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| Troglotayosicus ballvei Botero-Trujillo, Ochoa & Prendini, 2021
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Abstract
For several decades, Troglotayosicus , remained an enigmatic, monotypic scorpion genus believed to be troglobitic. The discovery and description in recent years of several endogean species of the genus, inhabiting the leaf litter of tropical rainforests in Colombia and Ecuador, advanced knowledge about these scorpions. The known distribution of Troglotayosicus was considerably expanded along the Andes, and it was demonstrated that, despite the absence of median ocelli, the genus is composed primarily of species that inhabit leaf litter. In the present study, Troglotayosicus ballvei, sp. nov., is described from Sacha Huagra Lodge, adjacent to Archidona Municipality, in Napo Province, Ecuador, raising the number of Troglotayosicus species to six, three each in Colombia and Ecuador. An updated map of the known distribution of the genus is presented.
SYSTEMATICS
Family Troglotayosicidae Lourenço, 1998
Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981
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Troglotayosicus ballvei, sp. nov., live habitus of adults.
A. Paratype ♂ (AMNH IZC 325052). B. Holotype ♀ (QCAZ). |
Troglotayosicus ballvei, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Troglotayosicus ballvei differs from other species in the genus as follows. The body and appendages are not remarkably hirsute in T. ballvei (fig. 3), unlike T. hirsutus. The median projection (epistome) on the anterior margin of the carapace is weak (shallow) in T. ballvei (fig. 5A, B), but pronounced in T. hirsutus and T. vachoni. The lateral eyespot on the carapace is considerably smaller than the PDMi ocellus in T. ballvei (fig. 4B), but similar to or larger than the PDMi ocellus in T. meijdeni. The pedipalp chela does not exhibit any obvious sexual dimorphism, i.e., the chela shape is similar in the adults of both sexes in T. ballvei (figs. 8, 9), unlike T. hirsutus and T. humiculum, which exhibit pronounced sexual dimorphism in chela shape, with the chela manus noticeably more incrassate in the adult male. The pedipalp chela DS, DI, RL, ...
Etymology: The species name is dedicated to Oscar F. Francke Ballvé, formerly of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on the occasion of his retirement and in recognition to his contributions to the knowledge of troglomorphic and troglobitic arachnids
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Troglotayosicus ballvei, sp. nov., habitat at type locality in Sacha Huagra Lodge, Napo Province, Ecuador.
A. Tropical humid forest. B. Exposed remnants of collapsed caves inside forest. |
Ricardo Botero-Trujillo, José A. Ochoa and Lorenzo Prendini. 2021. A New Troglomorphic, Leaf-litter Scorpion from Ecuador (Troglotayosicidae: Troglotayosicus).
American Museum Novitates. (3981), 1-24. DOI:
10.1206/3981.1
