Ananteris palmari, Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo & Noriega, Jorge Ari, 2011

Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo & Noriega, Jorge Ari, 2011, On the identity of Microananteris, with a discussion on pectinal morphology, and description of a new Ananteris from Brazil (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Zootaxa 2747, pp. 37-52 : 46-50

Ananteris palmari sp. nov.

Figures 19–22 , 31–40 ; Table 1

Type material. Holotype: BRAZIL: State of Amazonas: adult female from Atalaia do Norte, Natural Reserve Palmari , 31 km west of Benjamin Constant, 77 m elev., 04˚17’17”S 70˚17’33”W, UV light at night, 23 September 2009; preserved in 70% ethanol. MPUJ-SCO-397.

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition taken from the type locality.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality ( Figs. 39–40 ).

Diagnosis (based on female). In having a small body size and low teeth count, Ananteris palmari sp. nov. resembles A. festae and Ananteris mariaelenae Lourenço, 1999 from Ecuador, and A. minor from French Guiana. From the former one, A. palmari sp. nov. differs in having a complete reticular pattern on dorsal surface of chelicerae ( Fig. 36 ), esb trichobothrium basal to db (eb: esb: db: est: et: dt) ( Fig. 34 ), and ten pectinal teeth ( Fig. 19 ); in contrast, A. festae has immaculate chelicerae, db basal to esb (eb: db: esb: est: et: dt), and 11–14 teeth (11–13 in females, 14 in males). The new species differs from A. mariaelenae in having ten pectinal teeth, pedipalp hand and fingers brownish ( Figs. 37–38 ), and smaller morphometric values ( Table 1); instead, A. mariaelenae has 12–13 pectinal teeth, pedipalp chela with yellowish hand and brownish fingers, and larger morphometric values (female; male unknown). Finally, A. palmari sp. nov. differs from A. minor because its pectinal peg sensillae are conical not surrounded by seta-like structures ( Figs. 21–22 ) and the coxosternal region has abundant brown mottling throughout, whereas in A. minor the pectinal peg sensillae are bottle-like surrounded by seta-like structures and the venter is pale-yellow (female; male unknown). See Lourenço (1982, 1988, 1999, 2003) for information on A. festae , A. mariaelenae and A. minor .

Description of the holotype. Coloration. General coloration brownish with variegated pigmentation over almost the entire body (except ventrally) and appendages ( Figs. 37–38 ). Carapace predominantly brown with yellow bands and spots; median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Chelicerae with coxa yellow; hand with complete reticular pattern on dorsal surface ( Fig. 36 ); movable and fixed fingers almost completely brown but yellowish distally; teeth reddish-yellow. Coxosternal region with abundant brown mottling throughout, except on sternum which yellow. Genital operculum and pectines whitish and spotless; pectinal basal piece light-yellow with two small inconspicuous brownish areas; sternites III–V completely yellow, without marks; VI–VII with some brown regions in the anterior margin, larger and more conspicuous in sternite VII; sternite III with a rather slit-like posterior median hyaline area. Tergites I–VI with two (small anterior, larger posterior) yellow areas at each side of the midline; each side of the tergites with a yellow arrow-like design pointing to the midline; tergite VII predominantly yellow with abundant brown spots and mottling; lateral margins of the tergites predominantly yellow, brown anteriorly. Metasomal segments I–IV predominantly yellow, segment V light reddish, all with brown mottling. Telson yellowish, with inconspicuous light brown region ventrolaterally and aculeus red. Pedipalps brown throughout, with lighter brown mottling in all surfaces of each segment; trichobothrial insertions yellow. Legs with variegated pigmentation, telotarsi completely yellow.

