Ananteris meridana González-Sponga, 2006

Botero-Trujillo, Ricardo & Flórez, Eduardo, 2011, A revisionary approach of Colombian Ananteris (Scorpiones, Buthidae): two new species, a new synonymy, and notes on the value of trichobothria and hemispermatophore for the taxonomy of the group, Zootaxa 2904 (1), pp. 1-44 : 21-23

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2904.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9594B61B-DF8E-460B-BFA1-374E5F472C4A
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D5088799-B551-C77E-FF22-DE8B8B44FB31
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Ananteris meridana González-Sponga, 2006
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Treatment

Ananteris meridana González-Sponga, 2006 View in CoL

Figures 1 View FIGURE 1 , 18–21 View FIGURES 18–21 , 36 View FIGURES 36–39 , 44 View FIGURES 40–47 , 52 View FIGURES 52–55 , 64 View FIGURES 64–67

Ananteris meridanus (incorrect original spelling) González-Sponga, 2006: 20, 26, 127–132, 216, figs. 95–100, table 16. [Original name corrected to the feminine form ‘A. meridana’ by Rojas-Runjaic & Sousa (2007: 283–284)].

Ananteris meridianus: González-Sponga 2006 : table 16.

Ananteris meridana: Rojas-Runjaic & Sousa 2007: 283–284 View in CoL ; Rojas-Runjaic & Becerra 2008: 461, 463–464, fig. 1; Rojas-Runjaic et al. 2007: 63–64; Rojas-Runjaic et al. 2008: 66, 70, 77, 80, fig. 3.

Type material. Holotype female: VENEZUELA: Mérida State: Antonio Pinto Salinas, 2 km from Mesa Bolívar to Libertad , 08°28’36’’N 71°35’30’’W, 1000 m asl, 23 December 1982, A. R. Delgado de González , J. A. González D. & M. A. González-Sponga (MAGS-4420) (not examined) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1 male (MAGS-3333) and 1 subadult female (MAGS-4421) with identical data to the holotype (not examined). MAGS: Manuel Angel González- Sponga’s collection, Venezuela .

Material examined. COLOMBIA: Norte de Santander Department: 1 adult male, Toledo, Tamá Natural National Park , 1000 m asl, direct collection, 09 October 1999, V. Rodríguez (ICN-As-291) . 1 adult male, Toledo, Tamá Natural National Park , 1430 m asl, 29 September 1999, V. Rodríguez (ICN-As-435) . 1 adult female, Toledo, Tamá Natural National Park , 1000 m asl, direct collection, 26 September 1999, Valeria (ICN-As-320) . 2 adult females, Toledo, Tamá Natural National Park, Path El Diamante , Alto de La Herrera , 1000 m asl, 28 September 1999, V. R. Mayaso (ICN-As-321) . 1 juvenile male, Toledo, Tamá Natural National Park , forest, 1000 m asl, September 1999, E. González (IAvH-E 100817) .

Revised diagnosis. Carapace with well-developed anteromedian projection ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 36–39 ); metasomal carinal formula 10:10:10:6:5, with ventrosubmedian and median lateral carinae absent on segment IV; median lateral carinae on metasomal segment III only weakly developed, evident in females but vestigial in males, especially posteriorly; ventrosubmedian carinae on metasomal segment III only present in the anterior half; V 1 and V 2 trichobothria markedly unaligned axially, with V 2 located on an external position in relation to V 1 ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 40–47 ); fixed finger trichobothria in the order eb: esb: est / db: et: dt, with est located beside db or nearly so ( Fig. 52 View FIGURES 52–55 ); dorsal surface of chelicerae predominantly yellow, almost without brown reticulations except anteriorly ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 36–39 ); pectines with 17–19 teeth on both males (mode = 18) and females (mode = 18); sternite VII with paramedian longitudinal carinae vestigial and incomplete; pedipalp hand uniformly yellow and spotless; coxosternal region base color yellow with diffuse brownish pigmentation that is more conspicuous in coxapophyses I and coxa of legs I–II. Hemispermatophore: capsular region with median, external and internal lobes; flagellum with long and strongly coiled pars reflexa ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 64–67 ).

