Tityus martinpaechi Lourenço, 2001

De, Claudio Augusto R., Souza, Candido, Denise M. & Lourenço, Wilson R., 2006, Description of the male of Tityus martinpaechi Lourenço, 2001 (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Zootaxa 1260, pp. 27-35 : 28-35

Tityus martinpaechi Lourenço, 2001

( Figs. 3 –12, Table 1 )

Holotype female from Francisco Saboia, State of Ceará, Brazil, deposited in the Museu Nacional ( MNRJ, curator: A. B. Kury).

Tityus martinpaechi Lourenço, 2001 , Biogeographica 77 (1): 21–34.

Distribution: Known only from the State of Ceará, Brazil.

New record: Brazil, State of Ceará, Chapada de Ibiapaba (7 Km NW from Ipú), one male and one female, 6–16.XII.2002, G. Skuk leg. (in reptile pit­fall traps), deposited in IBSP­4502.

Diagnosis

Large buthids (female holotype 65.0; male 73.6); This species, with Tityus aba Candido, Lucas, Souza, Diaz & Lira­da­Silva, 2005 represents the largest species in the Tityus stigmurus complex. Tityus aba , and T. martinpaechi differ from remainig species of the T. stigmurus complex by presenting three longitudinal dorsal dark stripes along the mesosoma, the lateral ones reaching the VI tergite (fig.1), and by having only one pair of spinoid granules on the dorsal keels of the I–IV metasomal segments (see Candido et al., 2005, fig.5 and 6). From T. aba , it differs by having sparse dark spots on the legs and palps (fig.1) and a carapace with only some dark spots (fig.1) while in T.aba , the carapace is almost entire dark (see Candido et al., 2005, fig.5).

Description of male

Coloration: Basically yellowish with many dark reddish spots (fig.1B). Carapace pale yellow with sparse brown spots (fig.2); ocular tubercle dark. Mesosoma with three longitudinal dorsal stripes along tergites; the central stripe extends from the posterior edge of the carapace until the tergite VII while the lateral ones extend from the posterior edge of the carapace until the tergite VI. Metasoma segments I–IV yellow with dark brown spots on ventral and latero­ventral carinae; the stain on segment V occupies all the posterior region (fig.3B). Vesicle yellow with no spots. Aculeus reddish­yellow at its base and reddish at its extremity. Venter light yellow with no spots. Chelicerae yellow, extremity of the fingers and teeth reddish. Pedipalps yellow with some dark and diffused spots on the patella and femur; chela reddish­yellow with no spots; fingers reddish distally paler. Legs yellow with dark diffused spots, absent in the tarsomerus.

Morphology: Carapace: the anterior margin with a weak median concavity; median ocular tubercle anterior to the center of the carapace; median eyes separated by more than one ocular diameter (fig.2). Three pairs of lateral eyes; median ocular carina moderate with small granules. Prosoma moderately granular; granulation more intense on anterior region. Tergites moderately granular with larger granules on the posterior region; median carina present on all tergites; tergite VII pentacarinate; transversal carina present on all tergites. Genital operculum divided longitudinally (fig.3C). Pectines: Basal middle lamellae of pectines not dilated (fig.3C). Sternites weakly granular; a smooth and shining slightly expanded triangular zone on the posterior region of sternite V; sternite VII with five moderate to weak carinae. Metasoma: segments I–II with 10 carinae, III–IV with 8 carinae and V with 5 carinae; intercarinal surface moderately granular. Dorsal carinae on segments I–IV well developed with a large posterior spinoid granule. Vesicle with five vestigial carinae and the ventral carinae moderately marked; aculeus long and strongly curved (fig. 3B); subaculear tooth strong and spinoid with two small dorsal teeth. Pedipalp: femur with 5 carinae, patella with 7 carinae and chela with 9 carinae; internal face of the patella with spinoid granules (fig. 4C and 5A); Absence of the basal lobe in the movable finger of chela; all surfaces moderately to weakly granular. Movable fingers with 16–16 oblique rows of granules. Trichobothriotaxy: ortobothriotaxy A– ( Vachon, 1974 and 1975) (fig. 3 and 4).

Description of female

Coloration: Basically light brown with sparse dark spots. Prosoma: carapace yellowish brown with some dark spots; a dark triangular stain present on its anterior margin with the apex oriented backwards (fig. 1A). Ocular tubercle dark. Mesosoma: with three longitudinal dorsal stripes along tergites; the central stripe extends from the posterior edge of the carapace until the tergite VII while the lateral ones extend from the posterior edge of the carapace until the tergite VI; tergites with some light spots on the posterior edge (fig.1A). Metasoma: segments I–V light brown, lighter than mesosoma, with dark spots on the ventral and latero–ventral carinae; the stain on segment V occupies all posterior region.Vesicle: yellowish with no spots; base of aculeus yellowish and the extremity reddish. Venter: yellowish. Chelicerae: yellowish with few spots on the base of the fingers; fingers with diffused spots (fig.1A). Pedipalp: yellowish with some dark and diffused spots on the femur and tibia; chela yellowish with no spots; fingers reddish. Legs yellowish with diffused spots, absent in the tarsomerus (fig.1A).

Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism seems to be different among this and some related species, such as T. aba and T. stigmurus . While in T. stigmurus both the palp and the metasomal segments are very similar between males and females, in T. aba and T. martinpaechi the palp seems to be more slender (fig.5A and 5B) and the metasomal segments stouter in males (fig.1A and 1B). The metasomal segments in the male of T. martinpaechi seem to be even stouter than those present in the males of T. aba (see table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 3. T. martinpaechi (male) A ­ Femur, dorsal ventral aspect; B ­ segment V and Vesicle, lateral aspect; C ­ genital operculum and pectine,.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of the male and female of the T. martinpaechi described in this paper.

Tityus martinpaechi	Male	Female
Total Length	73.6	64.7
Carapace
Length	6.9	6.8
Anterior width	3.9	7.2
Posterior width	7.4	4.4
Metasoma
Segment I
Length	6.3	4.9
Width	5.7	4
Segment II
Length	7.7	5.4
Width	5.8	3.9
Segment III
Length	7.8	5.9
Width	5.7	3.9
Segment IV
Length	8.8	7.3
Width	5.4	3.9
Segment V
Length	8.6	7.6
Width	4.6	3.6
Vesicle
Length	6.7	6.6
Depth	2.5	2.2
Pedipalp
Femur
Length	7.2	6.2
Width	1.5	1.9
Patella
Length	7.4	7.2
Width	2.2	2.5
Chela
Length	13.3	12.1
Width	2.5	2.6
Movable finger
Length	8.2	8.3