Hadrurochactas cristinae, Ythier, Eric, 2018

Ythier, Eric, 2018, A synopsis of the scorpion fauna of French Guiana, with description of four new species, ZooKeys 764, pp. 27-90 : 51-52

Hadrurochactas cristinae sp. n. Figs 27, 28

Type material.

Roura, Stoupan, in litter, one male (holotype), deposited in the MNHN, Q. Uriot & S. Uriot coll., 2017.

Etymology.

The specific name honours Dr. Cristina Benros-Ythier, Romanèche-Thorins, France, in recognition of her support for the study of scorpions.

Diagnosis.

Total length 18.9 mm for male holotype (see morphometric values after the description). Coloration yellowish brown, densely spotted on the carapace, the tergites and the appendages. Mesosoma yellowish, densely spotted with confluent brown to dark brown spots, without yellowish longitudinal median stripe. Chelicerae yellowish with variegated brownish spots over the entire surface. Legs tarsal segments yellowish with diffused brownish pigmentation. Pectines with 9-9 teeth on male holotype; female unknown. Trichobothrial pattern of type C, neobothriotaxic (majorante) 'major neobothriotaxy’.

Description based on male holotype.

Coloration. General coloration yellowish brown, densely spotted on the carapace, the tergites and the appendages. Prosoma yellowish with brownish variegated spots on anterior, lateral and posterior edges; eyes surrounded by black pigment. Mesosoma yellowish, densely spotted with confluent brownish spots, darker on the posterior edge of the tergites; the remaining yellowish coloration does not form a confluent longitudinal median stripe. Sternites yellowish, the VII slightly darker; coxapophysis and sternum yellowish; genital operculum and pectines pale yellow. Metasomal segments yellowish to reddish yellow with brownish spots. Telson reddish yellow with brownish spots; aculeus reddish. Chelicerae yellowish with variegated brownish spots over the entire surface; fingers yellowish almost entirely covered with brownish spots; teeth reddish yellow. Pedipalps reddish yellow with brownish longitudinal stripes on femur, patella, and chela; femur darker than the other segments. Legs with femur, patella, and tibia yellowish with brownish longitudinal stripes; basitarsus and telotarsus yellowish with diffused brownish pigmentation.

Morphology.

Carapace weakly granular to smooth; anterior margin very weakly emarginated; carinae absent; all furrows weakly pronounced; postero-median furrow finely granular; median ocular tubercle distinctly anterior to the center of the carapace; two pairs of small lateral eyes. All tergites with minute granulation and a few indistinct bigger granules on the posterior margin. Pectinal tooth count 9-9 in male holotype, fulcra absent. Sternites smooth and shiny except VI and VII which have some minute granulations; spiracles rounded; carinae absent; genital operculum longitudinally divided, each half with a sub-triangular shape. Dorsal carinae granular on metasomal segments I-IV, absent on segment V; dorsolateral carinae granular on all segments; ventrolateral and ventral carinae weakly pronounced or absent on all segments; dorsal surface smooth on all segments; lateral surfaces weakly granular to smooth on all segments; ventral surface smooth on segments I to IV; with some thin granules on V. Telson with small-sized spine-like granules and one larger spinoid granule under the aculeus; dorsal side smooth; aculeus relatively short and weakly curved. Pedipalp femur pentacarinate, moderately granular; patella and chela with weakly marked to unconspicuous carinae; fixed and movable fingers with seven rows of linear granules. Legs with long thin setae. Cheliceral dentition characteristic of the family Chactidae (Vachon, 1963). Trichobothriotaxy of type C, neobothriotaxic (majorante) 'major neobothriotaxy’ (Vachon, 1974). Morphometric values (in mm) of the male holotype. Total length including telson, 18.9. Carapace: length, 2.3; anterior width, 1.3; posterior width, 2.4. Mesosoma length, 4.8. Metasomal segments. I: length, 0.9; width, 1.9; II: length, 1.2; width, 1.9; III: length, 1.2; width, 1.9; IV: length, 2.0; width, 1.9; V: length, 3.4; width, 2.2; depth, 1.4. Telson: length, 3.1; width, 0.9; depth, 0.6. Pedipalp: femur length, 1.9, width, 0.9; patella length, 2.3, width, 0.8; chela length, 3.7, width, 1.2, depth, 1.2; movable finger length, 2.2.

Relationships.

Hadrurochactas cristinae sp. n. can be readily distinguished from the other species of the genus Harurochactas and, in particular, from H. schaumii (the only other species described from French Guiana), by the following main features: (i) smaller general size (21.1 to 26.5 mm in total length for H. schaumii ), (ii) male pectines with only 9-9 teeth (ranging from 10-11 in H. schaumii ), (iii) general coloration yellowish brown (reddish brown in H. schaumii ) without confluent yellowish longitudinal median stripe on mesosoma (reddish yellow longitudinal median stripe in H. schaumii ), (iv) chelicerae yellowish with variegated brownish spots over the entire surface (without spots in H. schaumii ), (v) legs tarsal segments yellowish with diffused brownish pigmentation (no pigmentation in H. schaumii ), (vi) trichobothria on ventral side of pedipalp patella (V1 to V7) situated at different positions.