Chaeriluspseudoconchiformus sp. n. and an updated key of the chaerilid scorpions from China (Scorpiones, Chaerilidae)
Author
Yin, Shijin
Author
Qiu, Yanning
Author
Pan, Zhaohui
Author
Li, Shaobin
Author
Di, Zhiyong
text
ZooKeys
2015
495
41
51
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.495.9016
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.495.9016
1313-2970-495-41
C29662AF07474470B451DA435E00A27E
C29662AF07474470B451DA435E00A27E
Taxon classification Animalia Scorpiones Chaerilidae
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n.
Figs 1-4, 5−25, 26-35, Tables 1, 2
Type material.
Holotype, male, China: Xizang, Nyingchi County (Linzhi County), VIII/2014, Zhiyong Di and Tao Li leg. (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1401); paratypes: 1 adult male, 9 adult females, same data as holotype (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1402−11) (kept in USTC).
Diagnosis.
The new species differs from its congeners by the following features: approximately 30−40 mm in total length (Table 2); carapace with the anterior margin straight; chela with length/width ratio: average of 3.3 in males, and 2.5 in females (Table 2); eight or nine (usually eight) rows of denticles on fixed and movable fingers of pedipalp chelae; five pectinal teeth in males and three or four in females.
Chaerilus
pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. can be distinguished from the geographically and morphologically closely related species (Tables 2-3, and key). Morphologically closest are
Chaerilus conchiformus
and
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
. Both these species have similar body lengths, as well as similar numbers of denticle rows on fixed and movable fingers of the pedipalp chelae. They can be distinguished by the length/width ratio of the pedipalp chela: manus of pedipalp in male narrow and long, chela length/width ratio in male higher than 3 (average of 3.3 in two males, and 2.5 in nine females) in
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n.; manus of pedipalp in male robust (
Kovarik
2012
: Fig. 68), chela length/width ratio in both sex adults lower than 2.6 in
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
(
Kovarik
, 2012: 2); manus of pedipalp in both sex adults robust (
Zhu et al. (2008)
: Figs 3, 17), chela length/width ratio in one male adult is 2.4 (paratype: Ar.
-MHU-XZ
0102), in two females (including the holotype) lower than 2.0 in
Chaerilus conchiformus
. Furthermore,
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. has more slender pedipalps than
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
(Table 1;
Kovarik
2012
: 13), in other words, the length ratio of pedipalp (LRP) is distinctly larger than the length ratio of total length (LRT) of
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. and
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
: 1.14 (LRP), 1.01 (LRT) in male holotypes; 1.08 (LRP), 0.95 (LRT) in female allotypes of
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. and
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
(Table 1).
Figures 1-4.
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n., dorsal and ventral habitus: 1-2 Male holotype (Ar.−USTC−XZLZ1401) 3-4 Female paratype (Ar.−USTC−XZLZ1402). Scale bar = 10 mm.
Figures 5-25.
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. Male holotype: 5 Carapace, dorsal aspect 6 Lateral eyes area 7-8 Chelicera, dorsal and ventral aspects 11 Tegument of the seventh sternite; 12 Sternum, genital operculum and pectines 14-15 Metasomal segment V, lateral and ventral aspects 16 Telson 18-19 Femur, dorsal and external aspects 20-22 Patella, dorsal, external and ventral aspects. Female paratype (Ar.−USTC−XZLZ1402): 9-10 Chelicera, dorsal and ventral aspects 17 Telson 23-24 Femur, dorsal and external aspects 25 Patella, dorsal aspect. Scale bars = 2 mm.
Table 1. Measurements (mm) of
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n., male holotype (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1401) and female paratype (Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1402). The information of
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
from
Kovarik
(2012)
.
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n.
|
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
|
Male holotype |
Female paratype |
Male holotype |
Female paratype |
Table 2. Feature datasets of body length (BL, mm; segment by segment was measured and added in type specimens, while others were measured for overall length only), chela with length/width ratio (CR), number of granule rows of movable finger of pedipalp (RN), and number of pectinal teeth (PT) of
Chaerilus conchiformus
(CO, Ar.-USTC-XZLZ1412),
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n., and
Chaerilus tryznai
(TY, Ar.-USTC-XZBM1401−02).
