Vaejovis brysoni Ayrey & Webber 2013

Vaejovis brysoni is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Vaejovidae discovered in 2013 in the Santa Catalina Mountains of southern Arizona. It was reportedly discovered in an area that overlooks the city of Tucson by Robert W. Bryson Jr., after whom the species is named. At the date of its discovery it became the tenth species of mountain scorpion known to occur in Arizona, and the second in the vorhiesi group to inhabit the specific mountain range.

Color of the holotype is light to medium brown, light brown to yellow on the legs, with underlying dark mottling on carapace and mesosoma. Metasoma is light brown with darker carinae. Metasomal segments are slightly wider than the vesicle. Small spinoid subaculear tubercle is present (Fig. 1). The pedipalp fixed finger has 5 to 6 ID denticles and movable finger has 6 ID denticles. Carapace:Anterior margin of the carapace is slightly emarginated, the posterior margin is straight. The carapace is moderately granular, with three lateral eyes present on each side. The median furrow is moderate and traverses the entire length of the carapace. The ratio of the location of the median eyes on the carapace (anterior edge/carapace length 0.73/3.75) = 0.19; carapace length/width at median eyes 3.75/2.35 = 1.60. The carapace is longer than metasomal segmentV.Mesosoma: Tergites are moderately granular with vestigial median carina on tergites I–VI. Tergite VII with weak median carina on anterior third and strong dorsal lateral and lateral supramedian granular carinae. Sternites I–V are finely granular and without carinae. Sternite V with weak granular ventral lateral carinae on middle 1/3. Presternites are smooth. Spiracles are ovoid with median side rotated 35 degrees from posterior sternite margin. Sternites with variable number of microsetae. Pectines:Pectinal tooth count is11/12. All pectinal teeth have exterodistal angling with a large sensorial area. Middle lamellae are 6/6. Fulcra are present. Each fulcra with 1–3 central setae.Metasoma: The carapace of the holotype female is longer than the fifth metasomal segment. Ratio of segment I length/width 0.93; of segment II length/width 1.03; of segment III length/width 1.18; of segment IV length/width 1.50; of segment V length/width 2.32. Segments I–IV: dorsolateral carinae are strong and granular to slightly dentate, with the distal denticle of I–IV enlarged and spinoid. Lateral supramedian carinae I–IV are strong and crenulate, with enlarged spinoid distal denticle. Lateral inframedian carinae are moderately granular on posterior 4/5 of segment I, 4/5 of II, 1/2 of III, and nearly obsolete on segment IV. Ventrolateral carinae on segment I, II, and III are moderate and granular; on IV moderate, granular and slightly serrate. Ventral submedian carinae are weak on segment I, weak to moderate on II, moderate, granular to slightly serrate on III and IV. The dorsal and lateral intercarinal spaces are very finely granular. Segment I–IV: ventral submedian setae count is 3/3. Segment V: dorsolateral carinae are moderate and slightly serrate on anterior 1/3. Lateromedian carinae are weak to moderate and granular on basal 3/5, and obsolete on distal 2/5. Ventrolateral and ventromedian carinae are strong and crenate to serrate. Intercarinal spaces are finely granular. Ventrolateral setae count 4/4. Telson:Smooth with four pairs of large setae on the ventral surface, three large setae are along both lateral edges of the vesicle with numerous smaller setae. A small spinoid subaculear tubercle is present. Chelicerae: The dorsal edge of movable cheliceral finger with two subdistal (sd) denticles. Ventral edge is smooth, with well developed serrula on distal half. Pedipalps: Trichobothrial pattern type C (Vachon 1974) (Fig. 12). Trichobothria ib and it near base of fixed finger. Pedipalp ratios: chela length/width 4.00; femur length/width 2.69; patella length/width 2.59; fixed finger length/carapace length 0.68. Chela:Carinae are moderate. Fixed and movable finger median denticles (MD) are aligned and divided into 6 subrows by 5 outer denticles (OD) and usually 6 ID denticles. Femur: Dorsal internal and external are moderate and granular; ventral internal granular to crenulate; ventral external are slightly serrate; dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered with fine granules; external surface is smooth. Patella:Internal surface are covered with very strong dentate to serrate granules on the DPSc carina. Dorsal external and internal are moderate and granular. Ventral internal carinae are strong and granular. External surface is rounded with scattered granulation; dorsal and ventral surfaces are covered with minute granules. Legs: Ventral surface of tarsomere II with single median row of spinules terminating distally with one spinule pair.

