Content uploaded by Camilo I Mattoni
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Camilo I Mattoni
Content may be subject to copyright.
28 Accepted by L. Predini: 30 Jul. 2009; published: 26 Aug. 2009
ZOOTAXA
ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)
ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)
Copyright © 2009 · Magnolia Press
Zootaxa 2209: 28–42 (2009)
www.mapress.com/zootaxa/Article
The genus Orobothriurus Maury in central Argentina with description of a new
species from El Nevado mountain chain in Mendoza Province (Scorpiones:
Bothriuridae)
ANDRÉS ALEJANDRO OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO1, FLORENCIA FERNÁNDEZ CAMPÓN2,
SUSANA LAGOS SILNIK2 & CAMILO IVÁN MATTONI3
1Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, CP: 1405DJR, Buenos Aires,
Argentina. E-Mail: ojanguren@macn.gov.ar & andres.ojanguren@gmail.com
2Laboratorio de Entomología, IADIZA (Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas), CCT, Mendoza, CC507,
CP(5500), Mendoza, Argentina
3Cátedra de Diversidad Animal I, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Av. Vélez
Sarsfield 299, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
Abstract
New data on the scorpion genus Orobothriurus Maury 1976 in central Argentina are provided. Orobothriurus grismadoi
n. sp. is described; this species occurs in high altitudes in El Nevado mountain chain, an isolated orographic system in
Southern Mendoza, Argentina, separated by almost 200 km from the Andes Mountain chain. This species is closely
related to Orobothriurus alticola (Pocock, 1899). This is the southernmost record for the genus about 300 km south from
previous records. Orobothriurus bivittatus (Thorell, 1877) is synonymised with O. alticola based on material recently
collected in El Tontal mountain chain. We also provide new data about the distribution and intraspecific variability of O.
alticola.
Key words: Scorpiones, Orobothriurus, new species, El Nevado, Argentina
Introduction
Most species of the genus Orobothriurus Maury 1976 occur at high altitudes above 2500 m. a.s.l. (Acosta
2005; Acosta & Ochoa 2000, 2001; Maury 1976; Ochoa 2004; Ochoa & Acosta 2002, 2003; Ojanguren-
Affilastro 2005). However, some species have also been collected in areas of the Lomas biotope in the coastal
Pacific desert of northern Chile and southern Peru (Ochoa & Acosta 2002; Ochoa 2004; Ojanguren-Affilastro
2003a). Most high altitude species are found in the Andes mountain chain, but some species appear to be
endemic of other orographic systems east of the Andes in western Argentina like El Tontal (Acosta 2005) and
Famatina (Acosta & Ochoa 2001).
The knowledge about the diversity of genus Orobothriurus in Argentina (as in the rest of the countries
where it is distributed) is still scarce due to the rigorous environment where it inhabits. Most records belong to
short campaigns to restricted areas, so that the actual diversity and distribution of the species of this genus is
still not known. Up to now, only three species of Orobothriurus have been described for Argentina:
Orobothriurus alticola (Pocock 1899), from the Andes of central Mendoza and San Juan Provinces
(Ojanguren Affilastro 2005), Orobothriurus bivittatus (Thorell 1877), from the Tontal mountain chain in the
Precordillera of San Juan province (Acosta 2005), and Orobothriurus famatina Acosta & Ochoa 2001, from
the Famatina Mountain Chain in the Precordillera of La Rioja province (Acosta & Ochoa 2001). There are
also other records of several undescribed species from central and northern Argentina (Ojanguren Affilastro
2005, Acosta & Ochoa 2001), but most of them comprise small numbers of specimens making impossible an
accurate description of them (Acosta & Ochoa 2001).
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 29
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
Acosta (2005) redescribed the enigmatic species O. bivittatus. In his redescription Acosta mentions that
the differences between O. bivittatus and the closest species O. alticola were so subtle, that he could not
assure if they where different species or subspecies. Acosta only studied a single adult specimen and the
poorly preserved juvenile holotype, so he was not able to assess the intraspecific variability. We have been
able to collect large series of Orobothriurus from the Tontal mountain chain, and we consider that these
specimens actually belong to O. alticola. Based on this new evidence, we synonymise O. bivittatus with O.
alticola. New data about the distribution of O. alticola are provided, extending its distribution 150 km south to
the Andean locality of Laguna Diamante in central Mendoza Province, Argentina.
In recent years researchers of the Entomology Laboratory of the IADIZA have been carrying out several
field surveys to high altitude localities of Mendoza province, in Western Argentina, in order to study the
diversity of the arthropod fauna of the region. During a recent expedition to the isolated mountain chain of El
Nevado in Southern Mendoza, several specimens of an undescribed species of Orobothriurus have been
collected with pitfall traps. The species, Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp., closely related with the Andean
species O. alticola, is described in the present publication.
