[Arachnida • 2017] Troglotayosicus meijdeni • A New Species in the Troglomorphic Scorpion Genus Troglotayosicus from Colombia, Representing the Northernmost Known Record for the Genus (Scorpiones, Troglotayosicidae)

Troglotayosicus meijdeni 

Botero-Trujillo, González-Gómez, Valenzuela-Rojas & García, 2017

   DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.7

Abstract

We describe a new scorpion species in the troglomorphic genus Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981 from Colombia. Troglotayosicus meijdeni sp. nov. inhabits the forest leaf litter at Rivera municipality, on the western slope of the Eastern Andes. The male of the new species remains unknown; however, this species can be distinguished from other species in the genus by the female (and juvenile) morphology. The type locality of T. meijdeni sp. nov. represents the northernmost known record for a population of Troglotayosicus, further extending the known limits of distribution of this genus, and shedding more light on the distributional range of this group of scorpions in northwestern South America. With this description, the number of known species of Troglotayosicus is raised to four; three of them are endogean species living in forested areas in the Andean region of Colombia, whereas one is a hypogean species from a cave in Ecuadorian Amazonia.

Keywords: Scorpiones, Forest leaf litter, troglomorphism, taxonomy, Rivera, Huila

FIGURE 2. Troglotayosicus meijdeni sp. nov.,
Habitus of live female under laboratory conditions, lateral aspect. 

Taxonomy 

Family Troglotayosicidae Lourenço, 1998

 Troglotayosicus Lourenço, 1981 

Troglotayosicus meijdeni sp. nov.

Etymology. The species is named for Dr. Arie van der Meijden, who participated in the expedition that discovered this Troglotayosicus population. JCGG, JCVR and LFG would like to honor Van der Meijden for his collaboration with the BEA Group, to which they belong, in the study of Colombian biodiversity. Van der Meijden conducts research on scorpion biomechanics at CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.

Ricardo Botero-Trujillo, Julio C. González-Gómez, Juan C. Valenzuela-Rojas and Luis F. García. 2017. A New Species in the Troglomorphic Scorpion Genus Troglotayosicus from Colombia, Representing the Northernmost Known Record for the Genus (Scorpiones, Troglotayosicidae). Zootaxa. 4244(4); 568–582.   DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4244.4.7