Remarks. Taking into account that certain morphological features were not appropriately described (or were not described at all) in González-Sponga’s (2006) original description of A. meridana , some information for this species was obtained from the contributions of Rojas-Runjaic et al. (2007, 2008), who examined the holotype female of this species. The features obtained from Rojas-Runjaic et al. (2007, 2008) are the ‘relative position of the ventral trichobothria on pedipalp chela’ and the ‘degree of pigment reticulation on the dorsal surface of chelicerae’. Likewise, some other features mentioned in the original description were confirmed after these authors’ contributions, i.e., the number of carinae on metasomal segment IV and the relative position of db and est trichobothria on the fixed finger. The ‘length and degree of development of paramedian carinae on sternite VII’, which has never been previously mentioned for this species, was tested in the holotype female from photographs that were made available to R.B.-T. by F. J. M. Rojas-Runjaic. The very high correspondence obtained between i) the Colombian specimens, ii) the information of this species provided by González-Sponga (2006) and Rojas-Runjaic et al. (2007, 2008), and iii) photographs of the holotype female and one (presumably female) topotype, suffices to assign the Colombian specimens to A. meridana . This decision is supported by the fact that the Colombian population is located only some 100 straight Miles southwestward the type locality of A. meridana ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

It is important to note that, even though the holotype female of A. meridana seems to have lost some coloration details (due to preservation effects and because the specimen was collected nearly three decades ago), the coxosternal region and pedipalp hand seem to have been predominantly (at least for the former) or completely (for the latter) yellow, as in the Colombian specimens. These features are included in the above diagnosis because they have proved to be useful for assisting species definitions, and in order to help distinguishing A. meridana from other Colombian species of the genus.

Even though González-Sponga (2006: fig. 98) and Rojas-Runjaic et al. (2008: 70) agreed in that est trichobothrium is located basally to db in the fixed finger of the holotype female of A. meridana , the variation in the relative position of this pair of trichobothria observed in the Colombian specimens (see below) indicates there is no reason to think that both populations are not conspecific. This is more so since, judging from González-Sponga’s (2006: 98) illustration, est is not considerably but only slightly basal to db, something herein deemed to be normal intraspecific variability.

Male. Paratype not fully described but measured by González-Sponga (2006). Male is not fully described herein because that is the aim of an ongoing, still unpublished work by F. J. M. Rojas-Runjaic.

Hemispermatophore: Description based on ICN-As-435: Flagelliform, thin and poorly sclerotized. Foot narrow and flat. Pedal flexure inconspicuous but movable. Body very long, wider on basal third. Capsular region with median, external and internal lobes, subequal and strong. Flagellum long, with short pars recta and long, coiled pars reflexa ( Fig. 64 View FIGURES 64–67 ). Carapace length to hemispermatophore body length ratio = 1:1.22. There was no variation between both hemispermatophores examined.

Female. Holotype described by González-Sponga (2006).

Variability. Fixed finger trichobothria (n = 12): six (50%) fingers with trichobothria in the order eb: esb: est / db: et: dt; five (41.7%) in the order eb: esb: db: est: et: dt, with db very slightly basal to est; one (8.3%) in the order eb: esb: est: db: et: dt, with est very slightly basal to db. Pectinal teeth count: 17 to 19 on females (n = 6; mode = 18); 17 to 19 on males (n = 6; mode = 18). Coloration of the coxosternal region: the juvenile male has this region uniformly yellow, possibly an effect of immaturity. Total body length (including telson): male 19–25 mm, female 28– 33 mm.

Distribution. Known from two localities, one in Venezuela (Mérida State) and one in Colombia (Norte de Santander Department) ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). The specimens herein recorded from the Tamá Natural National Park represent the first records of A. meridana from Colombia and the first of the genus from Norte de Santander Department.

Ecological notes. According to González-Sponga (2006), this species was found living in cracks beside a road. No further information exists to date.