Methods
Descriptive terminology follows Mattoni and Acosta (2005) for the hemispermatophores; Vachon (1974) for
the trichobothria; and Francke (1977) for the pedipalpal and metasomal carinae (acronyms for pedipalpal
carinae are as follows: DI: dorsal internal; DE: dorsal external; VI: ventral internal. Acronyms for metasomal
carinae are as follows: DL: dorsolateral; LIM: lateral inframedian; LSM: lateral supramedian; VSM: ventral
submedian; VL: ventrolateral; VM: ventromedian). Abbreviations of collections are as follows: AMNH:
American Museum of Natural History, New York; CDA: Cátedra de Diversidad Animal I, Universidad
Nacional de Córdoba; IADIZA: Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; MACN-Ar:
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’. Illustrations were produced using a Leitz
Wetzlar stereomicroscope and a Camera Lucida. Photographs were taken using a Nikon DXM 1200 Digital
Camera attached to a Nikon SMZ 1500 stereomicroscope, the focal planes were subsequently assembled with
Helicon Focus 3.10.3 (http://helicon.com.ua/heliconfocus/). Photographs of pigment pattern and
hemispermatophores were taken using white light, photographs of external morphology where taken using
UV lamps. Measurements, taken using an ocular micrometer, are recorded in mm (see Figs. 18 and 19 for
details about hemispermatophore measurements). Angles were measured from the digital photographs using
Image Tool 3.00 (© UTHSCSA, 1996-2002). The distribution map was generated using ArcMap 9.0
(Enviromental Systems Research Institute [ESRI], Redlands, California), by superimposing the point locality
records of species on coverages depicting the political boundaries and topography of Argentina and Chile.
The topographic coverage (as a shaded relief) was generated from digital elevation model files (~90 m
resolution) from the CGIAR-CSI Consortium website (http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/). Point locality records were
georeferenced in the field with a portable Global Positioning System (Garmin® Etrex and Etrex Vista) or
using the GeoNet Names Server (GNS, http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/). The statistical analyses were
performed with NCSS 2007 (© Hintze, 2007).
Results
Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.
figs. 1, 3–13, 15–17, 20–24, 35, Tables 1 & 2
Type series (21 specimens). ARGENTINA, Mendoza Province, Malargüe Department, Cerro Nevado.
Holotype male: 35º35’45.06"S; 68º30´24.12"W, 3130 m a.s.l., Fernández Campón & Lagos Silnik coll., 25/
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.30 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
II/2006, (MACN-Ar 17986). Paratypes: same data, 6 males, 2 females (MACN-Ar 17987); 2 males (CDA); 1
juvenile (IADIZA). 35º36´2.46"S; 68º30´40.92"W, 2953 m a.s.l., Fernández Campón & Lagos Silnik coll.,
25/II/2006, 5 males (IADIZA), 1 male (AMNH); II/2006, 1 male (AMNH.35º36´4,08"S 68º30´44,28"W, 2949
m a.s.l., Fernández Campón & Lagos Silnik coll., 7/I/2006, 1 juvenile, (IADIZA). 35º36´4,08"S
68º30´44,28"W, 2900 m a.s.l., G. Flores coll., 16/XI/2004, 1 female (CDA).
Etymology: This species is named after the Argentinean arachnologist Cristian Grismado from the
MACN, who has been very helpful identifying part of the spiders collected in the Andean campaigns of the
IADIZA and providing information on the subject, whenever he was asked.
Diagnosis: Orobothriurus grismadoi is closely related to O. alticola from the Andean sector of Mendoza
and San Juan provinces in Argentina. Both species can be separated by the shape of the hemispermatophore,
in O. grismadoi the angle formed by the apex with the rest of the distal lamina (Fig. 18) is smaller than in O.
alticola (Table 2). In addition the apex of O. grismadoi is slender than in O. alticola (Figs. 20–34). Males of
both species can also be separated by the shape of the telson which is slender in O. grismadoi; additionally in
O. grismadoi males the dorsal surface of the vesicle is always concave, whereas in O. alticola males it is
straight (Figs. 1, 2). Orobothriurus grismadoi is also more densely pigmented than O. alticola. In O. alticola
the tergite VII has two lateral spots that leave a median unpigmented stripe (Fig. 14), whereas in O. grismadoi
this segment is almost completely covered by dark pigment and there is no median unpigmented stripe (Fig.
15).
Description. Colour: General colour yellowish, with dark brown spots. Carapace: anterior margin
unpigmented, except for a median dark stripe over the anterior longitudinal sulcus that reaches the anterior
margin; ocular tubercle and area around the lateral ocelly dark brown or black; dark spot in the median part of
the carapace surrounding the ocular tubercle; lateral margins with two big lateral spots, and two posterolateral
spots; posterior margin reticulated. Chelicerae: entire dorsal surface reticulated, ventral surface unpigmented.
