Vaejovis morelia Miranda-Lopez, Ponce-Saavedra & Francke 2012
Creators: name: A, Contreras-Félix Gerardo
name: Oscar, Francke B.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Scorpiones
Vaejovidae
Vaejovis
Vaejovis morelia

description: Vaejovis morelia Miranda-López, Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2012
Figures 4, 13n, 14m, 15n, 16n, 17n, 18n, 19n, 32
Vaejovis morelia Miranda-López, Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2012: 966 –975, Fig: 1–14.
Type material. Holotype male. MEXICO: Michoacán, Bosque Lázaro Cárdenas, Morelia (N 19.679444°, W 101.1775°, elev. 2030 m). VIII-10-2010. Cols.: M. Villaseñor, V. Guzmán, and E. Miranda. (CNAN-T0081). Examined.
Paratypes: 1 ♂, 2 ♀ (CNAN-T0082), examined; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (AMNH), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (INDRE), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (CAFBUM), all with same data as holotype.
Other specimens examined. Vaejovis morelia: MEXICO: Michoacan, Morelia, Filtros Viejos. III-16-2002. Col.: I. Pérez. 1 ♀ (CNAN-SC02221).
Diagnosis. Adults 23 to 29 mm long (Fig: 32-a, b). Carapace (Fig: 13-n) shorter than metasomal segment V (Carapace L/MS-V 0.75±0.05 [0.90±0.1]), but longer than femur (Carapace L/Femur L 1.13±0.04 [1.25±0.1]); anterior margin of carapace slightly concave. Mesosomal tergite VII with a pair of crenulated carinae, beginning on middle of segment and not reaching posterior edge. Pectinal teeth 12–13 [11–12]; sternite V on males with a conspicuous bright whitish patch on posterior margin; sternite VII with one pair of faint granular carinae and 10–12 (12) [10] setae. Metasomal segment I subquadrate in dorsal view (MSI L/ W 0.86 ±0.05 [0.83±0.07]); intercarinal spaces on segments I–IV smooth; segment V twice longer than wide (MS-V L/ W 2.38 ±0.1 [2.08±0.08]; W/D 1.16± 0.15 [1.18± 0.08]). Vesicle (Fig: 14-n) slender (L/ W 1.98 ±0.1 [1.73±0.3]) and thin (W/D 1.16± 0.15 [1.3±0.2]); dorsal surface flat, without whitish median spot. Pedipalp femur (Fig: 15-n) and patella (Fig: 16-n) three times longer than wide in males, slightly less in females (Femur L/ W 3.06 ±0.06 [2.88±0.1]; Patella L/ W 3.06 ±0.15 [2.78±0.2]); patella with dorsal internal carina crenulated, with a discontinuous line of granules. Chela (Fig: 17, 18- n) swollen (CM L/ W 1.71 ±0.1 [1.75±0.2]; W/D 1.1±0.1 [1.07±0.07]); with dorsal median, dorsal prosubmedian and dorsal internal carinae granulose, other carinae smooth; manus distally granulose on external face near base of movable finger. Pedipalp chela fingers dentate margins on males straight, without scalloping.
Hemispermatophore (Fig: 19-n): Lamelliform (TL 3; LL 1.7; LW 0.4 mm), lamella simple, without distal crest; two hooks located basally, lobe-shaped. Capsular region with mesal median lobe absent or very poorly sclerotized.
Full morphometric variation is given in tables 13 and 14. Setae variation is given in tables 9–12.
Distribution. Mexico: Michoacán; this species is only known from the type locality and other nearby localities in the state’s capital city of Morelia (Figure 4).
Natural history. This species inhabits mixed pine-oak forests; it was collected among fallen leaves and under the bark of decaying logs.
description: Published as part of A, Contreras-Félix Gerardo & Oscar, Francke B., 2019, Taxonomic revision of the " mexicanus " group of the genus Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), pp. 1-100 in Zootaxa 4596 (1) on pages 48-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4596.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2659091