Orobothriurus curvidigitus ( Kraepelin, 1911 )

Ochoa, José A., Ojanguren Affilastro, Andres A., Mattoni, Camilo I. & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2011, Systematic Revision Of The Andean Scorpion Genus Orobothriurus Maury, 1976 (Bothriuridae), With Discussion Of The Altitude Record For Scorpions, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2011 (359), pp. 1-90 : 48-52

Orobothriurus curvidigitus ( Kraepelin, 1911) Figures 11B , 12C , 13E , 14C , 19A , 22C , 26C , 28B, D , 53

Bothriurus curvidigitus Kraepelin, 1911: 91 , 97–99, fig. 7a, 7b; Mello-Leitão, 1931: 82, 92; 1932: 34; 1934: 65; 1935: 93; 1937: 103; 1945: 161; Aguilar and Meneses, 1970: 2; Maury, 1973: 110; 1981: 104.

Bothriurus lampei Werner, 1916: 92 [synonymized by Maury, 1973: 110]; Lampe, 1917: 203; MelloLeitão, 1931: 88; 1932: 34; 1945: 175; Aguilar and Meneses, 1970: 2; Maury, 1973: 110; 1981: 104.

Bothriurus (Andibothriurus) curvidigitus: Bücherl et al., 1963: 216 .

Bothriurus (Andibothriurus) lampei: Francke, 1974: 219 .

Orobothriurus curvidigitus: Maury, 1976: 18 , 19, figs. 11–24, table I; 1980: 338; 1981: 101; Francke, 1977: 75; Kovařik, 1998: 101; Acosta and Ochoa, 2000: 136, 143; Lowe and Fet, 2000: 35, 36; Acosta and Ochoa, 2001: 205; Ochoa and Acosta, 2002a: 102, fig. 9; Ochoa, 2004a: 52, 55, 73, figs. 1, 2, 13, 19, 21, table 1 ; 2005: 55, figs. 7, 10, table 2.

TYPE MATERIAL: PERU: Arequipa Department: Arequipa Province: 1 ♂, 1 subad.

♀ syntypes ( ZMH), Yura [16 ° 129530S 71 ° 429 330W, 2642 m], 20.vi.1909.

NEW RECORDS: PERU: Arequipa Department: Arequipa Province: Agua del Milagro, Characato [16 ° 289S 71 ° 289W, 2460 m], 12.x.1983, E. Maury, 4 ♀, 8 juv. (MACN-Ar) ; Arequipa, 1937, P. Crawford, 1 ♀ (MACN- Ar ) ; Canchimayo, Chiguata [16 ° 249130S 71 ° 239340W, 2950 m], 18.x.1998, J.A. Ochoa, 4 juv. ( MHNC) ; Charcani, Arequipa, 2800 m, xi.1947, W. Weyrauch, 3 ♀, 2 juv. (MACN- Ar ) ; entrance to Charcani Quinto, near Arequipa city, Chili ( Radio Azul ) [16 ° 199330S 71 ° 319470W, 2550 m], 28.ii.1998, E. Ponce and J.A. Ochoa, 1 juv. ( MHNC) ; Espíritu Santo, Chiguata [16 ° 249280S 71 ° 239070W, 2900 m], 7.iii.1998, E. Ponce and J.A. Ochoa, 2 ♀, 1 juv. ( MHNC) ; Miraflores, near Chiguata [16 ° 239S 71 ° 219W, 3295 m], 7.iii.1998,E. Ponce and J.A. Ochoa, 12 ♀, 3 juv. ( MHNC), 3 ♀ ( CDA 166 ) ; near Mollebaya river [16 ° 289560S 71 ° 289010W, 2513 m], 3.iii.1998, E. Ponce, D. Muñiz and J.A. Ochoa, 2 ♂, 6 ♀, 2 juv. ( MHNC), 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( CDA 167 ) ; Ribera del Rio Mollebaya [ca. 16 ° 289560S 71 ° 289010W, 2513 m], 8.ii.2004, R. Cardeñas and J.A. Ochoa, 2 juv. ( AMNH [ LP 3064 ]) ; Socabaya [16 ° 289010S 71 ° 319180W, 2300 m], 1948, W. Weyrauch, 1♂( MUSM), 2329m, 5.ix.1998,U. Zanabria, 1 ♀ ( MHNC) ; Yura [16 ° 129530S 71 ° 429330W, 2642 m], 7.viii.1939, K.P. Schmidt, 2 ♂, 1 juv. ( FMNH), 8.viii.1939, K.P. Schmidt, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( FMNH), 10.viii.1939, K.P. Schmidt, 1 ♂, 1 juv. ( AMNH), 9.v.1998, U. Zanabria, 1 ♀, 2 juv. ( MHNC) ; Yura, Río Yura, 20 m del Cementerio , 16 ° 139590 S 71 ° 429270W, 2426 m, 29.xii.2007, R. Gutiérrez, A. Quiroz and J.A. Ochoa, Serrania Esteparia, collected at night with UV light, 3 juv. ( AMNH [ LP 8357 ]). Cailloma Province : Calera Chivay [15 ° 389340 S 71 ° 369010W, 3640 m], 27.ix.1998, S. Rivera, 1 ♀ ( MHNC) ; Curiña, Yanque [15 ° 399340S 71 ° 429150W, 3390 m], 20.xii.1996, J.A. Ochoa, 10 ♂, 3 juv. ( MHNC) ; Curiña [3600 m], 21.xii.1996, J.A. Ochoa, 2 ♀, 4 juv. ( MHNC) .

