On the Tityus stigmurus complex (Scorpiones, Buthidae) Author De, Claudio Augusto R. Author Candido, Denise M. Author Lucas, Sylvia Marlene Author Brescovit, Antonio Domingos text Zootaxa 2009 1987 1 38 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.185451 b9b090a4-6bfe-4939-b2eb-174c92dea859 1175-5326 185451 Tityus melici Lourenço, 2003 Tityus melici Lourenço, 2003: 109 –115, figs.1–10, 13, table 1. Holotype ♂ and 7Ψ and 4 juvenile paratypes from Serra da Jurema region, Bahia, Brazil (MNRJ). Lourenço, 2006: 61. Tityus serrulatus: Lourenço & Cloudsley-Thompson, 1999 : 154 –158, figs. 1–6 (only the males from close to Jequitinhonha river, Irapé, Minas Gerais, Brazil , not examined, should be in FUNED or MNHN, not localized, misidentification). Material examined. Brazil , Minas Gerais: Minas Novas, 613m , 17º15’S 42º36’W , (Usina Hidrelétrica Irapé), III/1989 , R. U. Feio leg., 3 Ψ and 8 juveniles , ( IBSP 5044); Botumirim, 963m , 16º52’S 43º1’W , (Usina Hidrelétrica Irapé), R. U. Feio leg., 1 ɗ, 1 Ψ and 23 juveniles ( IBSP 5045). Comments. This species was described from the Southern region of the State of Bahia in the Southern range of the C aatinga vegetal formation. Tityus melici has almost all the diagnostic characters of the species of the T. stigmurus complex except the presence of posterior spinoid granules on the dorsal carinae of metasomal segments II and IV, though without doubt this species is related with this complex. Lourenço & Cloudsley-Thompson (1999) described a sexual population of T. serrulatus and pointed out as the main characteristic of the males the absence of modified granules as spines on the posterior region of the dorsal lateral carinae of metasomal segments III and IV, also longer and slender pedipalps ( Fig. 20 A) and larger pectines. These are the diagnostic characteristics for T. melici Lourenço, 2003 ( Fig. 19 C–D). Other previously unidentified specimens were also located in FUNED ( Fig. 19 A–B). After examining the material of FUNED, the types of T. melici and original description of Lourenço & Cloudsley-Thompson (1999) it was possible to conclude that all the specimens discussed in this paragraph are T. melici . This was also corroborated by the rediscovery of the male of T. serrulatus by the present authors. Diagnosis. Male. This species differ from the others of the complex by color pattern on tergites and carapace, uniformly brownish without spots, except from T. kuryi and T. serrulatus . Tityus melici can be distinguished from Tityus kury by absence of blackish spots on palps, legs, lateral faces and Vsm carinae of all metasomal segments ( Fig. 19 A–D), lack of transversal blackish spots on posterior margin of sternites, the spinoid granules are absent or reduced on the dorsal lateral carinae of metasomal segments III and IV. It also differs from T. serrulatus by the lack of posterior spinoid granules on the dorsal carinae of metasomal segments III and IV (if present they are smaller; see variation of T. melici ), pedipalps ( T. melici : length femur=9.8; tibia=10.1; chela=16.5; fig. 20A–B) and metasomal segments ( T. melici width I=4.6; II=4.7; III=5.1; IV=4.8) that are slender and color pattern of the carapace and tergites, which are uniformly brownish without spots ( Fig. 19 A; C), whereas T. serrulatus has two pairs of posterior spinoid granules on the dorsal carinae of metasomal segment III and three pairs on metasomal segment IV, pedipalps ( T. serrulatus : length femur=8.2; tibia=8.3; chela=14.5) and metasomal segments ( T. serrulatus width I=6.3; II=6.3; III=6.3; IV=6.0; V=5.1) which are stouter and the color pattern of the carapace and tegites, which has dark brown spots ( Fig. 11 A). FIGURE 19. T. melici (♂ and Ψ IBSP 5045; Botumirim, Minas Gerais, Brazil). Male ( A ) and female ( B ) in dorsal view; T. melici (holotype and paratype). Male ( C ) and female ( D ) in dorsal view. FIGURE 20. T. melici . (♂ and Ψ IBSP 5045; Botumirim, Minas Gerais, Brazil). Right palp in dorsal view: male ( A ) and female ( B ). Female. See Lourenço (2003). Variations. The specimens of State Minas Gerais have a more yellowish pattern of coloration on the tergites ( Fig. 19 A–B) when compared with the type specimens described by Lourenço (2003), which are brownish ( Fig. 19 C–D). Female specimens collected at Minas Novas, State of Minas Gerais presented one/two posterior spinoid granules on metasomal segment III, and two/three on metasomal segment IV. These granules are reduced when compared with other members of the complex. TABLE 1. Measurements (in mm) of the specimens included in this work.

