Archaeoscorpiops Lourenço, 2015

Lourenço, Wilson R. & Velten, Jürgen, 2023, A second species of Archaeoscorpiops Lourenço, 2015 from Cretaceous Burmese amber (Scorpiones: Palaeoeuscorpiidae), Faunitaxys 11 (57), pp. 1-4 : 1-2

Genus Archaeoscorpiops Lourenço, 2015

Archaeoscorpiops grossei Lourenço, 2023 sp. n.

( Fig. 1-9)

ZooBank:http://zoobank.org/ 33ABCC3C-419F-4F25-BA0A-8B17F9B673D0

Holotype. An exuvia of a possible juvenile or pre-adult. Sex cannot be clearly determined, however, based on the morphology of the pedipalps and pectines, the specimen exhibits characteristics typically associated with females.

Diagnosis for the new species. – Total length 9.72 mm. General coloration yellow to dark yellow, with pedipalps reddish-yellow. Pectines moderate in size, narrow and slender with 13-13 teeth. Spiracles round to oval.Telson with a moderately long globular vesicle not flattened laterally; annular ring on the telson not observed. The general morphology of the pedipalps is similar to that of Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905 and particularly of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 ; fixed and movable fingers with 7-8 rows of small rounded granules, with weakly marked accessory granules. Metasomal carinae weakly marked in all segments. Tarsi with short spinoid setae; tibial spurs absent.Apophysis on the internal aspect of the patella reduced. Trichobothrial pattern similar to type C (Vachon, 1974). Femur, with d, e and a poorly observable i. Patella with d 1 and d 2 on dorsal face and i in a middle position near to the apophysis; on the ventralface 4 V trichobothria can be observed, what clearly associates the new species to the genus Archaeoscorpiops . For chela-hand only ventro-external and internal aspects are observable with 4-5 V, 2-3 Eb andprobably Esb; it and ib on internal aspect. 4-5 external trichobothria can be indirectly observed on the patella, but the presence of transverse hairs.

Type locality and horizon. – Myanmar ( Burma), Kachin; precise locality unknown; Lower Cretaceous.

Patronym. – The specific name honors Museum Councilor Horst Grosse (1920-2001), former Director of the Natural History Museum ‘Mauritianum’ Altenburg (Thuringia, Germany) from 1954 to 1985.

Depository. – The type specimen is deposited in the Collections of the Natural History Museum ‘ Mauritianum’ Altenburg (Thuringia, Germany) .

Description

Coloration. – The scorpion is yellow to dark yellow; metasomal segments I to V pale yellow; telson darker than metasomal segments; pedipalps and legs reddish-yellow; pectines yellow with reddish teeth.

Morphology. – Carapace, tergites and chelicera not observable. Sternum pentagonal, larger than high. Pectines moderate in size, elongate and narrow with 13-13 teeth. Sternites smooth with round to oval spiracles. Metasomal segment I to V without ventral carinae; segment V smooth; dorsal carinae of all segments not observable; setation on all segments moderately marked. Telson with a globular vesicle not flattened laterally; weakly granular to smooth; aculeus long and moderately curved; annular ring on the telson not observed; setation moderate to important. Pedipalp femur pentacarinate; patella with dorso-internal, ventro-internal, dorsoexternal and external carinae; internal face with some minor spinoid granules and a moderate to reduced apophysis. Chela with moderately to weakly marked carinae; all faces weakly granular. Fixed and movable fingers each with 7-8 rows of small rounded granules; only weak accessory granules are observable; extremity of each finger with one moderate spinoid granule; setation of pedipalps inconspicuous. Trichobothriotaxy recalling type C (Vachon, 1974) of extants Scorpiopidae (see diagnosis for details).

Morphometric values (mm), holotype of Archaeobuthus grossei Lourenço, 2023 sp. n.

– Total length (including telson), 9.72

– Carapace (by extrapolation of empty space) length, 1.17; anterior width, 0.84; posterior width, 1.34.

– Mesosoma : length, 3.40.

– Metasomal segments

I: length, 0.50; width, 0.74;

II: length, 0.60; width, 0.54;

III: length, 0.67; width, 0.54;

IV: length, 0.77; width, 0.54;

V: length, 1.27; width, 0.54.

– Telson: length, 1.34; width, 0.50.

– Pedipalp femur length, 1.14, width 0.40;

patella length, 1.27, width 0.47;

chela length, 2.40, width 0.54;

movable finger length, 1.40.