Tergites: I–VI with two lateral dark spots occupying almost the whole lateral margins, separated by a thick
median unpigmented stripe; tergite: VII with two lateroposterior dark spots, two paramedian dark spots and a
median dark spot, all connected by a reticular pigment, so that there is no a median unpigmented stripe (Fig.
15). Sternites: III
─
VI unpigmented; VII with two diffuse lateral dark spots. Sternum, genital opercula and
pectines unpigmented. Metasomal segments: segments I–III: dorsal surface with a median triangular spot that
occupies most of the surface between the DL carinae; lateral surface with a triangular spot occupying most of
the area between the LSM and the VL carinae; ventral surface with three longitudinal dark stripes, two VL
and one VM, that do not join between them in any segment, the VL stripes are partially fused with the lateral
spots. Segment IV: dorsal surface slightly pigmented in its median part and over the DL carinae; lateral
surface slightly pigmented over the LSM carinae; ventral surface as in segments I
─
III. Segment V: dorsal
surface with two faint longitudinal dark stripes and two DL dark stripes; lateral surface faintly reticulated;
ventral surface like segments I
─
IV. Tels on: vesicle with dark reticular pigment in dorsal and ventral surfaces;
aculeus dark brown. Legs: all segments with dark spots except the telotarsus; femur and patella densely
pigmented on the dorsal surface and near the articulations. Pedipalps: femur densely pigmented near the
articulation with patella, and over the DE carina, slightly pigmented over the DI carina and in the external
margin; patella slightly pigmented near the articulations over the DE carina and in the external margin; chela,
with six complete longitudinal pigment stripes over the hand and with a ventrointernal spot near the
articulation with patella; fingers and articulation with fingers densely pigmented.
Morphology: Measurements of a male paratype (MACN–Ar) and a female paratype (MACN–Ar) are
recorded in Table 1. Total length in males 26.5–32 mm (N = 10, mean = 29.8), 25, 27 and 34.1 mm in the three
studied females. Carapace: in males tegument finely granular in the median area, with more developed
granules near the lateral margins; smooth in females; anterior margin almost straight or with a poorly
developed median notch; anterior longitudinal sulcus poorly developed; ocular tubercle very low, median eyes
two diameters apart, interocular sulcus well developed; posterior sulcus, posterolateral sulci and postocular
furrow deeply marked. Chelicerae: with two subdistal teeth. Terg ites : tergites I–VI smooth in females, finely
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 31
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
FIGURES 1–5. 1, 3–5. Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.. 1. Telson, male, lateral aspect; 3. Telson, female, lateral aspect;
4. Sternite VII and metasomal segment I, female, ventral aspect; 5. Metasomal segment V, male, ventral aspect. 2.
Orobothriurus alticola. Telson, male, lateral aspect. Scale bars: 1mm.
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.32 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
FIGURES 6–13. Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.. 6. Left pedipalp chela, male, retrolateral aspect; 7. Left pedipalp chela,
female, prolateral aspect; 8. Right pedipalp chela, male, ventral aspect; 9. Left pedipalp chela, female, dorsal aspect; 10.
Left pedipalp chela, male, prolateral aspect; 11. Left pedipalp patela, male, retrolateral aspect; 12. Left pedipalp patela,
male, ventral aspect; 13. Left pedipalp femur, male, dorsal aspect. Scale bars: 1mm.
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 33
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
FIGURES 14–15. Tergites VI and VII, dorsal aspect showing the pigmentation pattern. 14. Orobothriurus alticola; 15.
Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp. Scale bars: 1mm.
granular in males; tergite VII: with four longitudinal carinae, two lateral occupying almost 2
⁄
3 of the total
length of the segment posteriorly, and two internal occupying a half of the segment posteriorly; area between
internal carinae finely granular, area between external and internal carinae densely granular, area between
external carinae and lateral margins smooth. Sternites: sternites III
─
VI granular in their median part in males,
smooth in females, spiracles elongated and narrow; in males sternite VII with two longitudinal carinae
occupying the posterior 2
⁄
3 of the segment, area between carinae densely granular; similar in females but with
four longitudinal carinae. Pectines: 20–22 pectinal teeth in males (N = 10; median = 22); 18-18, 18-18 and 19-
19 in the three studied females. Metasomal segments: segment I: ventral surface usually with six ventral
macrosetae and six ventrolateral macrosetae (Fig. 4); VSM and VL carinae well developed (specially in
females); LSM and LIM carinae only present in the posterior two thirds of the segment, with one macroseta
near the basal margin of the LIM carina; DL carina granular, occupying the entire length of the segment; distal
granules of DL and LSM carinae two or three times bigger than the other granules and with a very acute tip.
