Corresponding author: Richard F. Ayrey (
Academic editor: W. Lourenço
A new species of the
For over 50 years, only four species of montane scorpions in the specious genus
The systematics adhered to in this paper follow the classification established in
Acronyms of depositories — RFA, Richard F. Ayrey; MES, Michael E. Soleglad; USNM, United States National Museum, Smithsonian.
Suborder
Infraorder
Parvorder
Superfamily
Family
Subfamily
Female holotype.USA: Arizona: Pima Co.: above Molino Basin on Catalina Highway near Seven Cataracts Vista, Santa Catalina Mountains.
The specific epithet is a patronym honoring our colleague Dr. Robert W. Bryson, Jr., the collector of the holotype.
Relatively small-bodied scorpion from the Seven Cataracts Overlook area of the Santa Catalina Mountains, southern Arizona (total body length of the female holotype is 27.50 mm). Color is light to medium brown, light brown to yellow on the legs, with underlying dark mottling on carapace and mesosoma. Metasoma is light brown with darker carinae.
Significant characters that distinguish
Color of the holotype is light to medium brown, light brown to yellow on the legs, with underlying dark mottling on carapace and mesosoma. Metasoma is light brown with darker carinae. Metasomal segments are slightly wider than the vesicle. Small spinoid subaculear tubercle is present (
Variability of fixed finger ID denticle count was found. For
(mm).Female holotype: total length 27.5; carapace length 3.75; mesosoma length 8.13; metasoma length 15.63. Metasoma: segment I length/width/depth 1.81/1.94/1.38; segment II length/width/depth 2.00/1.94/1.25; segment III length/width/depth 2.06/1.75/1.31; segment IV length/width/depth 2.63/1.75/1.25; segment V length/width/depth 3.63/1.56/1.25. Telson: length 3.50; vesicle length/width/depth 2.25/1.25/1.06; aculeus length 1.25. Pedipalps: total length 10.44; femur length/width 2.69/1.00; patella length/width 2.75/1.06; chela length 5.00; palm length/width/depth 2.44/1.25/1.13; movable finger length 2.69; fixed finger length 2.56. Male paratype: total length 21.1; carapace length 2.75; mesosoma length 5.25; metasoma length 13.1; Metasoma: segment I length/width/depth 1.44/1.81/1.25; segment II length/width/depth 1.56/1.88/1.13; segment III length/width/depth 1.75/1.63/1.19; segment IV length/width/depth 2.38/1.63/1.19; segment V length/width/depth 3.25/2.26/1.13. Telson: length 2.69; vesicle length/width/depth 1.81/1.00/1.00; aculeus length 0.88. Pedipalps: total length 9.5; femur length/width 2.44/0.81; patella length/width 2.63/0.88; chela length 4.44; palm length/width/depth 1.88/1.06/1.06; movable finger length 2.69; fixed finger length 2.56.
The type specimens were found at night using a UV flashlight alongside the Catalina Highway. This area lies within open oak woodland and the transition zone from drier desert grassland to pine-oak woodland (
Morphometrics (mm) of female
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Total length Carapace length Ca L/MetV L | 22.88–27.50 2.88–3.75 0.88–1.03 | 24.65–27.75 3.12–3.38 0.97–0.98 | 21.87–23.43 2.90–3.18 0.98–0.99 | 24.62–26.55 3.21–3.39 0.98–1.06 | 22.00–23.46 3.01–3.19 0.96–1.05 | 24.48–25.38 3.48–3.60 1.02–1.13 | |||
Segment I length/width | 0.93–1.00 |
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0.90–0.94 |
Segment II length/width | 0.90–1.03 | 0.88–0.94 |
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0.98–1.03 | 0.85–0.92 |
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Segment III length/width | 1.00–1.09 | 0.96–1.04 | 0.94–1.00 | 1.02–1.14 |
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0.93–1.13 |
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Segment IV length/width | 1.34–1.61 | 1.35–1.44 | 1.27–1.50 | 1.48–1.60 | 1.39–1.62 | 1.28–1.39 | 1.35–1.60 | 1.33–1.46 |
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Segment V length/width | 2.15–2.82 | 2.02–2.16 |
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2.10–2.32 | 2.08–2.22 | 2.05–2.15 | 2.07–2.24 |
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2.49–2.52 |
Telson VesicleLength/width | 1.60–2.06 | 1.59–1.69 | 1.68–1.85 |
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1.63–1.72 | 1.56–1.71 | 1.62–1.87 | 1.45–1.62 | 1.60–1.77 |
Femurlength/width | 2.87–3.22 | 2.86–3.07 | 2.83–3.33 | 2.74–2.90 | 2.87–3.22 | 2.74–3.02 | 2.89–3.41 | 2.78–3.19 |
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Patellalength/width | 2.47–3.29 | 2.83–3.21 | 2.89–3.63 | 2.91–3.16 | 3.12–3.19 | 2.86–3.03 | 2.53–2.66 | 2.86–2.94 |
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Chela length/width Ff L/Ca L Ff L/Ch L | 3.71–4.55 0.68–0.83 0.51–0.56 | 4.09–4.48 0.65–0.69 |
4.33–4.79 0.67–0.77 0.46–0.53 | 4.17–4.53 0.71–0.77 0.48–0.52 | 3.84–4.52 0.68–0.73 |
3.59–3.91 0.69–0.80 |
3.74–4.19 0.68–0.69 0.47–0.51 | ||
Pectinal Teeth | 11–12 11.5(16) | 11–12 11.1(10) | 11–13 11.94(16) | 12–13 12.17(6) | 12–13 12.87(339)* | 10–12 10.98(337)* | 11–12 11.75(96)* | 11–12 11.15(26)** |
Map of Arizona and extreme western New Mexico showing the type localities of 13 of the 14 species in the
We would like to thank Dr. Robert W. Bryson Jr. for originally discovering the scorpions, Dr. Matthew R. Graham for valuable comments on earlier versions of this manuscript and two anonymous reviewers.