Diplocentrus coylei Fritts and Sissom, 1996

Santibäñez-López, Carlos E., Francke, Oscar F. & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2013, Systematics of the keyserlingii group of Diplocentrus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae), with descriptions of three new species from Oaxaca, Mexico, American Museum Novitates 2013 (3777), pp. 1-48 : 8-12

Diplocentrus coylei Fritts and Sissom, 1996

Figure 4A ; tables 1, 2

Diplocentrus coylei Fritts and Sissom, 1996: 43–47 , figs. 8–14; Kovařík, 1998: 130; Beutelspacher, 2000: 27; Sissom and Fet, 2000: 337; Teruel, 2003: 54 (part); Francke and Ponce-Saavedra, 2005: 52 (part); Armas, 2006: 11 (part); Santibáñez-López et al., 2011: 4–5.

Diplocentrus malinalco Armas and Martín-Frías, 2000: 75 , 76 (synonymized by Armas, 2006: 11).

TYPE MATERIAL: MEXICO: ESTADO DE MÉXICO: Municipio de Malinalco: Holotype ♂ [ Diplocentrus malinalco ] ( IES), De la Vega [18°56.9′N 99°29.68′W], xi.1959 [not examined].

GUERRERO: Municipio de Pilcaya: Holotype ♂ ( MCZ), 1 juv. paratype ( AMNH), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa [18°40′N 99°30′W], outside the caves, 8.vi.1982, F. Coyle [not examined]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1 juv. paratypes ( AMNH), Cacahuamilpa, 4 mi. W [18°41′N 99°34′W], summit, 3.ix.1966, J. and W. Ivie. Municipio de Taxco de Alarcón : 1 ♂, 1 ♀ paratypes ( AMNH), Las Granadas [18°57′N 99°51′W], 12.vii.1980, E. Martin and R. Garcia.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: MEXICO: ESTADO DE MÉXICO: Municipio de Malinalco: Chichicasco , 18°51.369′N 99°28.123′W, 1374 m, 25.vii.2002, E. González, 1 ♂, 2 subad. ♂ ( AMCC [ LP 2236 ]) . Municipio de Tonatico: Tonatico, outside Estrella cave , near viewpoint, 18°44.740′N 99°37.821′W, 1594 m, 15.ix.2011, J. Mendoza, R. Monjaraz, D. Barrales and F. Torres, 2 ♀ ( CNAN) , 1 ♀ [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11474 ]) . GUERRERO: Municipio de Buenavista de Cuellar: Casino de la Unión , 2 km S, 18°35.53′N 99°28.91′W, 1178 m, 28.viii.2009, O. Francke, T. López, C. Santibáñez and A. Valdez, 2 ♀, 6 juv. ( CNAN) , 1 juv. [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11051 ]) , 1 juv. [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11053 ]) . Municipio de Iguala de la Independencia: Iguala de la Independencia [18°21′N 99°33.6′W], vi.1961, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) ; La Cumbre , 18°24.0306′N 99°29.1198′W, 1212 m, 28.viii.2009, O. Francke, C. Santibáñez and E. Miranda, thorn forest, on ground, UV light, 1 juv. ( CNAN) , 1 juv. [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11033 ]) , 1 juv. [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11050 ]) . Municipio de Ixcateopán de Cuauhtémoc: Ixcateopán , 2 km S, 18°30.2304′N 99°46.656′W, 1930 m, 21.iv.2012, J. Mendoza, R. Monjaraz, D. Ortiz and G. Contreras, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) , 1 ♀ [leg] ( AMCC [ LP 11480 ]) . Municipio de Picaya: Cacahuamilpa [18°24.6′N 99°20.4′W], 1520 m, 11.viii.1984, R. Rios, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 juv. ( CNAN) , 15. vii.2001, M. Córdova and A. Burgos, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . Municipio de Tetipac : Dos Bocas [18°39.6′N 99°30.6′W], vi.1946, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) ; Iguala 18°21′N 99°33.6′W, vi.1961, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . MORE- LOS: Municipio de Amacuzac: Huajintlán , 18°36.6′N 99°25.8′W, 1510 m, 4.ix.2004, M. Córdova and A. Gotilla, 1 ♀ ( CNAN) . Municipio de Coatlán del Rio: El Oyanco , 18°43.8′N 99°25.8′W, 1022 m, 6.viii.2004, M. Córdova and O. Sotelo, 1 ♀ ( CNAN-S03005 ) . Municipio de Miacatlán: Palpan , 18°51′N 99°25.2′W, 1587 m, 7.viii.2004, M. Córdova and O. Vázquez, 1 ♂, 4 ♀, 10 juv. ( CNAN) . Municipio de Tlaquiltenango: El Comal , border between Morelos and Guerrero, 18°27.086′N 99°17.139′W, 1749 m, 13.vi.2007, O. Francke, J. Ponce, M. Córdova, H. Montaño, L. Beltrán and A. Ballesteros, 6 ♂, 4 ♀, 1 subad. ♂, 2 subad. ♀, 3 juv. ( AMNH) , 6 ♂, 4 ♀, 1 subad. ♂, 3 subad. ♀, 3 juv. ( CNAN) , 1 ♂, 2 ♀, 2 juv. ( CAS) , 1 subad. ♂ ( AMCC [ LP 7031 ]) .