Segment II: ventral surface usually with six ventral macrosetae and six ventrolateral macrosetae, tegument is
smooth or with VSM carinae barely marked; LSM and LIM carinae restricted to the posterior half of the
segment, with one macrosetae on the LSM carina; DL carina granular, occupying the entire length of the
segment; the distal granules of DL and LSM carinae two or three times bigger than the other granules and
with a very acute tip. Segment III: similar to segment II but ventrally smooth; LSM and LIM carinae restricted
to the posterior third of the segment. Segment IV: ventral surface as segment III; LIM carina absent, LSM
carina reduced to a posterior crest strongly developed with two macrosetae; DL carina granular, occupying the
entire length of the segment with posterior granules strongly developed and one posterior macroseta. Segment
V: ventral surface with eight ventral macrosetae, eight VL macrosetae and four posterior macrosetae; VL
carinae present in the posterior three quarters of the segment; VSM carinae very close to the VL carinae
fusing with them in the anterior and posterior thirds of the segment; VM carina present in the posterior three
quarters of the segment, fusing in the posterior half with the ventral granulation of the segment (Fig. 5); lateral
margin smooth with four or five LSM macrosetae; DL carina reduced to some granules in the posterior half of
the segment, with one macroseta in the median part. Telson: vesicle elongated and with smooth tegument in
males, globose and granular in females (Figs. 1, 3); in males no evident telson gland and dorsal surface
concave (Fig. 1); aculeus short and curved. Legs: femur and patella slightly granular, the rest smooth; with
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.34 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
two well developed and symmetrical basitarsal spurs; telotarsi elongated, with well developed VL spines
(tarsus I: 1-1, tarsus II: 2-2, tarsi III–IV: 3-3); telotarsal unguis curved and symmetrical. Pedipalps: femur: DI
and VI carinae granular and extending the entire length of the segment, DE carina slightly granular near its
base in males (Fig. 13), blunt in females. Patella: DI and VI carinae slightly granular and extending along the
entire length of the segment (Figs. 11, 12). Chela: slender, with elongated fingers and smooth tegument (Figs.
6–10); males with a conic apophysis near the articulation with the movable finger (Figs. 8, 10), females with a
low bulge (figs. 7, 9); internal surface of the fingers with a median row of denticles and four or five pairs of
internal and external accessory denticles. Trichobothrial pattern: neobothriotaxic major type C (Figs. 6–13),
with one accessory trichobothrium in the V series of chela; femur with 3 trichobothria (1 d, 1 i and 1 e); patella
with 19 trichobothria (3 V, 2 d, 1 i, 3 et, 1 est, 2 em, 2 esb, and 5 eb); chela with 27 trichobothria (1 Est, 5 Et, 5
V, 1 Esb, 3 Eb, 1 Dt, 1 Db, 1 et, 1 est, 1 esb, 1 eb, 1 dt, 1 dst, 1 dsb, 1 db, 1 ib, 1 it). Hemispermatophore:
slender, in most specimens the basal part of the distal lamina is slightly inclined in respect to the basal portion,
apex elongated and very inclined in respect to the basal part of the distal lamina; frontal crest longer than the
half of the lamina, divided into two parts, basal part oblique, distal part parallel to the posterior margin of the
lamina, slightly undulated; distal crest curved like the posterior margin; lobe region similar to
hemispermatophores of the other species of the genus, with basal lobe protruding up to the median part of the
frontal crest (Figs. 16, 17, 20–24).
TABLE 1. Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.. Measurements in mm of the male holotype (MACN-Ar 17986) and a female
paratype (MACN-Ar 17987).
Distribution and habitat. Argentina, Mendoza Province, Malargüe Department.
Orobothriurus grismadoi occurs in southern Mendoza province, in the Payunia District of the Central
Patagonia biogeographic province (Morrone et al. 2002) (Fig. 35). This species is restricted to high altitude
habitats on the Cerro Nevado, an extra-Andean mountainous range located 200 km east of the Andes. The
Nevado range is separated from the Andean range by a plateau of 1800 m a.s.l. It extends North-South
Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.