DIAGNOSIS: Orobothriurus curvidigitus is most closely related to O. paessleri , O. quewerukana , and O. tamarugal (fig. 5), all of which have the following characters: anterior margin of carapace with weak median projection (epistome; figs. 14C, 15A, C, D); pedipalp chela movable finger of male curved (figs. 26B, C, 43C, 51A); pedipalp femur and patella of male more elongated than that of female. Orobothriurus curvidigitus may be separated from O. paessleri and O. tamarugal by the shape of the lamina of the hemispermatophore (figs. 28B, D), the frontal crest of which is more developed and elongated in O. curvidigitus , but shorter in O. paessleri and O. tamarugal (fig. 28C, E, 47D). The hemispermatophore of O. curvidigitus differs from that of O. quewerukana in the slightly shorter frontal crest and absence of folds in the distal crest (figs. 28B, 40E). Orobothriurus curvidigitus also differs from O. quewerukana in the shape and granulation of the male telson vesicle: the length/height ratio is 3.72–4.23 (mean 5 3.96) and only the anterior third of the ventral surface is granular in O. curvidigitus , whereas the length/height ratio is 3.59– 4.00 (mean 5 3.76) and the ventral surface is entirely granular in O. quewerukana (fig. 23F). The male pedipalp chela carinae are finely and sparsely granular to smooth in O. curvidigitus , smooth in O. paessleri , and finely and densely granular in O. quererukana and O. tamarugal (figs. 43D, E, 51B, C). The pigmentation pattern is the most conspicuous difference between O. curvidigitus and the other three species. Orobothriurus curvidigitus exhibits well-developed pigmentation on the carapace, tergites, metasoma, and pedipalps (figs. 11B, 12C, 13E), compared to O. quewerukana , in which the pigmentation, especially that of the carapace and tergites, is faint or barely discernible (fig. 41) and O. tamarugal , which is unpigmented (fig. 48). Orobothriurus curvidigitus and O. paessleri may be further distinguished by the dimensions of metasomal segment V and the setation of metasomal segment I: segment V is relatively elongated, its length greater than twice its width, in O. curvidigitus (fig. 22C), but shorter, its length less than twice its width, in O. paessleri (fig. 22B); two pairs of VSM macrosetae are present on segment I in O. curvidigitus (fig. 19A), whereas three pairs are present in O. paessleri (fig. 19B).

DISTRIBUTION: Orobothriurus curvidigitus inhabits the western slopes of the Andes at 2300–3600 m (figs. 2A, 53), in the Arequipa Department, southern Peru.

ECOLOGY: The vegetation in the areas inhabited by this species falls within the Serrania Estaparia Ecoregion, characterized by dry zones with herbaceous vegetation, cacti, shrubs, and few trees ( Brack, 1986; Ochoa, 2005; fig. 2A). Three other bothriurids, Brachistosternus ehrenbergii Gervais, 1841 , and two undescribed species of Brachistosternus , also occur in this area.