Vaejovis brysoni sp. n. is known only from the type locality above Molino Basin on the Catalina Highway near the Seven Cataracts Vista, Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA. The type localities of the 12 described species in the vorhiesi group from Arizona and western New Mexico are shown in Figure 13. Vaejovis brysoni sp. n. is widely allopatric with Vaejovis halli, Vaejovis vorhiesi, Vaejovis cashi, Vaejovis feti, and Vaejovis electrum (Fig. 13). Vaejovis brysoni sp. n. and Vaejovis deboerae both occur within the Santa Catalina Mountains, and their ranges may overlap, perhaps along the mid-elevation pine-oak woodlands between 1800–1900 m. The type specimens were found at night using a UV flashlight alongside the Catalina Highway. This area lies within open oak woodland and the transition zone from drier desert grassland to pine-oak woodland (Whittaker and Niering 1965). Several Pseudouroctonus apacheanus (Gertsch & Soleglad, 1972) and Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing, 1928 were also observed. In August of 2012, three captive female Vaejovis brysoni were observed with first instar juveniles (Fig. 3). The mean juvenile count was 23.67. The 1st instar orientation on the mother’s back was non-random, as is seen with many other species of Vaejovis (Hjelle 1974). They were facing anteriorly with the prosoma down and the metasoma raised over the prosoma of the juvenile immediately posterior to them. Morphometrics (mm) of female V. brysoni sp.n. versus other Vaejovis vorhiesi group species. Data on pectinal teeth with * from (Hughes 2011) and ** from (Sissom et al. 2012). Bold numbers are those which have no overlap with Vaejovis brysoni sp. n. Ratio ComparisonsVaejovis brysoni Vaejovis spp. Vaejovis brysoni (8) Vaejovis bandido (5) Vaejovis halli (3) Vaejovis deboerae (3) Vaejovis vorhiesi (3) Vaejovis cashi (3) Vaejovis feti (3) Vaejovis electrum (3) Vaejovis tenuipalpus (3) Total length Carapace length Ca L/MetV L 22.88–27.50 2.88–3.75 0.88–1.03 24.65–27.75 3.12–3.38 0.97–0.98 21.87–23.43 2.90–3.18 0.98–0.99 29.64–33.14 3.79–4.38 0.89–0.97 24.62–26.55 3.21–3.39 0.98–1.06 20.90–22.10 2.86–3.11 0.96–1.14 22.00–23.46 3.01–3.19 0.96–1.05 24.48–25.38 3.48–3.60 1.02–1.13 28.38–31.24 3.52–3.71 0.93–0.98 Segment I length/width 0.93–1.00 0.73–0.78 0.70–0.77 0.72–0.79 0.68–0.73 0.61–0.66 0.69–0.73 0.65–0.68 0.90–0.94 Segment II length/width 0.90–1.03 0.88–0.94 0.79–0.87 0.98–1.03 0.85–0.92 0.74–0.80 0.69–0.73 0.68–0.89 1.09–1.18 Segment III length/width 1.00–1.09 0.96–1.04 0.94–1.00 1.02–1.14 0.96–0.98 0.89–0.92 0.93–1.13 0.93–0.98 1.29–1.36 Segment IV length/width 1.34–1.61 1.35–1.44 1.27–1.50 1.48–1.60 1.39–1.62 1.28–1.39 1.35–1.60 1.33–1.46 1.74–1.83 Segment V length/width 2.15–2.82 2.02–2.16 1.79–2.11 2.10–2.32 2.08–2.22 2.05–2.15 2.07–2.24 1.81–1.91 2.49–2.52 Telson VesicleLength/width 1.60–2.06 1.59–1.69 1.68–1.85 2.22–2.43 1.63–1.72 1.56–1.71 1.62–1.87 1.45–1.62 1.60–1.77 Femurlength/width 2.87–3.22 2.86–3.07 2.83–3.33 2.74–2.90 2.87–3.22 2.74–3.02 2.89–3.41 2.78–3.19 3.81–3.83 Patellalength/width 2.47–3.29 2.83–3.21 2.89–3.63 2.91–3.16 3.12–3.19 2.86–3.03 2.53–2.66 2.86–2.94 3.72–3.85 Chela length/width Ff L/Ca L Ff L/Ch L 3.71–4.55 0.68–0.83 0.51–0.56 4.09–4.48 0.65–0.69 0.48–0.49 4.33–4.79 0.67–0.77 0.46–0.53 4.17–4.53 0.71–0.77 0.48–0.52 4.57–5.30 0.72–0.81 0.47–0.54 3.84–4.52 0.68–0.73 0.47–0.49 3.59–3.91 0.69–0.80 0.48–0.50 3.74–4.19 0.68–0.69 0.47–0.51 5.05–5.43 0.83–0.87 0.50–0.51 Pectinal Teeth 11–12 11.5(16) 11–12 11.1(10) 11–13 11.94(16) 12–13 12.17(6) 12–13 12.87(339)* 10–12 10.98(337)* 10 10.00(6) 11–12 11.75(96)* 11–12 11.15(26)**