Vaejovis granulatus Pocock, 1898

A, Contreras-Félix Gerardo & Oscar, Francke B., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the “ mexicanus ” group of the genus Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Zootaxa 4596 (1), pp. 1-100 : 40

Vaejovis granulatus Pocock, 1898

Figures 4 , 13h , 14g , 15h , 16h , 17h , 18h , 19h , 26

Vaejovis granulatus Pocock, 1898: 398 –399

Vejovis granulatus: Kraepelin, 1899: 184 , 186; Hoffmann, 1931: 389 –392, Fig: 37–38; Hoffmann, 1938: 318; Gertsch, 1958: 7; Bücherl, 1964: 61; Bücherl, 1971: 328; Williams, 1971: 45; Soleglad, 1973b: 359, 361; Stahnke, 1974: 135

Vaejovis granulatus: Pocock, 1902: 10 , Pl. II, Fig: 4, 4a–b; Díaz Najera, 1975: 6, 22, 25; Sissom, 1989: 132 –135, 157, Fig: 1–10, 65, 72–73; Sissom, 1990: 47; Kovarík, 1998: 147; Beutelspacher, 2000: 85, 139, 141, 142, 153, map 60; Sissom, 2000: 540; Soleglad & Fet, 2005: 5; Fet et al., 2006: 5, 7; Soleglad & Fet, 2006: 5 –6; Soleglad & Fet, 2007: 260; Soleglad & Fet, 2008: 5, 13, 28, 30, 73, 74, 77, 100; McWest, 2009: 20, 73–75, 102, 121, Fig: 234–239; Santibáñez-López & Francke, 2010: 559, 562, 565; Graham & Bryson, 2010: 285; Bryson et al., 2013: 5.

Type material. Holotype female from “ México ”. BMNH 1880-32 . Not examined.

Other specimens examined. Vaejovis granulatus : MEXICO: Morelos, Zempoala. VIII-9-1964. Cols.: C. Bolivar, E. Arrington and I. Martinez. 4 ♂, 6 ♀ ( CNAN-SC2142 ) . MEXICO: Morelos, Ocuitulco, Cerro Jumiltepec (N 18.916111°, W 98.772222°, elev. 2398 m.). I- 17-2004. Cols. : M. Córdova, D. Morán and M. Barrios. 11 ♀ ( CNAN-SC2185 ) . MEXICO: Morelos, Tetela del Volcán (N 18.916111°, W 98.772222°, elev. 2398 m.) I- 17- 2004. Cols. : M. Córdova and D. Morán. 1 ♂, 6 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3222 ) . MEXICO: Morelos, El Tepeite (N 19.04°, W 99.24°, elev. 2630m.) I- 29-2005. Cols. : M. Córdova and A. Jaimes. 1 ♂, 3 ♀ ( CNAN-SC3141 ) . MEXICO: Morelos, Ocuitulco, Cerro Jumiltepec (N 18.916111°, W 98.772222°, elev. 2198 m.). Without date. Cols.: M. Córdova and D. Noroña. 12 ♀ ( CNAN-SC2141 ) . MEXICO: Morelos, Zempoala, Lagunas de Zempoala (elev. 2009 m.). VIII-11-2001. Cols.: C. Durán and E. González. 1 ♂ ( CNAN-SC02189 ) . MEXICO: Estado de Mexico, Villa del Carbón. III-30-1972. Col.: M. Varela. 1 ♀ ( CNAN-SC02191 ) .

Diagnosis. Adults 24 to 30 mm long (Fig: 26-a, b). Carapace (Fig: 13-h), slightly shorter than metasomal segment V on males, slightly longer on females (Carapace L/MS-V 0.98 ±0.08 [1.05 ±0.03]); longer than femur (Carapace L/Femur L 1.25 ±0.08 [1.26 ±0.07]); anterior margin of carapace straight. Mesosomal tergite VII with a pair of well-developed granular carinae beginning on middle of segment and never reaching posterior edge. Pectinal teeth 16–17 [13–15] teeth; sternite V on males with a whitish patch, semi-oval in shape on posterior margin; sternite VII with one pair of vestigial carinae, also with bright whitish patch on posterior margin, and 10 to 11 (mode: 10) setae. Metasomal segment I considerably wider than long, rectangular in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.58 ±0.06 [0.56 ±0.03]), ventral submedian keels vestigial; intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV granulose, on segment V densely granulose; segment V less than one and a half times longer than wide (MS-V L/ W 1.47 ±0.08 [1.45 ±0.07]), wider than deep (W/D 1.25 ±0.04 [1.28 ±0.07]). Vesicle (Fig: 14-h) slender (L/ W 1.87 ±0.13 [1.79 ±0.09]) and broad, wider than deep (W/D 1.5 ±0.05 [1.68 ±0.1]); with two light median longitudinal bands and another two light lateral bands; dorsal surface flat, with a small whitish vesicular spot at posterior middle portion. Pedipalp femur (Fig: 15-h) and patella (Fig: 16-h) less than three times longer than wide (Femur L/ W 2.87 ±0.13 [2.73 ±0.2]; Patella L/ W 2.73 ±0.2 [2.48 ±0.06]). Pedipalp chela (Fig: 17, 18-h) considerably swollen (CM L/ W 1.59 ±0.1 [1.8 ±0.08]; W/D 0.97 ±0.03 [1 ±0.06]); dorsal internal and dorsal prosubmedian carinae granulose, other keels smooth. Pedipalp chela fingers dentate margin on males slightly notched basally.

Hemispermatophore (Fig: 19-h): lamelliform (TL 3; LL 1.8; LW 0.4 mm); lamella simple, without distal crest; with two lobe-shaped hooks located basally, one of the hooks reduced; lamella with basal notch present near the hooks. Capsular region with mesal, median lobe present.

Full morphometric variation is given in tables 13 and 14. Setae variation is given in tables 9–12.

Distribution. México: Distrito Federal, Morelos and Estado de México ( Figure 4 ).

Natural history. This species inhabits pine forests in and around México City and the adjacent state of Morelos, in a continuous corridor of natural forest; it can be found under rocks or rotten logs and under the bark of tree stumps and decaying logs.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Known distribution of all the species of Vaejovis, included in the “mexicanus” group.

FIGURE 13. Comparison in shapes on carapace in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 14. Comparison of the different shapes in the caudal gland on species within the “mexicanus” group (each caudal gland, if present, is highlighted in red): a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov.

FIGURE 15. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp femur, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 16. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp patella, in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 17. Comparison in shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of males in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 18. Comparison in the different shapes and trichobothrial patterns in the pedipalp chela of females, that selected species within “mexicanus” group present: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 19. Comparison on the shapes in the hemispermatophore in species within “mexicanus” group: a—V. ceboruco sp. nov.; b—V. chiapas; c—V. coalcoman; d—V. darwini; e—V. dugesi; f—V. dzahui; g—V. franckei; h—V. granulatus; i—V. maculosus; j—V. mcwesti; k—V. mexicanus; l—V. montanus; m—V. monticola; n—V. morelia; o—V. nanchititla sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 26. Habitus of Vaejovis granulatus (♂): a—dorsal view; b—ventral view. Scale bar = 1 cm.