Pseudouroctonus moyeri, Ayrey & Kovařík & Myers, 2021

Ayrey, Richard F., Kovařík, František & Myers, Brandon T., 2021, A new species of Pseudouroctonus from the Pinaleño Mountains southern Arizona (Scorpiones Vaejovidae), Euscorpius 338, pp. 1-12 : 3-8

Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n.

( Figures 1–35 , Tables 1–2) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. act: 4A54E946-1963-

4D52-A0E4-C44 D93243 F13

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. USA, Arizona, Graham County, Pinaleño Mountains, Mount Graham , 32.65077°N, 109.80945°W, 1,868 m a. s. l. ; USNM.

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype ♀, USA, Arizona, Pinaleño Mountains, Graham County, Mount Graham, 32.65077°N 109.80945°W, 1868 m a. s. l., 5 June 2015, leg. R. Moyer, specimen #1171 ( USNM). Paratypes, 2♂ 2♀ (all from the same locality): 1♂, 5 June 2015, leg. R. Moyer, specimen #1172, ( USNM); 1♀, 5 June 2015, leg. R. Moyer, specimen #1167 ( RFA); 1♀, 5 June 2015, leg. R. Moyer, specimen #1168 ( RFA); 1♂, 5 May 2010, leg. R. F. Ayrey, specimen #1174 ( FKCP). The type specimens were found using a blacklight at night. The vegetation type is pine oak woodland (see Fig. 35 ). Vaejovis electrum Hughes, 2011 and Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing, 1928 were found syntopically with P. moyeri during five field trips to Mount Graham.

OTHER MATERIAL STUDIED. 1♂ 3♀ (same locality as paratypes): 1♂, 5 May 2010, leg . R. Moyer, specimen #1166, ( RFA); 1♀, 5 June 2015, leg . R. Moyer, specimen #1165 ( RFA); 1♀, 5 June 2015, leg . R. Moyer, specimen #1169 ( RFA); 1♀, 5 June 2015, leg . R. Moyer, specimen #1170 ( RFA).

ETYMOLOGY. This species is named in honor of Ryan Moyer who collected most of the type series.

DIAGNOSIS. Large (32–37 mm) scorpions. Color is dark, reddish brown, lighter on legs (see Figs. 1–2 ), telson reddish. Pedipalp movable finger usually with 7 ID denticles and fixed finger usually with 6. Carapace of female is the same size or longer than the metasomal segment V. Mean pectinal tooth count: females 8.916 [n=12], males 11.00 [n=6].

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 22–25 ). Description based on left hemispermatophore. All measurements in mm. Hemispermatophore with wide base, deep dorsal trough. Lamina edges nearly parallel with no obvious basal constriction. Distinct distal crest on dorsal side of lamina, on posterior edge. Strongly bifurcated lamellar hook, originating from dorsal trough. Measurements as follows (mm): Total length = 4.47, lamina length = 2.74, lamellar hook length = 0.96, trough difference = 0.43, base width = 0.98, lamina width = 0.44. Morphometric ratios are as follows: lamellar hook length / lamina length = 0.35, trough difference / lamellar hook length = 0.45.

Mating Plug ( Figs. 26–31 ). Sclerotized mating plug with wide base, wide stem. Smooth barb, with a slight roundedness, but not crescent-shaped. One tine of barb significantly longer than other. Stem projection present.

DESCRIPTION. Based on holotype female, unless otherwise noted.

Color. Color is dark, reddish brown, lighter on the legs, telson reddish.

Carapace. Carapace of female is longer than the metasomal segment V. Anterior edge with a conspicuous median indentation, providing a ratio of 0.066 when its depth is compared to the carapace’s length; edge with six setae visible; entire surface moderately covered with medium sized granules. Three lateral eyes are present. Median eyes and tubercle of medium size, positioned anterior of middle with the following length and width ratios: 0.344 (anterior edge to medium tubercle middle / carapace length) and 0.129 (width of median tubercle including eyes / width of carapace at that point).

Metasoma. Length/width ratio of segment I 0.76; segment II 0.95; segment III 1.02; segment IV 1.42; segment V 2.30. Segments I–IV: dorsolateral carinae moderate, granular with distal denticle of I-IV enlarged and spinoid. Lateral supramedian carinae I–IV strong and granular with enlarged spinoid distal denticle. Lateral inframedian carinae moderately granular on segment I, posterior half of segment II, one-third of segment III, and obsolete on distal one-fourth of segment IV. Ventrolateral carinae on segments I–II strong, granular; on III–IV moderate, granular. Ventral submedian carinae weak on segment I and II, weak to moderate on III, moderate, granular on IV. Dorsal and lateral intercarinal spaces finely granular. Segment I–IV ventral submedian setae 3/3. Segment V dorsolateral carinae strong. Lateromedian carinae moderate and granular on basal 3/5, obsolete on distal 2/5. Ventrolateral and ventromedian carinae strong. Intercarinal spaces finely granular. Segment V ventrolateral setae 3/3.

