Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009

Vignoli, Valerio & Prendini, Lorenzo, 2009, Systematic Revision Of The Troglomorphic North American Scorpion Family Typhlochactidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (326), pp. 1-94 : 75-79

Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009

( Figs. 1B , 4 , 5H , 9O, 9P , 35–37 ; table 7)

Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009: 5–11 , figs. 1–7, table 2.

Typhlochactas sissomi : Botero-Trujillo and Francke, 2009: 2

TYPE MATERIAL: Mexico: Queretaro: Município de Jalpan: Holotype: 1 subadult ³ ( IBUNAM T-0308), leg ( AMCC [ LP 2949 ]), Cañada de La Joya , 21 ° 279230 N 99 ° 089260W, 1944 m, H. Montaño and A. Valdez, 12.vi.2004, rock-rolling.

DIAGNOSIS: Typhlochactas sissomi is the sister taxon of a monophyletic group comprising all other species of Typhlochactas , from which it may be separated on the basis of the following combination of characters. Cheliceral fixed finger with four teeth (subdistal present); median and basal teeth not fused into bicusp. Cheliceral movable finger with five dorsal teeth (two subdistals present). Carapace, anterior margin with well-developed median projection (epistome). Pedipalp chela fixed and movable fingers, median denticle row of each comprising six oblique primary subrows; basal primary subrow of movable finger longer than other subrows; terminal denticle of fixed finger slightly larger than preceding denticles, fingertips interlocking evenly when closed. Legs with prolateral pedal spurs. Telotarsi without ventromedian row of spinules.

DESCRIPTION: The following description of the holotype (fig. 33) supplements the original description by Francke et al. (2009).

Color: Cheliceral manus, Cream (54), teeth Amber (36). Carapace, pedipalps, tergites, and metasoma, Buff Yellow (53). Coxosternal region, legs, sternites, and telson vesicle, Cream (54). Telson aculeus, Raw Sienna (136).

Chelicerae: Manus, dorsal and ventral surfaces smooth; dorsal surface with few microsetae. Fixed finger, dorsal margin with four teeth (distal, subdistal, median and basal; fig. 5H); median and basal teeth equal, not fused into bicusp. Movable finger, internal distal and external distal teeth opposable, internal distal tooth completely overlapping external distal tooth in dorsal view; dorsal margin with five teeth (internal distal, two subdistal, median and basal), internal distal tooth largest; ventral surface with prominent serrula, partially covered by dense brush of macrosetae.

Carapace: Length greater than anterior width (table 7). Anterior margin sublinear, with small median projection (epistome); asetose (fig. 35A). Posterior margin weakly convex; asetose. Median and lateral ocelli absent. Median longitudinal, posterolateral, and posterior transverse sulci present, shallow. Surface smooth, shiny, acarinate, with scattered microsetae.

Pedipalps: Femur, dorsoexternal, dorsointernal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal carinae obsolete, granular (fig. 37A). Dorsal and internal surfaces sparsely and coarsely granular; ventral and external surfaces smooth. Patella dorsointernal carina distinct, coarsely granular; dorsoexternal, ventroexternal, and ventrointernal carinae obsolete, costate; internomedian carina comprising only a basal granule; other carinae absent or obsolete (fig. 37B–D). Chela manus broad (fig. 36). Dorsomedian, dorsal secondary, and ventroexternal carinae obsolete, granular; other carinae absent. Manus, intercarinal surfaces smooth proximally, becoming moderately granular medially; internal surface with pair of prominent, isolated granules situated close together at base of fixed finger; fingers smooth. Fixed finger, median denticle row comprising six oblique primary subrows, terminal subrow short, comprising one or two denticles, other subrows similar in length (fig. 9O); terminal denticle of fixed finger similar to preceding denticles, fingertips interlocking evenly when closed. Movable finger, median denticle row comprising six oblique primary subrows, terminal row short, comprising one or two denticles, basal subrow longer than other subrows (fig. 9P).

Trichobothria: Femur with three trichobothria (fig. 37A): one external (e), one dorsal (d), one internal (i). Patella with 19 trichobothria (fig. 37B–D), five petite (d 1, d 2, et 2, esb 2, eb 2), one accessory (em 3): two ventral (v 1, v 2); 14 external (et 1 – et 3, est, em 1 – em 3, esb 1, esb 2, eb 1 – eb 5); two dorsal (d 1, d 2); one internal (i). Chela with 26 trichobothria (fig. 36), seven petite (V 1, Et 4, Et 5, Esb, Db, esb , db): 16 on manus, four ventral (V 1 – V 4), 10 external (Et 1 – Et 5, Est, Esb, Eb 1 – Eb 3), two dorsal (Db, Dt); 10 on fixed finger, four external (et, est, esb , eb), four dorsal (dt, dst, dsb, db), two internal (it, ib).

Legs: All surfaces covered with scattered microsetae; basitarsi with fewer setae than telotarsi. Basitarsi I–IV without prolateral pedal spurs; I and II, proventral surfaces with short subdistal row of closely aligned spinules. Telotarsi, ventral surface with curved row of spinules, proximally, and 6–8 submedian pairs of subspiniform macrosetae; ungues moderately long, equal in length; dactyl moderately developed, slightly curved.

Tergites: Surfaces I–VI smooth, shiny, acarinate (fig. 35A); VII coarsely granular in posterior half, dorsosubmedian and dorsolateral carinae vestigial, reduced to few posterior granules.

Sternum: Posterior width greater than length; apex rounded; lateral margins converging anteriorly; lateral lobes flat; posterior depression shallow. Surface smooth, asetose.

Genital operculum: Sclerites completely divided; genital papillae protruding distinctly beyond posterior edges. Surfaces smooth, shiny, asetose.

