Euscorpiops shidian Qi, Zhu & Lourenco , 2005

Di, Zhiyong, He, Yawen, Wu, Yingliang, Cao, Zhijian, Liu, Hui, Jiang, Dahe & Li, Wenxin, 2011, The scorpions of Yunnan (China): updated identification key, new record and redescriptions of Euscorpiops kubani and E. shidian (Arachnida, Scorpiones), ZooKeys 82, pp. 1-33 : 10-14

Euscorpiops shidian Qi, Zhu & Lourenco, 2005 Figures 5068

Euscorpiops shidian Qi et al. 2005: 18, 22-25, Figs 78-93.

Type locality.

China, Yunnan Province, Shidian District.

Type material.

Holotype, male, Yunnan Province, Shidian District, Jiucheng town (24.43°N, 99.09°E), 15/VI/2004, Yingda Zhang and Zizhong Yang leg, (MHBU); paratypes: 1 female (MNHN), 2 females (MHBU), same data as holotype.

Material examined.

Shidian District, Jiucheng town (24.43°N, 99.09°E), 16/VIII/2010, Dahe Jiang and Zhiyong Di leg, 5 females, 2 males, 1 male immature, 1 juvenile (MWHU, Ar.-MWHU-YNSD1001-09); Shidian District, Jiucheng town (24.43°N, 99.09°E), 15/VI/2004, Yingda Zhang and Zizhong Yang leg, 1 male, 1 juvenile (BHDC, Ar.-BHDC-YNSD0401-02), same data as holotype.

Diagnosis.

Euscorpiops shidian differs from all other species in the genus on the basis of the following combination of characters: pedipalp patella with 18 external (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), and 10-12 ventral trichobothria (rarely 10 or 12); chela with length/width ratio average of 3.3 (5 males and 5 females); inner surface of pedipalp chela fingers on adult females and males nearly straight; pectinal fulcra present (few and small).

Euscorpiops shidian is morphologically most similar to Euscorpiops kubani . Both species are characterized by the presence of 18 trichobothria ( Euscorpiops kubani : mainly with 18) on the external surface of pedipalp patella, 6-8 pectinal teeth, chela with similar length/width ratio (Tab. 2). They can be separated by: male pedipalp chela fingers slightly scalloped or straight in Euscorpiops shidian , whereas in Euscorpiops kubani males they are strongly scalloped; pectinal fulcra few but obvious in Euscorpiops shidian , pectinal fulcra small reduced to absent in Euscorpiops kubani .

Euscorpiops shidian may be separated from Euscorpiops puerensis , Euscorpiops vachoni and Euscorpiops validus Di, Cao, Wu and Li, 2010 on the basis of the following character: chela slender with a length/width ratio average of 3.3, whereas in Euscorpiops puerensis chela with a length/width ratio average of 2.7, and in Euscorpiops vachoni and Euscorpiops validus chela smaller than 3.0; Euscorpiops shidian may be separated from Euscorpiops yangi Zhu, Zhang and Lourenço, 2007 and Euscorpiops xui Sun and Zhu, 2010 by the following character: patella of pedipalp with 11 ventral trichobothria (rarely 10 and 12, Table 2), whereas on Euscorpiops yangi with9-10 ( Zhu et al. 2007), on Euscorpiops xui with 10 (4 specimens, Table 2); patella of pedipalp with 18 external trichobothria whereas on Euscorpiops xui with 18-19.

Description

(based on male (Ar.-BHDC-YNSD0401) and female (Ar.-MWHU-YNSD1001)).

Coloration: Carapace dark red black brown. Median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Tergites mostly dark red brown to dark brown. Metasoma segments dark red brown to dark brown; telson, vesicle brown, aculeus redish. Chelicerae yellow brown, fingers red brown gradually lighter toward the tip. Pedipalp femur and patella dark brown, chela manus and fingers dark red brown. Legs red brown with yellow brown tarsi. Tarsal ungues yellowish brown. Sternum, genital operculum and sternites brown. Pectines yellowish.

Morphology. Prosoma: Tegument coarse with fine and smooth granules. Carapace with sparse, fine granules; lateral furrow broad; anterior median furrow broad and moderately deep; posterior median furrow deep; margin behind lateral eyes with granules, other margins smooth. Median eyes situated anteriorly respect to the center of carapace; three pairs of lateral ocelli, posterior smallest. Median ocular tubercle coarse with granules and a pair of big median eyes and a median furrow. Lateral ocular tubercle with some granules around eyes.

Mesosoma: Tergites densely covered with fine granules, posterior part of tergites with bigger granules; tergite II to tergite VI with a median carina; tergite VII with two pairs of lateral carinae. Pectinal teeth count 6-8, fulcra small and obvious. Genital operculum subtriangular. Sternites smooth; segment VII with four weak ventral carinae with granules.

Metasoma: Tegument coarse. Segments II to V longer than wide; segments I to V with respectively 10-8-8-8-7 carinae, segments II–IV with a pair of vestigial lateral carinae; dorsal carinae crenulated, slightly stronger distally; on segment V carinae with smaller granules dorsally and larger serration ventrally. Vesicle with sparse small granules, and few setae.

Pedipalps: Tegument coarse with fine and smooth granules. Femur with external, dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and internal carinae granulated; tegument with scattered granules dorsally and smooth ventrally. Patella with dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and external carinae with big granules; two large spinoid granules present on the internal aspect; tegument with smooth granules dorsally and ventrally. Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic (Vachon1974); patella with 18 external trichobothria (5eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), 11 (rarely 10 and 12) ventral trichobothria (Fig. 67). Chela with a length/width ratio average of 3.3 on adult males and females. Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, and ventrointernal carinae granulated (Figs 54-61); ventrointernal carina with some big granules; tegument with small granules forming reticulated pattern; fingers nearly straight (Figs 63, 65).

Chelicerae: Tegument smooth. Tibiae smooth. Movable finger with 4 teeth on dorsal edge and 6-7 teeth (not constant) on ventral edge. Fixed finger with 3 teeth on dorsal edge.

Legs: Tegument coarse dorsally except basitarsi and telotarsi, smooth ventrally. Trochanters with few setae. Femur dorsal surface with some small granules, external surface with one granular carina, internal surface with two granular carinae. Patella internally with one dentate carina. Tibia with few setae and small granules, without spurs. Basitarsi with some spinules, few setae and two lateral pedal spurs. Tarsi ventrally with one row of short spinules and few setae. Tarsal ungues curved and hook-like.

Variation.

Female and male paratypes: coloration and morphology are very similar to holotype (see Qi et al. 2005). Sexual dimorphism: the pectinal teeth of adult males are clearly bigger than those of adult females; this sexual dimorphism is common in Euscorpiops and Scorpiops . Measurements in table 1. Feature datasets in table 2.

Ecology.

This species was collected from moist mixed forest and hamlets. They are found on the wall in the night and under stones in the day.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).