Measurementes in mm Male holotype Female paratype
Total length 30.36 24.86
Carapace, length 3.47 3.39
Carapace, anterior width 2.42 2.34
Carapace, posterior width 3.96 3.79
Mesosoma, total length 9.21 7.03
Metasoma, total length 13.36 10.82
Metasomal segment I, length/width/height 2.2/2.04/1.64 1.76/2.12/1.68
Metasomal segment II, length/width/height 2.24/1.88/1.56 1.88/2.00/1.68
Metasomal segment III, length/width/height 2.32/1.8/1.56 2/1.96/1.68
Metasomal segment IV, length/width/height 2.8/1.76/1.52 2.16/1.84/1.66
Metasomal segment V, length/width/height 3.8/1.72/1.32 2.92/1.84/1.46
Telson, length 4.32 3.62
Vesicle, length/width/height 3.4/1.48/1.12 2.66/1.58/1.2
Aculeus, length 0.92 0.96
Pedipalp, total length 11.92 10.74
Femur, length/width 3.36/1 2.72/1.06
Patella, length/width 3.28/1.04 2.85/1.06
Chela, length/width/height 5.82/1.50/1.66 5.17/1.34/1.54
Movable finger, length 3.10 2.95
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 35
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
between 34º and 36º S, parallel to the Andes, with a maximum altitude of 3833 m a.s.l (summit of Cerro
Nevado). In the lower part of this range, the vegetation is a shrub steppe of Neosparton aphyllum Gillies and
Hook (Verbenaceae) and Sporobolus rigens (Trinius) Desvaux (Gramineae) on sandy and basaltic soils. At
medium level (volcanic plateau) the steppe is characterized by Adesmia pinnifolia Gillies ex Hook. and Arn.
(Fabaceae) and Anarthrophyllum rigidum Hieronymus (Leguminosae). The top level has low vegetation with
Panthacantha ameghinoi Spegazzini (Solanaceae) as a dominant species (Flores & Carrara 2006).
Orobothriurus grismadoi was caught in pitfall traps located in P. ameghinoi habitat between 2900–3130 m
a.s.l. Among the 21 individuals sampled, two were sampled in early summer (16-XII-04 and 7-I-06). The
remaining individuals (most of them adults) were caught in late summer (25-II-06). Pitfall traps were located
in sites with vegetation. No pitfall traps were located above 3200 m a.s.l where vegetation is absent. Thus, it is
possible that O. grismadoi is present at higher altitudes, as other members of the genus can reach 4000 m in
the Andes. Although there were traps set in the same sites, the previous year, there were no individuals of O.
grismadoi caught.
Orobothriurus alticola (Pocock 1899)
Figs. 2, 18–19, 25–35, Table 2
Bothriurus alticola Pocock 1899: 357–358, Fig. 1. Lowe & Fet 2000 (Complete syonymic list until 1998). Acosta 2002:
176, 177; Acosta 2005: 1, 2, 8, 9 12. Acosta & Ochoa 2000: 135, 136, 143; Acosta & Ochoa 2001: 203–205, 208,
209. Ojanguren-Affilastro 2005: 176, 178, 179, 180, 220, 241.
Type material. Syntypes: ARGENTINA, Mendoza Province , Puente del Inca, 32º49’9.15”S, 69º55’1.82”W, 2721 m
a.s.l., 1 male, 1 female (BMNH).
New synonym: Cercophonius brachycentrus bivittatus Thorell 1877: 183. Acosta 2005 (Complete list of synonyms until
III/2005); Acosta 2006: 20–21. Ojanguren-Affilastro 2005: 181–183, 220, 241. ICZN 2008: 69–70.
Type material. Holotype: ARGENTINA, San Juan, juvenile (NRS).
Additional material: ARGENTINA, San Juan Province, Cerro El Tontal, path to radio anthem,
31º31’24.7’’S, 69º12’23.3’’W, 3600 m a.s.l., A. A. Ojanguren-Affilastro, L. Compagnucci & L. Piacentini
coll., 25/I/2006, 8 males, 4 females, 9 juveniles (MACN-Ar); between Paso de Agua Negra and Aduana, Vega
and surrounds, 30º17’33.1”S 69º46’45.6”W, 4005 m a.s.l., C. Mattoni & A. Ojanguren coll., 27/I/2005, UV
sampling, 2 males and 2 females (AMNH); (same data) 2 males and 2 females (CDA); (same data) 4 males, 4
females, 2 juveniles (MACN-Ar). Mendoza Province, Laguna Diamante, 34º11´47,22", 69º22´29,4", 3344 m
a.s.l., F. Fernández Campón & S. Lagos Silnik coll., 17/II/2005, 11 males (MACN-Ar); 34º14' 24,48", 69º30'
22,08", 3573 m a.s.l., 17/II/05, 5 males, 1 female, 5 juveniles, (IADIZA) ; 34º11´50,16"S; 69º32´10,32"W,
3398 m a.s.l., 24/II/06, 26 males, 1 female, 1 juvenile, (IADIZA) ; 34º 14´22,86", 69 30´27,96", 3574 m a.s.l.,
24/II/06, 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, (IADIZA) . Las Cuevas, 32º 48´34,98", 70 04´16,44", 3329 m a.s.l., F.