Pectines: Pectinal plate, surface with pair of macrosetae. Lamella comprising three segments. Tooth count, 5/5; teeth oval; proximal and distal teeth slightly larger.

Sternites: Surfaces acarinate. Surfaces and margins smooth, shiny, with scattered microsetae. Respiratory spiracles (stigmata) small, round, situated posterolaterally.

Metasoma: Segments stout, progressively increasing in length, decreasing in width (fig. 35B), segment I width greater than length, II width equal to length, III–V length greater than width (table 7). Dorsosubmedian carinae, segments I–IV, obsolete, coarsely and sparsely granular, distal granules not noticeably larger than preceding granules; V, absent. Dorsolateral carinae, segments I–IV, absent to obsolete, smooth; V, obsolete, granular. Median lateral carinae, segments I–V, absent. Ventrolateral carinae, segment I, absent; II–IV, obsolete, smooth; V, obsolete, granular. Ventrosubmedian carinae, segments I–IV, and ventromedian carina, segment V, absent. Dorsal intercarinal surfaces, segments I–V, slightly concave. All segments, intercarinal surfaces smooth, shiny, with scattered macrosetae.

Telson : Vesicle globose, flattened to slightly concave dorsally, rounded ventrally; anterodorsal lateral lobes absent (fig. 35B); surface smooth, with sparse setae ventrally and posteriorly. Aculeus short, sharply curved, arising abruptly from vesicle.

Figures

Fig. 1. Map of Mexico, showing the known localities of Typhlochactidae Mitchell, 1971. A. Known localities of Alacraninae, new subfamily: Type locality of Alacran tartarus Francke, 1982, on the Huautla Plateau, Oaxaca (1); Te Cimutaá Cave, Oaxaca, a new record for the genus possibly representing a new species of Alacran Francke, 1982 (2). B. Type localities of Typhlochactinae Mitchell, 1971: Sotanochactas elliotti (Mitchell, 1971), El Sótano de Yerbaniz, San Luis Potosí (1); Stygochactas granulosus (Sissom and Cokendolpher, 1998), Sótano de Poncho, Veracruz (2); Typhlochactas cavicola Francke, 1986, Cueva del Vandalismo, Tamaulipas (3); Typhlochactas mitchelli Sissom, 1988, Cerro Ocote, Oaxaca (4); Typhlochactas reddelli Mitchell, 1968, La Cueva del Ojo de Agua de Tlilapan, Veracruz (5); Typhlochactas rhodesi Mitchell, 1968, La Cueva de la Mina, Tamaulipas (6); Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009, Cañada de La Joya, Queretaro (7); Typhlochactas sylvestris Mitchell and Peck, 1977, 25 km S Valle Nacional, Oaxaca (8).

Fig. 4. Single most parsimonious tree (312 steps, CI: 57, RI: 56) obtained by cladistic analysis of 142 morphological characters (appendix 1) scored for nine taxa in the family Typhlochactidae Mitchell, 1971, and three outgroup taxa under weighting regimes that maximized fit and minimized length (Prendini et al., 2009). Unambiguous synapomorphies are indicated with bars. Solid bars indicate uniquely derived apomorphic states, whereas empty bars indicate parallel derivations of apomorphic states. The number above each bar gives the character number, the number below gives the character state.

Fig. 5. Typhlochactidae Mitchell, 1971, chelicerae, dorsal aspect. A. Alacran tartarus Francke, 1982, paratype ³ (AMNH). B. Sotanochactas elliotti (Mitchell, 1971), paratype ³ (WDS). C. Stygochactas granulosus (Sissom and Cokendolpher, 1998), juv. ³ holotype (AMNH). D. Typhlochactas cavicola Francke, 1986, holotype ♀ (AMNH). E. Typhlochactas mitchelli Sissom, 1988, holotype ³ (AMNH). F. Typhlochactas reddelli Mitchell, 1968, holotype ♀ (AMNH). G. Typhlochactas rhodesi Mitchell, 1968, holotype ♀ (AMNH). H. Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009, subad. ³ holotype (IBUNAM), dextral chelicera. I. Typhlochactas sylvestris Mitchell and Peck, 1977, holotype ♀ (AMNH), sinistral chelicera. Scales: A 5 1 mm; B–H 5 0.1 mm.

Fig. 9. Typhlochactidae Mitchell, 1971, dextral pedipalp chela fixed (left) and movable (right) fingers, dentition patterns. A, B. Alacran tartarus Francke, 1982. C, D. Sotanochactas elliotti (Mitchell, 1971). E, F. Stygochactas granulosus (Sissom and Cokendolpher, 1998). G, H. Typhlochactas cavicola Francke, 1986. I, J. Typhlochactas mitchelli Sissom, 1988. K, L. Typhlochactas reddelli Mitchell, 1968. M, N. Typhlochactas rhodesi Mitchell, 1968. O, P. Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009. Q, R. Typhlochactas sylvestris Mitchell and Peck, 1977.

Fig. 35. Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009, subadult ³ holotype (IBUNAM), habitus. A. Dorsal aspect. B. Ventral aspect. Scale 5 1 mm.

Fig. 36. Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009, subadult ³ holotype (IBUNAM), sinistral pedipalp chela showing carinae and distribution of trichobothria. A. Dorsal aspect. B. External aspect. C. Ventral aspect. Scale 5 0.5 mm.

Fig. 37. Typhlochactas sissomi Francke et al., 2009, subadult ³ holotype (IBUNAM), sinistral pedipalp femur (A) and patella (B–D) showing carinae and distribution of trichobothria. A, B. Dorsal aspect. C. External aspect. D. Ventral aspect. Scales 5 0.5 mm.