) 5046 IBSP (	) 5046 IBSP (	) 7366 MNRJ (	) 7366 MNRJ (	) 7366 MNRJ (	) 1481 IBSP (	) 4602 IBSP (	) 3987 IBSP (	) 1330 IBSP (	) 1449 IBSP (
ƅ	oe	ƅ	oe	oe	ƅ	oe	oe	ƅ	oe
serrulatus . T	serrulatus . T	serrulatus . T	serrulatus . T	serrulatus . T	stigmurus . T	stigmurus . T	stigmurus . T	stigmurus . T	stigmurus . T

Total length 77.0 71.8 73.7 64.5 65.8 60.3 55.6 57.1 63.8 68.1 Carapace length 8.1 7.6 8.1 7.2 7.5 6.6 6.3 6.3 6.6 7.1 anterior width 4.5 4.1 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.6 3.7 posterior width 8.5 8.5 7.8 7.6 7.8 7.0 6.8 6.5 7.0 7.3 Metasoma segment I length 6.1 6.0 6.2 4.7 4.5 5.1 3.7 4.3 6.0 5.6 Width 6.3 4.7 5.8 4.3 4.2 4.8 3.3 3.6 5.0 4.2 segment II Length 8.0 6.8 8.1 5.3 5.6 6.0 4.6 5.1 6.6 6.1 width 6.3 4.7 6.0 4.1 4.2 5.0 3.3 3.6 5.0 4.2 segment III length 8.7 7.1 8.6 6.0 6.2 6.8 5.2 5.5 7.1 6.5 width 6.3 4.7 6.0 4.1 4.3 5.0 3.3 3.6 4.8 4.1 segment IV length 9.8 7.5 9.5 7.0 7.0 7.5 5.8 6.2 7.7 6.8 width 6.0 4.7 5.8 4.1 4.3 4.7 3.5 3.6 4.7 4.3 segment V length 9.6 7.8 9.1 7.8 7.7 7.5 6.6 7.1 7.2 7.6 width 5.1 4.5 4.8 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.2 3.5 4.1 4.0 Vesicle length 7.0 6.8 7.0 6.7 6.8 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.3 depth 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 1.6 1.6 Pedipalp Femur length 8.2 7.0 7.6 6.6 6.6 6.3 5.7 6.2 6.5 7.0 width 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 2.0 Tibia length 8.3 7.3 8.2 7.1 7.3 7.1 6.3 6.6 7.2 7.7 width 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 ......to be continued )) Holotype 3394) 3395 Paratype IBSP 4502) (ƅ (IBSP 4502 oe) 5045 5044) 1000) 2166)) 1602) 4724

TABLE 1 (continued)
Chela
length 14.5 13.1	14.0	12.3	12.6	12.2	11.7	12.0	12.5	13.2
width 2.6 2.7	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.2	2.1	2.2	2.2	2.6
Movable finger
length 9.6 8.7	9.3	8.2	8.7	7.7	8.0	8.1	8.0	8.7

TABLE 1. (continued) ( IBSP aba ƅ IBSP aba (oe martinpaechi martinpaechi IBSP ( melici ƅ. ( melici IBSP oe kuryi MZUFBA (oe MZUFBA ( kuryi oe ( kuryi MZUFBA oe (IBSP kuryi oe . T T.. T T. T. T. T T.. T T.

Total length 76.5 66.1	73.6	64.7	67.5	59.8	67.6	78.1	71.5	55.3
Carapace
length 6.6 6.6	6.9	6.8	7.6	6.8	8.2	8.3	8.1	6.2
anterior width 4.1 4.4	3.9	4.4	3.4	3.6	4.3	4.6	4.6	3.7
posterior width 8.4 8.0	7.4	7.2	7.5	7.3	9.0	8.8	8.8	6.6
Metasoma
segment I
length 6.3 6.2	6.3	4.9	5.1	4.8	5.8	6.0	5.5	4.3
Width 5.8 5.7	5.7	4.0	4.6	4.0	5.0	4.8	5.0	3.7
segment II
Length 7.7 7.5	7.7	5.4	7.0	5.5	6.8	7.0	7.1	5.5
width 5.8 4.5	5.8	3.9	4.7	4.1	5.0	4.8	5.1	3.7
segment III
length 8.3 8.0	7.8	5.9	8.6	5.8	7.5	7.6	7.6	5.7
width 5.9 4.6	5.7	3.9	5.1	4.0	5.1	5.0	5.1	3.6
segment IV
length 9.3 9.7	8.8	7.3	8.5	6.3	8.2	8.1	8.3	6.2
width 5.6 4.5	5.4	3.9	4.8	4.1	5.5	5.0	5.1	3.5
segment V
length 9.3 10.2	8.6	7.6	9.0	7.6	9.5	9.1	8.8	7.1
width 5.0 4.2	4.6	3.6	4.6	4.0	4.6	4.5	4.1	3.2
Vesicle
length 3.0 2.6	6.7	6.6	7.1	6.7	6.8	8.3	8.2	4.3

......to be continued

TABLE 1 (continued)
depth 2.4 2.3	2.5	2.2	2.5	2.2	2.7	2.7	2.7	2.1
Pedipalp
Femur
length 8.3 6.7	7.2	6.2	9.8	6.2	8.2	7.6	7.6	6.0
width 1.7 2.0	1.5	1.9	2.1	1.8	2.2	2.3	2.5	1.7
Tibia
length 8.7 7.5	7.4	7.2	10.1	6.8	8.2	8.2	8.0	6.5
width 2.5 2.7	2.2	2.5	2.5	2.5	3.2	3.2	3.2	2.5
Chela
length 14.9 13.3	13.3	12.1	16.5	12.5	14.3	14.6	14.3	11.2
width 2.6 2.7	2.5	2.6	2.3	2.5	3.1	2.6	3.1	2.3
Movable finger
length 9.8 8.8	8.2	8.3	10.2	8.1	9.7	9.8	9.7	7.1

Distribution. Brazil , Bahia (Serra da Jurema region); Minas Gerais (Vale do Jequitinhonha area) ( Fig. 10 ).