DIAGNOSIS: The following character combination, updated from Santibáñez-López et al. (2011), is diagnostic for D. coylei . Total length (adult), 48–60 mm. Base coloration (adult) brownish orange to pale brown. Carapace anteromedian notch V-shaped. Pedipalp femur, dorsal surface sparsely granular. Pedipalp patella, dorsomedian carina moderately developed, smooth to crenulate (♂) ; dorsoexternal carina obsolete, smooth (♂); externomedian carina weakly developed to obsolete, smooth (♂); ventromedian carina obsolete (♂, ♀). Pedipalp chela manus, dorsal surface smooth to reticulate (♂, ♀); dorsal secondary carina weakly developed, smooth (♂); digital carina strongly developed, smooth to weakly granular (♂) or obsolete, smooth (♀); external surfaces reticulate (♂) or smooth to weakly reticulate (♀); fingers gently curved (fig. 4A). Legs I – IV telotarsi, counts of spiniform macrosetae in pro- and retroventral rows, 4/5:5/5:6/6:6/6 (variation in table 2). Pectinal tooth count, 14–16, mode = 14 (♂) or 11–13, mode = 12 (♀) (variation in table 1).

Diplocentrus coylei resembles D. mitlae and D. rectimanus in size and coloration but can be distinguished as follows. The counts of spiniform macrosetae on the telotarsi of legs III and IV are higher in D. coylei (6/6:6/6) than in D. mitlae (5/5:5/5). The pectinal tooth count is higher in D. coylei (♂: 14–16; ♀: 11–13) than in D. mitlae (♂: 7–10; ♀: 7–8) and D. rectimanus (♂: 9–12; ♀: 8–9). The dorsal surface of the pedipalp chela manus (♀) is smooth in D. coylei and granular in D. rectimanus . The dorsal surface of the pedipalp chela manus (♂) is reticulate in D. coylei and smooth in D. mitlae .

DISTRIBUTION: Diplocentrus coylei is recorded from the following states and municipalities of central Mexico: Estado de México (Malinalco, Tonatico), Guerrero (Buenavista de Cuellar, Iguala de la Independencia, Ixcateopán de Cuauhtémoc, Picaya, Tetipac), and Morelos (Amacuzac, Coatlán del Rio, Huajintlán, Miacatlán, Tlaquiltenango) (fig. 3A).

ECOLOGY: This species was collected under logs and stones during daytime in a deciduous oak forest, and outside a cave. Centruroides limpidus (Karsch, 1879) was collected in sympatry. The habitat and habitus of D. coylei are consistent with the pelophilous ecomorphotype ( Prendini, 2001).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Diplocentrus keyserlingii group, dextral pedipalp chela, dorsoexternal aspect. A. Diplocentrus coylei Fritts and Sissom, 1996, ♂ (AMNH). B. Diplocentrus hoffmanni Francke, 1977, ♂ (CNAN). Scale bar = 1 mm.