Morphology. Measurements in Table 1. Carapace: brown regions densely covered with conspicuous rounded granulation; lateral margins not parallel, converging anteriorly; anterior margin moderately, evenly concave (not biconcave); median ocular carinae evident, others inconspicuous; median depression anterior to the ocular tubercle and complete median longitudinal furrow evident; median ocular tubercle low, located on posterior portion of anterior third of carapace; lateral ocular tubercles each with three linearly-arranged ocelli (plus a fourth ocelli-like structure located behind the median lateral ocelli in the left tubercle). Chelicerae: with abundant setae on internal and ventral surfaces; cheliceral dentition characteristic of Buthidae ( Vachon 1963) . Movable finger externally with two small basal teeth, one median pronounced, one subdistal slightly shorter than the median, and one distal tooth; internally with two well-developed teeth, one basal and one median, and one distal tooth. Fixed finger externally with one basal and one median tooth mounted onto a bicuspid, one subdistal, and one distal tooth; internally with only one tooth. Coxosternal region: predominantly smooth, with few setae except for coxapophyses densely hirsute; sternum subpentagonal, with deep median depression and two anterolateral furrows. Genital operculum and pectines: genital operculum divided longitudinally, formed by subtriangular pieces; pectinal basal piece slightly wider than long, deeply notched anteriorly and convex posteriorly; pectines very small, not reaching posterior end of coxae IV; segments count on the pectines: marginal lamellae 3:3, middle lamellae 7:7, teeth 10:10, fulcra absent; pectinal proximal teeth absent (likely due to sexual dimorphism), distal tooth rounded, basal piece of the middle lamellae markedly enlarged ( Fig. 19 ); pectinal peg sensillae conical and not surrounded by seta-like structures as revealed by scanning electron microscopy ( Figs. 21–22 ). Sternites: with few fine translucent setae; III–V smooth; VI–VII with few weak lateral granulation; VII with very fine and almost undistinguishable granulation posteromedially, suggesting vestigial and markedly incomplete submedian carinae; spiracles semi-oval to oval elongate. Tergites: with similar granulation to that of carapace; tergites I–VI with axial carina evident posteriorly, dorsolateral and lateral carinae absent; VII tetracarinate (paired dorsolateral and lateral carinae, incomplete), with low and granulose median elevation in the position of axial carina. Metasoma: with abundant setae, mostly in ventral and lateral surfaces; segment I with ten carinae (paired ventrosubmedian, ventrolateral, median lateral, dorsolateral and dorsosubmedian carinae); II–III with ten (median lateral carinae only evident on anterior two thirds); IV with six (ventrosubmedian and median lateral carinae absent); segment V with three (vestigial ventromedian and paired dorsolateral carinae); all carinae serrulose, except for ventromedian on segment V which made up of separated granules; intercarinal spaces with conspicuous granulation, primarily on the brown regions. Telson smooth, with very low elevations ventrally suggesting the presence of three vestigial carinae; aculeus shorter than vesicle; subaculear tubercle strong, rhomboidal to spinoid. Pedipalps: femur with only three evident longitudinal carinae (dorsoexternal, dorsointernal and ventroexternal), weak and scarcely granulose, and intercarinal surfaces smooth; patella smooth and acarinate, except for vestigial dorsointernal carina present on distal half; chela smooth and acarinate; fixed and movable fingers each with six and seven almost linear rows of granules (including short apical row in movable finger), respectively, and basal row longer than others. Pedipalps orthobothriotaxic type A, femur with β configuration ( Vachon 1974, 1975) ( Figs. 31–35 ). Legs: tibia, basitarsus and telotarsus with abundant setae; tibial spur present on legs III–IV; prolateral and retrolateral pedal spurs present on all legs.

Sympatric species. Ananteris palmari sp. nov. was found in sympatry with other four scorpion species: Tityus silvestris Pocock, 1897 , Tityus bastosi Lourenço, 1984 , Tityus (Atreus) sp. and Chactopsis sp. (identifications performed by R.B.-T.).

TABLE 1. Selected morphometric measurements (in millimeters) of Ananteris palmari sp. nov., female holotype. 1Sum of carapace, mesosoma and metasoma. 2Sum of tergites I–VII. 3 Sum of metasomal segments I–V and telson. 4Sum of femur, patella and chela. 5Measured from the commissure of the junction with the movable finger to the finger tip. 6Measured along the marginal lamella.

Total body length:1 14.75 Carapace: length: 1.84 anterior width: 1.13 width: 1.05 depth: 0.87 Metasomal segment II: length: 0.89 width: 0.97 depth: 0.87 Metasomal segment III: length: 1.01 width: 0.95 depth: 0.87 Metasomal segment IV: length: 1.36 width: 0.91 depth: 0.89 Metasomal segment V: length: 2.39

continued next page width: 0.97 depth: 0.91 Telson: length: 2.31 vesicle width: 0.74 vesicle depth: 0.64 Pedipalp: total length:4 6.21 Pedipalp femur: length: 1.63 width: 0.49 depth: 0.41 Pedipalp patella: length: 2.08 width: 0.60 depth: 0.52 Pedipalp chela: length: 2.50 width: 0.41 depth: 0.43 fixed finger length:5 1.59 movable finger length: 1.83 palm length: 0.64 Pectines: length:6 1.13 teeth count (left/right): 10/10

Figures

FIGURE 39. Habitat of Ananteris palmari sp. nov. in the Natural Reserve Palmari, Brazil.

FIGURE 40. Location of the type locality of Ananteris palmari sp. nov. (star).

FIGURES 19 – 22. Left pectine of Ananteris palmari sp. nov., female holotype, under SEM. 19. Pectine. 20. Teeth. 21. Detail of teeth ornamentation. 22. Zoom of peg sensillae.

FIGURES 31 – 36. Ananteris palmari sp. nov., female holotype. 31 – 35. Distribution of the trichobothria (illustrated from right pedipalp). 31. Femur, dorsal aspect. 32. Patella, dorsal aspect. 33. Patella, external aspect. 34. Chela, dorsoexternal aspect. 35. Chela, ventral aspect. 36. Right chelicera, dorsal aspect. Scale bars equal 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 37 – 38. Female holotype of Ananteris palmari sp. nov., dorsal and ventral aspects. Scale bar equals 3 mm.