Table 3. The differences between chaerilids from China:
Chaerilus conchiformus
,
Chaerilus dibangvalleycus
,
Chaerilus mainlingensis
,
Chaerilus pictus
,
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n.,
Chaerilus wrzecionkoi
,
Chaerilus tessellatus
,
Chaerilus tricostatus
, and
Chaerilus tryznai
; body length (BL, mm); carapace with the anterior margin (straight or curving, CA); chela with length/width ratio respectively in females and males (CR(F), CR(M)), dorsal secondary carinae of the chela (DS); rows number of denticles on fixed and movable fingers of chelae (RF); the tegument of the seventh sternite (SVII); holotype (H), paratype (P), new material (N).
conchiformus
(H&N)
|
dibangvalleycus
(H&P)
|
mainlingensis
(H&P)
|
pictus
(H&P)
|
pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. (H&P)
|
wrzecionkoi
(H&P)
|
tessellatus
(H&P)
|
tricostatus
(N)
|
tryznai
(H, P&N)
|
*1 |
*2 |
Etymology.
The specific name refers to the geographically and morphologically most closely related species
Chaerilus conchiformus
, adding the Greek prefix
"pseudo−"
as
"pseudoconchiformus"
, because the habitus of both sexes is very similar to that of
Chaerilus conchiformus
.
Description.
Based on male holotype and female paratype.
Coloration (Figs 1-4). Basically reddish brown. Carapace dark red-brown with black parts and yellowish stripes. Mesosomal tergites dark red-brown with yellowish stripes. Metasoma: all segments dark red-brown. Telson dark red-brown with reddish brown part; aculeus light red-brown. Chelicerae reddish brown with dark reticular pattern on dorsal surface. Pedipalps: femur, patella and chela dark red-brown with dark carinae. Legs dark red-brown and red-brown on distal segments. Sternum, genital operculum and sternites red-brown with some light parts. Pectines light yellow.
Morphology. Carapace carinated, with the anterior margin straight; with dense granules of nearly equal size; lateral furrow moderately deep; large granules form 2 longitudinal lateral carinae (Fig. 5). Median ocular tubercle with granules. Lateral ocular tubercle small with a pair of lateral eyes and some granules (Fig. 6). Lateral eyes distinctly smaller than median eyes (Fig. 5).
Mesosoma
: Tergites uniform distributing with granules of larger and unequal size; tergites I to II without carinae, each of tergites III to VI bearing a pairs of obsolete granular carinae on posterior margin, tergite VII bearing two pairs of obsolete granular lateral carinae, but middle pair is represented only by ridges without expressed carinae; sternum pentagonal; genital operculum triangular; pectinal teeth count 5/5 in males and 3−4 in females, with fulcra well developed (Figs 12-13); sternites III to VI are smooth, sternite VII granular without carinae (Fig. 11).
Metasoma
: Length about 4.8 times as long as carapace in males and 4.4 in females; segment I always wider than long; segments I to V with 10-8-8-8-7 granular carinae; the ventromedian and ventrolateral carinae of segment V composed of strong, dentated granules, ventromedian carina posteriorly bifurcated as
"Y"
(Figs 14-15); all segments with sparse small granules. Vesicle is almost smooth; aculeus slightly curved (Figs 16-17).
Chelicerae: Tibia surfaces smooth; thickly covered with numerous short, silky hairs, extending to ventral aspect of chelicerae and dorsal aspect of fixed fingers; ventral inner edges of movable finger with some minute teeth (2−3 obsolete teeth in two males and 3−9 well developed and obsolete teeth in nine females) (Figs 7-10).
Pedipalp: Tegument granular. The femur has four carinae and the patella has five granular carinae (Figs 18-27). Chela with length/width ratio average of 3.3 in males (two adults) and 2.5 in females (nine adults), has seven granulated dorsointernal, except internal carina obsolete; entire tegument of chela manus densely covered with coarse granules, forming some indistinct reticular pattern (Figs 28-33); fingers straight, the cutting edge of movable finger with 8 or 9 (mainly 8) rows of denticles (Figs 34-35). Trichobothriotaxy of type B; orthobothriotaxic (
Vachon 1974
) (Figs 18-33).
Figures 26-35.
Chaerilus pseudoconchiformus
sp. n. Male holotype: 28-30 Chela, dorsoexternal, ventral, and internal aspects 34 Movable finger of pedipalp. Female paratype (Ar.−USTC−XZLZ1402): 26-27 Patella, external and ventral aspects 31-33 Chela, dorsoexternal, ventral, and internal aspects 35 Movable finger of pedipalp. Scale bars = 2 mm.
Legs: Tibia without tibial spur. Basitarsus with two pedal spurs strongly developed. Tarsi with two rows of spiniform setae.
Variation.
Coloration and morphology in holotype and paratypes are very similar (feature datasets please see Table 2).
Habitat.
Found under the stones in mixed forest.
Distribution.
China (Xizang).