 ).

Mesosoma: Tergites are almost completely densely covered with fine granules, posterior part of tergites with some bigger ones; from tergite II to VI the trace of a median carina first appears and gradually becomes distinct; on tergite VII with a distinct carina and two pairs of lateral carinae. Pectinal tooth count 6/6, fulcra absent ( Figure 7 ). Genital opercula subtriangular. Sternites smooth and shiny; segment VII ventrally with four weak carinae.

Metasoma: Segments II to V are longer than wide; segments I to V have 10-8-8-8-7 carinae, segments II–IV with a pair of vestigial lateral carinae; all dorsal carinae are dentate on segment I, and gradually become strongly serrated from II to IV; with tegument coarse and punctated; on segment V, carinae with smaller serration dorsally and larger serration ventrally. Vesicle smooth, with some sparse granules and few setae ( Figure 11 ).

Pedipalps: Tegument coarse. Femur with external, dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal carinae granulated and internal carinae crenulated. Patella with dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and external carinae with large, smooth granules; two small spinoid granules present on the internal aspect ( Figure 15 ). Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic (Vachon, 1974); patella with 17 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) and 8 ventral trichobothria ( Figure 15 ). Chela with 4 ventral trichobothria, with dorsal marginal, external secondary, and ventral internal carinae, all smooth ( Figures 16–18 ); ventral internal carina only with a row of large granules. Fingers curved ( Figure 10 ).

Chelicerae: Tibiae smooth, with reticulated pattern. Movable finger with 4 denticles on dorsal edge and 4 denticles on ventral edge. Fixed finger with 3 denticles on dorsal edge ( Figures 2–3 ).

Legs: Tegument coarse except trochanter. Trochanter with few granules and setae. Femur dorsal surface densely granulose and ventrally smooth, internally with 2 granular carinae. Patella dorsally with scattered small granules, and dorsoexternal, dorsal and ventroexternal 3 granular carinae. Tibiae with few setae, without spurs. Basitarsus with more setae, and two lateral pedal spurs. Tarsus ventrally with row of spinules. Claws hooklike.

Variation. Female and male: coloration and morphology are very similar. Number (left/right) of ventral trichobothria on the pedipalp patellae: female with 8/8, male juvenile with 8/8. Number of pectinal teeth: female with 6/6, male juvenile with 8/7. Measurements are not provided as these specimens are immature.

Habitat: Found under stones on a hillside with many stones and ruderal vegetation.

Figures

Figures 1–11: Scorpiops sp. (hardwickii “complex”) from Hubei, female. 1. Carapace. 2–3. Chelicera, dorsal and ventral aspects. 4. Lateral eyes. 5. Sternum. 6. Sternite (IX). 7. Pectines. 8–9. Metasomal segment V, lateral and ventral aspects.10. Dentate margin of movable finger, showing rows of granules. 11. Telson, lateral aspect. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figures 12–18: Scorpiops sp. (hardwickii “complex”) from Hubei, female. 12. Femur, dorsal aspect. 13–15. Patella dorsal, external and ventral aspects. 16–18. Chela, dorsal, external and ventral aspects. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.