Euscorpiops vachoni 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 : 14-16

Euscorpiops vachoni Qi, Zhu & Lourenco, 2005 Figures 69-72

Euscorpiops vachoni Qi et al. 2005: 18-21, Figs 62-77.

Type locality.

China, Yunnan Province, Mengla District.

Type material.

Holotype male. Mengla district (21°29'N, 101°33'E), Yunnan Province, 2/VIII/2004, Zizhong Yang, Jing Li and Caixia Yuan leg, (MHBU); Paratypes: 1 female, same data as holotype (MHBU), 1 male, Tibet, Nyingchi district, 3/VIII/2003, Feng Zhang leg, (MNHN).

Material examined.

Mengla District, 2/VIII/2004, Zizhong Yang, Jing Li and Caixia Yuan leg, 1 male immature, same data as holotype (BHDC, Ar.-BHDC-YNML0401).

Diagnosis.

(Modified from Qi et al. 2005) Euscorpiops vachoni differs from all other species of the genus on the basis of the following combination of characters: yellow brown color, 18 (17 in Qi et al. 2005) external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), and 10 ventral trichobothria in the pedipalp patella; adult chela manus stout and rounded (see Qi et al. 2005, Figs 63-66); pedipalp chela fingers on adult males scalloped; pectinal teeth: 7-8.

Euscorpiops vachoni appears to be closely related to Euscorpiops puerensis : both are medium-sized scorpions, characterized by the presence of 10 or 11 trichobothria on the ventral surface of pedipalp patella, a pronounced lobe on the movable finger and a corresponding notch on fixed finger of adult males, 7-8 pectinal teeth. The most pronounced difference between both species is: chela manus short, stout, and robust in Euscorpiops vachoni , whereas it is flat dorsoventrally in Euscorpiops puerensis .

Euscorpiops vachoni may be separated from Euscorpiops shidian and Euscorpiops yangi on the basis of the following character: chela with a length/width ratio smaller than 3.0, whereas in Euscorpiops shidian higher than 3.2, and in Euscorpiops yangi 3.4 (males) and 3.3 (females). Euscorpiops vachoni may be separated from Euscorpiops kubani and Euscorpiops validus by the following characters:yellow brown color in Euscorpiops vachoni , compared with dark red brown in Euscorpiops kubani , and dark brown inn Euscorpiops validus ; chela manus stout and rounded, whereas in Euscorpiops kubani and Euscorpiops validus flat. E. vachoni may be separated from Euscorpiops xui by the following characters: patella of pedipalp with 18 external trichobothria whereas in Euscorpiops xui with 18-19; chela with a length/width ratio smaller than 3.0, whereas in Euscorpiops xui with a length/width ratio higher than 3.4.

Description.

See Qi et al. (2005).

Ecology.

This species is uncommon, type materials collected from moist mixed forest close to the border of China and Laos.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan, just the type locality).

Notes.

The immature male specimen checked bears 18/18 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), and 10/10 ventral trichobothria in the pedipalp patella, 17 external trichobothria and 10 ventral trichobothria in the pedipalp patella on holotype (see Qi et al. 2005: 18).