Fernández Campón & S. Lagos Silnik coll., 26/II/06, 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile, (IADIZA). Puente del Inca,
Mendoza, (2700 m a.s.l., G. Flores & J.A. Ochoa coll., 15/XII/2001, 1 juvenile (IADIZA).
Remarks. Acosta (2005) made an excellent taxonomic and historic revision of Orobothrius bivittatus. He
deduced the actual type locality of O. bivittatus, somewhere in the Tontal mountain chain. He studied the
species holotype, a poorly preserved juvenile, as well as a single adult male specimen collected by him in this
area. Based on this material he considered O. bivittatus as a valid species closely related to O. alticola. Later,
Acosta (2006) applied to the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to designate as a
neotype the recently collected adult male, to replace the juvenile holotype, which does not show many
diagnostic features (including the hemispermatophore). The proposed replacement of the holotype was not
accepted by the ICZN, because the original material still exists and, according to them, there is no exceptional
need to designate a neotype (ICZN, 2008).
However, when trying to support the recognition of O. bivittatus as a different species (separated from O.
alticola), Acosta (2005: p. 8) stated:
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.36 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
“Similarities concern both the pigment pattern and the external morphology, being difficult indeed to find
a sharp morphological discrimination. Only the hemispermatophore provides reliable differences. The fact
that just one male of O. bivittatus is hitherto available – i.e. variability remains unknown – lessens to some
extent the strength of these conclusions, but the differences encountered, together with the apparent
geographical isolation, support the latter being regarded as an independent entity.”
FIGURES 16–19. Left hemispermatophore. 16, 17. Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp. 16. Internal aspect; 17. External
aspect. 18. Orobothriurus alticola, (El Tontal, San Juan province, Argentina), external aspect, showing the distal lamina
measures analyzed: A= apex length, B= distal lamina length. 19. Orobothriurus alticola, (Puente Del Inca, Mendoza
province, Argentina), external aspect, showing the angle (C) between apex and distal lamina base. Scale bars: 1mm.
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 37
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
FIGURES 20–34. Left hemispermatophores, distal lamina, external aspect. 20–24. Orobothriurus grismadoi n. sp.. 25–
34. Orobothriurus alticola. 25. Puente del Inca, Mendoza province, Argentina; 26–28. Paso del Agua Negra, San Juan
province, Argentina; 29. Laguna Diamante, Mendoza province, Argentina; 30–34. El Tontal, San Juan province,
Argentina. Scale bars: 1mm.
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.38 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
Acosta (2005) mentioned several differences between O. alticola and O. bivittatus: (1) the apex of the
hemispermatophore is proportionally shorter in O. alticola than in O. bivittatus, representing a 38% of the
total length of the distal lamina in the first species and a 47% in O. bivittatus, this being the most remarkable
difference between species. He also mentioned that in O. bivittatus the upper margin of the frontal crest forms
a spur like projection that is not present in O. alticola. (2) Orobothriurus alticola males bear VSM carinae on
metasomal segment II that are absent in O. bivittatus. (3) Orobothriurs alticola has metasomal segment IV
with 6 VSM macrosetae whereas O. bivittatus bears 8. (4) Orobothriurus alticola males measures 27 to 31.5
mm, whereas the single specimen of O. bivittatus was only 24.4 mm.
In a recent trip to the Tontal mountain chain we have collected several specimens of Orobothriurus in the
same area where Acosta collected the single adult specimen mentioned in his publication. This new material
allowed us to assess the morphological variability of the population. Acosta (2005) did not gave details about
the protocol used to measure the distal lamina of the hemispermatophore and its apex, neither did he give a
range of variability of hemispermatophore relative length in O. alticola although he had access to several
specimens of this species. Since there is some degree of variability in the shape and size of the
hemispermatophore apex in Orobothriurus species, a figure showing the way we measured this structure (Fig.
18) is presented, as well as photos of hemispermatophores of several O. alticola specimens from different
Andean populations, and from the Orobothriurus population of El Tontal (Figs. 25
─
34). We measured the
total length of the distal lamina and the apex of the distal lamina. We found that in Andean O. alticola
specimens the apex represents a 40.87 to 45.33% of the total length of the distal lamina (N=11, media=43.16),
whereas in the specimens from the Tontal it represents a 43.58 to 46.08 % (N=8, media=44.46). The ANOVA
statistical analyses of the relation length of the apex / length of distal lamina, including measures from O.
grismadoi as well, cannot distinguish any differences between the populations (Table 2). There are not
significant differences also between O. alticola specimens from El Tontal and from the Andes regarding the
angle between the apex and the distal lamina (Fig. 19), (Table 2). The spur like projection of the frontal crest
is present in some specimens from El Tontal as well as in some specimens of Andean populations of O.
alticola (Figs. 25
─
34).
