Vietbocap Lourenço and Pham, 2010

Prendini, Lorenzo, Ehrenthal, Valentin L. & Loria, Stephanie F., 2021, Systematics Of The Relictual Asian Scorpion Family Pseudochactidae Gromov, 1998, With A Review Of Cavernicolous, Troglobitic, And Troglomorphic Scorpions, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2021 (453), pp. 1-153 : 99-100

Vietbocap Lourenço and Pham, 2010

Figures 4A, E, 5, 7–9, 12B, D, F, 14B, D, F, 15D, 17D, E, 19D, E, 21D, E, 40–43, tables 1–5, 10

Vietbocap Lourenço and Pham, 2010: 6 , type species by monotypy: Vietbocap canhi Lourenço and Pham, 2010 ; Prendini, 2011: 117; Lourenço, 2012a: 232, 233, 236 (part); Lourenço and Leguin, 2012: 71 (part); Lourenço and Pham, 2012: 80, 81, 84; Soleglad et al., 2012: 89, 95, 96; Loria and Prendini, 2014: 5, 20, 21, tables 2, 4 (part); Lourenço, 2014: 31, 36; Lourenço, 2017a: 19; Pham et al., 2017: 134 (part); Deharveng and Bedos 2018: 121 (part); Loria and Prendini, 2018: 186, table 2 (part); Lourenço et al., 2018: 264, 265, 269, 272 (part); Francke, 2019: 16, 32, 39 (part); Sendi et al., 2020: 288 (part).

Vietbokap: Beron, 2015: 172 (part).

DIAGNOSIS: In addition to the marked genetic divergence between the two genera (fig. 9; table 12), Vietbocap may be separated morphologically from Aemngvantom , as follows. The anteromedian depression of the carapace is deep, the circumocular triangle parallel sided (U-shaped), and the median ocular curvatures absent in Vietbocap (fig. 12B, D, F) whereas the anteromedian depression is shallow, the circumocular triangle subtriangular (broad V-shaped), and median ocular curvatures present in Aemngvantom (fig. 12A, C, E). The median ocular tubercle (demarcated by the posterior margin of the circumocular sulci) is situated medially in Vietbocap (fig. 12B, D, F) but anteromedially in Aemngvantom (fig. 12A, C, E). The anterolateral surfaces of the carapace are mostly smooth, but sparsely granular near the anterior carapace margin, in Vietbocap (fig. 12B, D, F), whereas the surfaces are mostly granular in Aemngvantom (fig. 12A, C, E). Pronounced rostrolateral incisions in the anterolateral margins of the carapace, lateral to the lateral ocelli, are present in Vietbocap (fig. 12B, D, F), whereas the anterolateral margins are entire in Aemngvantom (fig. 12A, C, E). The posteromedian margin of the carapace is sublinear to shallowly convex (procurved) in Vietbocap (fig. 12B, D, F) but shallowly concave (recurved) in Aemngvantom (fig. 12A, C, E). The pedipalp chela manus is elongate, with the prolateral dorsal carina of the male absent or obsolete in Vietbocap , whereas the chela manus is globose, with the prolateral dorsal carina of the male complete, in Aemngvantom . The median denticle rows of the chela fixed and movable fingers comprise seven or eight denticle subrows in Vietbocap (tables 3, 4, 10) but usually 10 subrows in Aemngvantom (tables 3, 4, 9, 10). Trichobothrium Et 1 is situated distally on the manus, aligned with or proximal to the movable finger condyle, and esb 2 in the proximal third of the fixed finger, between the first and second most proximal retrolateral denticles of the median denticle row, in Vietbocap (fig. 43B) whereas Et 1 is situated on the fixed finger, slightly distal to the movable finger condyle, and esb 2 approximately midway on the fixed finger, between the second and third most proximal retrolateral denticles of the median denticle row, in Aemngvantom (figs. 35B, 36B, 39B). The pectines possess 5–8 median lamellae and 6–10 teeth in Vietbocap (tables 3, 5, 10) but 11–14 lamellae and 12–15 teeth in Aemngvantom (tables 3, 5, 9, 10). The median lateral carinae of metasomal segment II are partial, becoming obsolete anteriorly in Vietbocap (fig. 19D, E) but complete in Aemngvantom (fig. 19A–C).

INCLUDED TAXA: As redefined in the present contribution, Vietbocap accommodates a single species: Vietbocap canhi Lourenço and Pham, 2010 .

DISTRIBUTION: Vietbocap is endemic to the Southeast Asian country of Vietnam, where it has been recorded from two caves, Tiên SƠn and Thiên ĐƯờng, in the Bố Trạch District of Quảng Bình Province (figs. 4A, 7).

ECOLOGY: The sole species of Vietbocap is an obligate troglobite, inhabiting the dark zone of deep caves, 200 m to 5 km from the surface (fig. 4E). The species is markedly troglomorphic.