11 March, 2009

New cave dwelling scorpion from Mexico

Oscar Francke has described a new cave dwelling scorpion in the genus Pseudouroctonus from two separate caves in Coahuila, Mexico:

Pseudouroctonus saavasi Francke, 2009 (Vaejovidae)

It is interesting to note that even though this scorpion is a troglophile it has no marked troglomorphies (like reduced eyes or lack of pigmentation).

Abstract:
Pseudouroctonus savvasi, n.sp., is described from specimens
collected in two separate caves in the state of Coahuila, México,
though it does not exhibit any marked troglomorphies. It is most
closely related to Pseudouroctonus apacheanus (Gertsch and
Soleglad), from which it is clearly differentiated by size, the number
of teeth on the movable finger of the chelicerae, hemispermatophore
morphology and pedipalp chela morphometrics.


References:
Francke OF. Description of a new species of troglophile Pseudouroctonus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) from Coahuila, Mexico. Texas Memorial Museum Speleological Monographs, 7 Studies on the cave and endogean fauna of North America, V. 2009:11-8. [Free fulltext]

Thanks to Oscar for sending me the paper!

Family Vaejovidae

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