TABLE 2. Results of ANOVA one-way analyses assessing variability between hemispermatophore of different
Orobothriurus populations. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. Letters in bold indicate results from
Tukey-Kramer Multiple-Comparison Test: equal letters mean homogeneous groups. Abbreviations: F= F-ratio ANOVA
statistic; P= probability of equal medians (*indicates significant differences); N= sample size.
Males of O. alticola of Andean localities, as well as specimens from El Tontal usually do not bear VSM
carinae in metasomal segment II, however some specimens in both populations have vestigial VSM carinae.
The VSM setae of metasomal segment IV vary from 6 to 8 in specimens from El Tontal (N=21;
median=7), and in Andean specimens of O. alticola they vary from 6 to 9 (N=12; median=7).
Orobothriurus grismadoi Orobothriurus alticola
(Andean specimens) Orobothriurus alticola
(El Tontal specimens)
Relation apex/lamina 0.442±0.009 0.432±0.014 0.445±0.010
N 7 11 8
F= 3.19, P= 0.06 AAA
Angle apex-lamina base
(on degrees) 137.14±1.96 141.21±2.22 142.20±2.79
N 5 5 5
F= 6.50, P= 0.012* A B B
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 39
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
FIGURE 35. Map of central Argentina showing the known distribution of the Orobothriurus species of the area.
Total length of males specimens from El Tontal studied by us ranges from 25 to 31 mm (N=8; media=27.80
mm), whereas the total length of O. alticola males ranges from 26.9 to 31.5 mm (mean=28.7 mm) in
specimens from Puente del Inca, from 27.1 to 31.5 mm (mean 28.9 mm) in specimens from Paso del Agua
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.40 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
Negra (Acosta 2005); and from 32 to 36.5 mm in specimens from Laguna Diamante (N=11; mean 34.1 mm).
Acosta (2005) mentioned that the tergite VII of the adult male specimen from El Tontal he studied was
almost completely covered by pigment, without a median unpigmented stripe. This is an unusual
characteristic in this genus that could be a strong diagnostic character (Ochoa 2004). However, only 3 of the
21 specimens from El Tontal revised by us share this character, being the rest of the specimens similar to the
Andean specimens of O. alticola.
The specimens of Orobothriurus from El Tontal we studied were collected in the same area, altitude, and
environment as the Acosta’s adult male specimen. The morphological characteristics of El Tontal specimens
are similar to those of the specimens studied by Acosta, and no sympatric species are known to occur in this
genus. Therefore we consider El Tontal and Acosta’s specimens to the be the same species. According to our
results Orobothriurus specimens from El Tontal cannot be distinguished from the Andean specimens of O.
alticola, so we decided to consider them as belonging to the same species, therefore synonymising O.
bivittatus with O. alticola. The name Orobothriurus bivittatus (Thorell 1877) should have priority over
Orobothriurus alticola (Pocock 1899). However this change would threaten nomenclatural stability (Acosta
2002; ICZN 2004) so the name O. alticola should be preserved over O. bivittatus.
In upper level of El Tontal mountain chain O. alticola is sympatric with Brachistosternus montanus Roig
Alsina 1977, this being the first record of this species in the Precordillera. This Andean species of scorpion
occurs in the same altitudes and environments as O. alticola, and has a similar distribution in the Andean
sector of central western Argentina (Ojanguren Affilastro 2003b, 2005).
Comments: Because of the high distance that separates it from the Andes mountain chain (200 km), the
upper level of the Nevado orographic system is an area of endemism for high altitude arthropod fauna, with
closely related species found at high altitude locations in the Andean range. Roig-Juñent et al. (2007) have
described a species of carabid beetle, Cnemalobus nevado Roig-Juñent et al. 2007, from the same sites where
O. grismadoi was collected. Its sister species, Cnemalobus diamante Roig-Juñent et al. 2007, occurs in high
altitude locations in the Andean range (Laguna Diamante, Mendoza) (Roig-Juñent et al. 2007). Another
closely related species, Cnemalobus mendozensis Roig-Juñent 1993, inhabits the plateau connecting both high
altitude sites (Roig-Juñent 1993). Other endemics to the Nevado are carabid beetles such as Baripus nevado
Roig-Juñent et al. 2008, Trechisibus nevadoi Roig-Juñent & Sallenave 2005 (Roig-Juñent et al. 2008), and
tenebrionid beetles of the genus Nyctelia Latreille, 1925 (Flores & Carrara 2006) and Falsopraocis Kulzer,
1958 (Flores, 2000).
