Corresponding author: Eric Ythier (
Academic editor: W. Lourenco
A new species of scorpion belonging to the genus
Ythier E (2015) A new species of
In the present paper, a new species of
Measurements and illustrations were made using a Motic DM143 digital stereo-microscope. Measurements follow
Scorpions of small size with a total length of 19 to 28 mm. General coloration reddish-brown to dark brown. Tegument smooth overall. Pedipalp chelal fingers very short, with trichobothria
One female holotype and two female paratypes. French Guiana, near Saut Sabbat, 50 km south of Mana and 50 km east of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, under wood log, I/2015 (E. Ythier & G. Roy). Deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
The specific name refers to Laura Ythier, for her contribution to the collection of the new species.
Small scorpions, 27.5 to 28.2 mm in total length. Coloration reddish-brown, with carapace, chelicerae, pedipalps and legs intensely marked with darker spots. Body and appendages weakly granulated or smooth; dorso-internal carina of chela inconspicuous; ventral posterior granulations on metasomal segment V weakly marked. Female pectines with 5-6 to 6-6 teeths; male unknown. Trichobothrial pattern of type C neobothriotaxic ‘majorante’.
based on female holotype and female paratypes.
General coloration reddish-brown. Carapace reddish-yellow, intensely marked with brownish variegated spots around the ocular tubercle and on the anterior and posterior edges of the carapace; ocular tubercle darker, almost black. Tergites reddish-brown with confluent reddish-yellow spots, on the sides and the middle of tergites, without forming a longitudinal stripe. Metasomal segments reddish-yellow, marked with variegated brownish spots on lateral and dorsal sides of segments I to V and on ventral side of segments IV and V; ventral side of segments I to III yellowish, without spots; vesicle reddish-yellow with basis of aculeus blackish and tip of aculeus reddish. Chelicerae yellowish, with variegated dark brown spots; fingers reddish-yellow with dark brown spots at their basis, reddish teeth. Pedipalps reddish-brown, with longitudinal dark brown spots. Legs yellowish, intensely marked with brownish spots. Venter and sternites yellowish to reddish-yellow; sternum reddish-yellow with darker spots; genital opercle reddish-yellow; pectines pale yellow.
Carapace lustrous and acarinate, with some minute punctations; furrows shallow; anterior edge emarginate. Sternum pentagonal, wider than long. Tergites acarinate, almost smooth and shiny, with only minute granulations on their posterior edges. Pectinal tooth count 5-6 to 6-6, fulcra absent. Sternites smooth and shiny, VII acarinate; spiracles rounded in shape. Only metasomal segments IV and V longer than wide; metasomal tegument almost lustrous, without granulation, and with a few punctations; segment V with spinoid granulation ventrally, weakly marked. Carinae on segments I-V vestigial or absent; only dorso-lateral carinae are weakly marked on segments I to IV. Pedipalp femur with dorsal internal, dorsal external and ventral internal carinae moderately marked; internal face weakly granular; other faces smooth. Patella smooth, with vestigial carinae. Chela weakly granulated, almost smooth, with dorso-internal carina weakly marked. Dentate margins on fixed and movable fingers with 6 rows of granules. Chelicerae with dentition typical of the family
Habitus of
Natural habitat of
Records of
Morphometric values (in mm) of
Total length | 26.9 | 20.8 | 26.2 | 28.6 | 28.2 |
Carapace: | |||||
- length | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
- anterior width | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 |
- posterior width | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
Mesosoma length | 7.5 | 6.0 | 9.8 | 9.0 | 10.5 |
Metasoma length | 15.3 | 11.2 | 12.8 | 15.3 | 13.7 |
Metasomal segment I: | |||||
- length | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
- width | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Metasomal segment II: | |||||
- length | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
- width | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
Metasomal segment III: | |||||
- length | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
- width | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
Metasomal segment IV: | |||||
- length | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
- width | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Metasomal segment V: | |||||
- length | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
- width | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
- depth | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
Telson: | |||||
- length | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
- width | 2.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 |
- depth | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
Pedipalp: | |||||
- femur length | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
- femur width | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
- patella length | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
- patella width | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
- chela length | 5.8 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.7 | 5.5 |
- chela width | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
- chela depth | 3.1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
Movable finger length | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.0 |
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1 | Pedipalps with chelae weakly granulated, almost smooth |
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– | Pedipalps with chelae moderately to strongly granulated |
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2 | Ventral side of metasomal segments I to III yellowish, without spots |
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– | Ventral side of all metasomal segments well pigmented, brownish to dark reddish |
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3 | Body, pedipalps, legs and chelicerae without variegated brownish spots |
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– | Body, pedipalps, legs and chelicerae marked with variegated brownish spots |
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4 | Occular tubercle dark, almost black |
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– | Occular tubercle clear |
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5 | Ventral side of metasomal segments I to II yellowish, without spots |
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– | Ventral side of all metasomal segments well pigmented, brownish to dark reddish |
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I am most grateful to Bernard Duhem, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, for the preparation of the illustrations.