Telson. Smooth with 4 pairs of large setae on the ventral surface, 3 large setae along both lateral edges of the vesicle and numerous smaller setae. Small, spinoid subaculear tubercle present.

Mesosoma. Tergites finely granular, with vestigial median carina on tergites I–VI. Tergite VII with weak median carina on anterior one-third and strong dorsal lateral and lateral supramedian granular carinae. Sternites III–VI very finely granular and without carinae. Sternite VII with vestigial ventral lateral carinae on middle third. Presternites smooth. Spiracles ovoid with median side rotated 35 degrees from posterior sternite margin. Sternites with variable number of microsetae. Pectinal tooth count 08/08 for holotype female. All pectinal teeth have exterodistal angling with large sensorial area. Middle lamellae 6/6. Fulcra are present. Each fulcra with 1–3 central setae. Sternum is Type 2. Genital Operculum is sclerites separated on posterior one-third.

Chelicerae. Dorsal edge of movable cheliceral finger with two subdistal (sd) denticles. Ventral edge is smooth, with well developed serrula on distal half.

Pedipalps. Trichobothrial pattern type C ( Vachon, 1974, Figs. 7–13 ). Trichobothria ib and it are at the base of fixed finger. Pedipalp ratios: chela length/width 3.22; femur length/width 2.73; patella length/width 2.45; fixed finger length/carapace length 0.67. Chela with carinae moderate. Fixed finger median denticles (MD) aligned and divided into 6 subrows by 5 outer denticles (OD) and 6 inner denticles (ID). Movable finger with 6 subrows of MD, 5 OD and usually 7 ID (Soleglad & Sissom, 2001). Femur with carinae moderate. Patella with carinae strong, internal surface with very large granules on the DPSc carina.

Legs. Ventral surface of tarsomere II with single median row of spinules terminating distally with one spinule pair.

VARIABILITY. Pectinal tooth count 8/8 [n=1], 9/9 [n=4], 9/10 [n=1] with a mean of 8.916 [n=12], standard deviation 0.493 for females and 11/11[n=3] with a mean of 11.00 [n=6], standard deviation 0.00 for males.

REPRODUCTION. Four females were kept alive in order to observe them giving birth and to count the number of first instar juveniles (see Fig. 33 ). All four females gave birth between the 28th of August and the 2nd of September, 2015. The juvenile counts were 34, 32, 35, and 35; mean = 34.0 (n=4), SD 1.2247. The 1 st instar orientation on the mother’s back was “non-random”, as reported by Ayrey (2009, 2013a, 2013b, 2020). They were facing anteriorly with the prosoma down and the metasoma raised over the prosoma of the juvenile immediately posterior to them, the same orientation as in Pseudouroctonus santarita and P. kremani (Ayrey & Soleglad, 2015) . Postpartum behavior is as described in Ayrey (2013a).

DISTRIBUTION. Known only from the type locality, Mount Graham , Pinaleño Mountains, Graham County, Arizona, USA .

Figures

Figures 1–2. Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratypes, female (1) and male shortly after last ecdysis (2).

Figures 3–6: Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratypes. Figures 3–4. Female in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Figures 5–6. Male in dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views.

Figures 7–14. Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratype male (FKCP), pedipalp. chela, dorsal (7), external (8), and ventral (9) views. Patella, dorsal (10), external (11) and ventral (12) views. Femur and trochanter dorsal (13). Movable finger (14).

Figures 15–21. Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratype male (FKCP), sternopectinal area (15), left chelicerae, ventral view (16), right legs III–IV, retrolateral aspect (17–18), metasoma and telson lateral (19), ventral (20) and dorsal (21) views.

Figures 22–31: Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratype male (USNM). Figures 22–25. Hemispermatophore internal (22), ventral (23), external (24), and dorsal (25) views. Figures 26–31. Mating plug dorsal (26), distal (27), ventral (28), proximal (29), internal (30), and external (31) views.

Figure 32–33. Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., paratype juvenile female 4th instar (32) and female with newborns (33).

Figure 34–35: Figure 34. Map showing the type localities for the four species of Pseudouroctonus known from southern Arizona. Figure 35. Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n., type locality.