REMARKS: We examined populations of an undetermined Orobothriurus species, apparently related to O. curvidigitus , from Cotahuasi and Chuquibamba in the Arequipa Department, Peru, and Lucanas in the Ayacucho Department. Lourenço and Dastych (2001: 54) listed the record from Chuquibamba under ‘‘ O. aff. curvidigitus ’’ and stated that it is ‘‘probably a new species.’’ We cannot establish the identity of these specimens until more material becomes available, however.

Figures

Fig. 11. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, sternite VII and metasomal segments I–V, ventral aspect, showing pigmentation pattern. A. Orobothriurus ampay Ochoa and Acosta, 2003, allotype ♀ (MUSM). B. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). C. Orobothriurus huascaran, n. sp., paratype ♀ (MHNC). D. Orobothriurus atiquipa Ochoa and Acosta, 2002, ♂ paratype (MHNC). Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 12. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, tergite VII (A, C, D only) and metasomal segments I–IV, dorsal aspect, showing pigmentation pattern. A. Orobothriurus huascaran, n. sp., paratype ♀ (MHNC). B. Orobothriurus parvus Maury, 1976, ♀ (MHNC). C. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). D. Orobothriurus ampay Ochoa and Acosta, 2003, allotype ♀ (MUSM). Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 13. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, tergites, sternites and metasomal segments I–V, showing pigmentation pattern. A, B. Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC), metasomal segments I– V, ventral aspect (A), tergite VII and metasomal segments I–IV, dorsal aspect (B). C, D. Orobothriurus wawita Acosta and Ochoa, 2000, ♀ (MHNC), tergite VII and metasomal segments I and II, dorsal aspect (C), sternite VII and metasomal segments I–V, ventral aspect (D). E. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC), tergite V, dorsal aspect. F. Orobothriurus alticola (Pocock, 1899), ♀ (MACN-Ar), tergites VI and VII, dorsal aspect. G. Orobothriurus grismadoi Ojanguren-Affilastro et al., 2009, tergites VI and VII, dorsal aspect. Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 14. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, carapace, dorsal aspect. A. Orobothriurus calchaqui, n. sp., paratype ♂ (MACN-Ar). B. Orobothriurus compagnuccii, n. sp., paratype ♂ (MACN-Ar). C. Orobothriurus curvidigitus, ♂ (MHNC). D. Orobothriurus huascaran, n. sp., paratype ♂ (MACN-Ar). Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 19. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, sternite VII and metasomal segments I and II, ventral aspect. A. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). B. Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). C. Orobothriurus quewerukana, n. sp., paratype ♂ (MHNC). D. Orobothriurus huascaran, n. sp., paratype ♀ (MACN-Ar). E. Orobothriurus wawita Acosta and Ochoa, 2000, paratype ♀ (MHNC). F. Orobothriurus tamarugal, n. sp., holotype ♂ (MACN-Ar). Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 22. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, metasomal segment V, ventral aspect. A. Orobothriurus ampay Ochoa and Acosta, 2003, paratype ♀ (MHNC). B. Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). C. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♀ (MHNC). D. Orobothriurus huascaran, n. sp., paratype ♀ (MACN-Ar). E. Orobothriurus parvus Maury, 1976, ♀ (MHNC). F. Orobothriurus wawita Acosta and Ochoa, 2000, paratype ♀ (MHNC). Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 26. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, dextral pedipalp chela, external aspect. A. Orobothriurus parvus Maury, 1976, ♂ (MHNC). B. Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), ♂ (MACN-Ar). C. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♂ (MHNC), external aspect. Scale bars 5 1 mm.

Fig. 28. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, sinistral hemispermatophore. A. Orobothriurus atiquipa Ochoa and Acosta, 2002, holotype ♂ (MACN-Ar), ectal aspect. B, D. Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), ♂ (MHNC). C, E. Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), ♂ (MHNC). B, C. Ectal aspect. D, E. Frontal crest and lobe region, dorsal aspect. Scale bar 5 1 mm.

Fig. 53. Orobothriurus Maury, 1976, locality records in southern Peru and northern Chile. Orobothriurus atiquipa Ochoa and Acosta, 2002, square; Orobothriurus curvidigitus (Kraepelin, 1911), circles; Orobothriurus paessleri (Kraepelin, 1911), crosses; Orobothriurus quewerukana, n. sp., triangles; Orobothriurus tamarugal, n. sp., diamonds.