Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900

Ochoa, José A. & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2010, The Genus Hadruroides Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiones: Iuridae), in Peru: New Records and Descriptions of Six New Species, American Museum Novitates 2010 (3687), pp. 1-56 : 39-40

Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900

( Figs. 1 , 3A , 5B )

Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900: 476 ; Maury, 1975: 16, 17, figs. 34–40; Francke, 1977: 75; Francke and Soleglad, 1980: 12; Lourenço, 1994: 157, 1995: 74–76; Kovařík, 1998: 135; Sissom and Fet, 2000: 412; Fet et al., 2004: 24; Ochoa and Chaparro, 2008: 5.

Hadruroides leopardus vittatus Pocock, 1900: 477 (synomymized by Maury, 1975: 16, 17).

TYPE MATERIAL: PERU: Lambayeque Department: Chiclayo Province: Holotype ♂, 3 paratypes, including allotype ♀ ( BMNH), Eten (06 ° 55 ' 33 " S 79 ° 51 ' 57 " W, 10 m), 1900, P.O. Simons. Cajamarca Department: Cajamarca Province : 3 syntypes [ Hadruroides leopardus vittatus ] ( BMNH), Los Baños del Inca , near Cajamarca (07 ° 10 ' 32 " S 78 ° 26 ' 50 " W, 2880 m), P.O. Simons.

NEW RECORDS: PERU: Lambayeque Department: Chiclayo Province: Eten , 30 km S, 06 ° 59 ' 24 " S 79 ° 39 ' 04 " W, 50 m, 19.i.2008 , R. Gutiérrez and D. Apaza, 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 1 juv. ( AMNH), 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv. ( MHNC). Ferreñafe Province: Puchaca Alto, Incawasi , 06 ° 22 ' S 79 ° 28 ' W, 320 m, 20.xi.2004 , J.C. Chaparro and J.A. Ochoa, 2 ♂, 2 ♀ ( AMNH), 1 ♂, 2 ♀ ( MHNC). Lambayeque Province: between Porculla and intersection to Olmos , 05 ° 56 ' 09.6 " S 79 ° 35 ' 55.1 " W, 498 m, 17.i.2008 , R. Gutiérrez, D. Apaza, and J.A. Ochoa, 2 ♂, 5 ♀ ( AMNH), 1 ♂, 4 ♀ ( MHNC); EPM Anchovira, between Motupe and Jayanca , near intersection to Salas , 06 ° 16 ' 02.7 " S 79 ° 44 ' 10.7 " W, 101 m, 17.i.2008 , R. Gutiérrez, D. Apaza and J.A. Ochoa, 3 ♂, 4 ♀ ( AMNH), 3 ♂, 3 ♀, 1 subad. ♂ ( MHNC) .

DIAGNOSIS: Hadruroides leopardus appears to be most closely related to H. graceae and H. udvardyi . Hadruroides leopardus may be distinguished from H. graceae by means of the macrosetal count of metasomal segment V. Hadruroides leopardus possesses 12–18 ventral setae and 3–5 lateral setae, whereas H. graceae possesses 7–8 ventral setae and 6–8 lateral setae. The hemispermatophore is similar in the two species, but the lamina is less inclined in H. leopardus . Both species may be further separated by means of the dimensions of the pedipalp chela: in H. graceae , the length:width ratio of the chela is 5.00–5.41 (♂) and 4.46– 5.12 (♀), whereas in H. leopardus the ratio is 3.93–4.54 (♂) and 4.23–4.64 (♀). The ventral surface of metasomal segment IV, which is densely granular in H. graceae ( fig. 15C ) and smooth in H. leopardus , provides another diagnostic difference between these species. The lateral surface of metasomal segment V is also more granular in H. graceae ( figs. 15A , 16A) than in H. leopardus . Hadruroides leopardus may be separated from H. udvardyi by means of the granulation of the telson and the carination of sternite VII, metasoma, and pedipalps. Hadruroides udvardyi is in general more granular than H. leopardus . The VSM carinae comprise small granules on sternite VII and metasomal segment I in H. udvardyi , but are obsolete (sternite VII) or absent (segment I) in H. leopardus . The DL carinae of segment V are complete and granular in H. leopardus , but granular in the anterior half of the segment only in H. udvardyi . The vesicle is smooth in both sexes of H. udvardyi , but granular in female H. leopardus . The pedipalp patella DI carina is smooth or comprises small, scattered granules in H. leopardus , but complete and granular in H. udvardyi . Additionally, the pigmentation pattern of the carapace, tergites, and metasoma is more pronounced, especially on metasomal segment V and telson, in H. udvardyi .

