Alpiscorpius sigma, Kovařík & Štundlová & Fet & Šťáhlavský, 2019

Kovařík, František, Štundlová, Jana, Fet, Victor & Šťáhlavský, František, 2019, Seven new Alpine species of the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Euscorpius 287, pp. 1-29 : 19-21

Alpiscorpius sigma sp. n.

( Figures 43–47, Tables 1, 3, 5) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:70536871-

F300-4BF9-96B1-885BD05428A5

? Euscorpius gamma: Fet et al., 2001: 264 ( Slovenia, in part); Vignoli & Salomone, 2008: fig. 27 ( Italy: Udine).

Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) gamma Karyotypic race II (Ega 60): ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019: 156.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Udine, Studena Bassa , 46.516°N 13.273°E ; NMPC.

TYPE MATERIAL ( NMPC): 2♂ . Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Udine, Studena Bassa , 46.516°N 13.273°E, 1♂ (holotype No. S 044) . Paratype: Slovenia (eXtreme northwest), Gorenjska: Kranjska Gora, Podkoren , 46.494°N 13.749°E, 1♂ (S018).

ETYMOLOGY. Di Caporiacco (1950) named three subspecies of Euscorpius germanus after the letters of the Greek alphabet alpha, beta , and gamma . We continue in this style for another cryptic species and name it sigma after Greek “σῖγμα”.

DIAGNOSIS. Alpiscorpius sigma sp. n. is a cryptic species of the “ gamma group” of the “ mingrelicus compleX”, defined by ŠtundlovÁ et al. (2019) as “Karyotypic race II (Ega 60)”, which has 2n = 60 chromosomes. The karyotype is composed of 48 metacentric and 12 submetacentric chromosomes (fig. S2A in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). In both analysed specimens are 28 bivalents and one quadrivalent chain present in metaphase I. The rDNA clusters are located in the subterminal region of the short arms of the metacentric chromosome pair 6 (fig. S2A in ŠtundlovÁ et al., 2019). Metasomal segment V very finely granulated and with lateral carinae indicated by several solitary granules. Number of pectinal teeth (Dp) in two eXamined males is usually 8. Number of patellar ventral trichobothria 6. No et =3 or eb a =3 reduction observed in the two known specimens.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MALE HOLOTYPE. The following description is based primarily on the holotype male. Measurements of the holotype are presented in Table 2. Carapace, tergites, and pedipalps reddish-brown; carapace with some darker mottling; metasoma dark reddish-brown with dark mottling; telson, legs, and sternites dark yellow to reddish-brown; chelicerae light, slightly reticulated. Anterior edge of carapace essentially straight; smooth and lustrous, lacking any indication of carinae. There are two lateral eyes. Median eyes and tubercle are small in size. Tergites I–VII essentially smooth; tergite VII lacking lateral and median carinal pairs. Sternites III–VII smooth and lustrous; VII lacking lateral and median carinae. Stigmata are small, narrow elliptical. Metasomal segment V very finely granulated and with lateral carinae indicated by several solitary granules. Vesicle of telson swollen and elongated, with short highly curved aculeus. Vesicle essentially void of granules. Pectinal teeth number 8/8. Pedipalp carinae welldeveloped ( Figs. 43–45). Movable fingers bear 7 rows of denticles with eXternal and internal denticles. Trichobothrial patterns type C, neobothriotaXic: chela ventral = 4/4; patellar eb = 4/4, eb a =4/4, esb = 2/2, em = 3/3, est = 3/3, et = 4/4; patellar ventral = 6/6. Tarsus of legs with single row of spinules on ventral surface.

VARIABILITY. We scored standard phenotypic markers for both type specimens (2♂), with the following variation observed: Dp in males (n=2): 8/7 (1), 8/8 (1), in total, 7 in 25% (1), 8 in 75% (3); mean = 7.75, SD = 1.55.

Pv (n=2): 6/6 (2); in total, 6 in 100% (4).

et (n=2): 4/4 (2); in total, 4 in 100% (4).

eb

a

(n=2): 4/4 (2); in total, 4 in 100% (4).

DISTRIBUTION. Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Udine), Slovenia (Gorenjska) ( Fig. 71).

NOTES. A. sigma sp. n. is the westernmost species of the “ mingrelicus compleX” and the only species of this compleX confirmed for Italy.