DISTRIBUTION: Hadruroides leopardus was described from Puerto Eten in the coastal desert of Lambayeque Department, northern Peru (fig. 1). We confirm the presence of this species at Eten and additional localities around Chiclayo up to an elevation of 498 m (fig. 3A). The known locality records of this species occur in the equatorial dry forest ecoregion ( Brack, 1986), located between the Pacific Ocean and the western slopes of the Andes at elevations below 1300–1500 m, in southern Ecuador and the Cajamarca, Lambayeque, Piura, and Tumbes departments of northern Peru. Records of H. leopardus from Loja in Ecuador ( Maury, 1975) are probably referable to H. udvardyi ( Lourenço, 1995) . Records of H. leopardus vittatus from Baños del Inca in Cajamarca ( Pocock, 1900) are probably the result of mislabelling by P.O. Simons, who also mistakenly labelled ‘‘Baños’’ as a locality for H. charcasus , a species that occurs only on the western slopes of the Andes. The specimens of H. leopardus vittatus and H. charcasus were probably collected along the road from Eten to Baños. Based on data from our fieldwork in Cajamarca, H. carinatus is the only Hadruroides species occurring at Baños del Inca.

ECOLOGY: The vegetation in the area inhabited by H. leopardus is characterized by shrubs, cacti, and scattered trees, e.g., Bursera graveolens (Kunth) Triana and Planch. (Burseraceae) , Capparis sp. (Brassicaceae) , Ceiba insignis (Kunth) Gibbs and Semir (Malvaceae) , Loxopterigium huasango Spruce ex Engl. ( Anacardiaceae ), Prosopis pallida (Humboldt and Bonpland ex Willdenow) Kunth (Fabaceae) . Hadruroides leopardus is sympatric with H. charcasus .

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of Peru, plotting known locality records of Hadruroides Pocock, 1893. Hadruroides aguilari Francke and Soleglad, 1980, solid circle. Hadruroides bustamantei Ochoa and Chaparro, 2008, squares. Hadruroides geckoi, n. sp., open triangle. Hadruroides graceae, n. sp., open circle. Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900, diamonds. Hadruroides tishqu, n. sp., solid triangles. Hadruroides vichayitos, n. sp., star.

Fig. 3. Hadruroides Pocock, 1893, habitats in Peru. A. Puchaca Alto (Lambayeque Department), habitat of Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900. B. Balsas (Cajamarca Department), habitat of Hadruroides geckoi, n. sp. C. Cerro Campana (La Libertad Department), habitat of Hadruroides juanchaparroi, n. sp. D. Wari (Ayacucho Department), habitat of Hadruroides bustamantei Ochoa and Chaparro, 2008. E. Isla Santa (Ancash Department), habitat of Hadruroides tishqu, n. sp. F. Playa Vichayitos (Piura Department), habitat of Hadruroides vichayitos, n. sp. G. Lomas de Lachay (Lima Department), habitat of Hadruroides lunatus (L. Koch, 1867).

Fig. 5. Hadruroides Pocock, 1893, habitus in life. A. Hadruroides juanchaparroi, n. sp., ♂. B. Hadruroides leopardus Pocock, 1900, ♂. C. Hadruroides lunatus (L. Koch, 1867), ♀. D. Hadruroides vichayitos, n. sp., ♂. E. Hadruroides tishqu, n. sp., ♂.

Fig. 15. Hadruroides graceae, n. sp., holotype ♂ (MHNC). A. Metasomal segment V and telson, lateral aspect. B. Metasomal segment IV, lateral aspect. C. Metasomal segment IV, ventral aspect. D. Metasomal segment V, ventral aspect. E. Dextral pedipalp patella, dorsal aspect. F. Dextral pedipalp femur, dorsal aspect. G. Dextral pedipalp chela, ventrointernal aspect. H. Dextral pedipalp chela, ventral aspect. I. Dextral pedipalp chela, external aspect. Scale bars 5 1 mm.