The upper level of the Tontal orographic system could also be considered as another area of endemism for
high altitude arthropod fauna, with one species of tenebrionid beetle recently described for that area,
Psectracselis argentina Flores 2007 (Flores 2007). However, our results show that this is not the case for
scorpions, with both east Andean scorpion species known from this latitude present in the Tontal (O. alticola
and B. montanus). Even if nowadays the Puna and high Andean vegetation of the upper level of the Tontal
(where both species are restricted) are isolated from that of the Andes, the distance that separates both is only
about 50 km (Fig. 35), (compared to the 200 km that separate the Nevado from the Andes), with an area of
intermediate altitude between them. This could have favoured the flow of the scorpion fauna between both
areas up to a recent past.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Luis Compagnucci and Luis Piacentini for their help during the fieldwork. We would also
like to thank Rodolfo Carrara, Gustavo Flores, Sergio Roig-Juñent and people in the Entomology Laboratory
at IADIZA for providing bibliography and for their help during the fieldwork in the Andes. This research was
supported by a doctoral and a postdoctoral grant from the Argentinean Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones
Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) to the first author. Fieldwork in Argentina was financially supported by
the following sources: C.I.M. and A.A.O.A. (2005) from the AMNH; A.A.O.A. (2006) from CONICET grant
Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press · 41
THE GENUS OROBOTHRIURUS IN CENTRAL ARGENTINA
PIP 6502 and Diversity of Arthropods of Mountain Habitat from West-Central Argentina grant (PICT 01-
11120). C.I.M. is a researcher of CONICET. Finally we deeply thank to Idea Wild Foundation for providing
field equipment to A.A.O.A and C.I.M. We are also grateful to the reviewers Lionel Monod and José Ochoa
(both at AMNH) who were very helpful to improve the manuscript.
References
Acosta, L. E. (2002) Case 3213. Bothriurus alticola Pocock, 1899. (Arachnida, Scorpiones): proposed precedence of the
specific name over the subspecific name of Cercophonius brachycentrus bivittatus Thorell 1877. Bulletin of
Zoological Nomenclature, 59(3), 176–179.
Acosta, L. E. (2005) Rediscovery of Orobothriurus bivittatus (Thorell 1877) stat. n., comb. n. in the Sierra del Tontal,
Argentina (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae). Zootaxa, 916, 1–15.
Acosta, L. E. (2006) Case 3332. Cercophonius brachycentrus bivittatus Thorell, 1877 (currently Orobothriurus
bivittatus; Arachnida, Scorpiones): replacement of the holotype by the designation of a neotype. Bulletin of
Zoological Nomenclature, 63(1), 20–22.
Acosta, L. E. & J. A. Ochoa. (2000) Nueva especie de Orobothriurus, Maury, del Perú. (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae).
Revue Arachnologique, 13(10), 135–144.
Acosta, L. E. & J. A. Ochoa. (2001) Two new species of Orobothriurus Maury 1976, from Argentina and Peru, with
comments on the systematics of the genus (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae). In Fet, V. & Selden, P. A. (eds.). Scorpions
2001. In memoriam Gary A. Polis. Pp. 203–214. Burnham Beeches, Bucks: British Arachnological Society.
Lowe, G., & Fet, V. (2000) Family Bothriuridae Simon, 1880. In V. Fet, W.D. Sissom, G. Lowe, and M. E. Braunwalder,
Catalog of the Scorpions of the World (1758–1998). (pp. 17–53). New York: New York Entomological Society.
Flores, G. (2000) Systematics of the Andean genera Falsopraocis and Antofagapraocis gen. n. (Coleoptera:
Tenebrinidae) with descriptions of two new species. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 108(1–2), 52–
75.
Flores, G. (2007) Two new species of Psectrascelis (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from western Argentina. Revista de la
Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 66(3–4), 91–97.
Flores, G. & R. Carrara. (2006) Two new species of Nyctelia Latrielle, from western Argentina with zoogeographical and
ecological remarks on the high mountain habitat (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Annales Zoologici (Warsawa), 56(3),
487–495.
Francke, O. F. (1977) Scorpions of the genus Diplocentrus Peters from Oaxaca, Mexico. Journal of Arachnology, 4, 145–
200.
ICZN (International Committee of Zoological Nomenclature) (2004) Opinion 2074 (Case 3213). Bothriurus alticola
Pocock, 1899. (Arachnida, Scorpiones): specific name given precedence over the subspecific name of Cercophonius
brachycentrus bivittatus Thorell 1877. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 61(2), 124–125.
ICZN (International Committee of Zoological Nomenclature) (2008) Opinion 2191 (Case 3332). Cercophonius
brachycentrus bivittatus Thorell, 1877 (currently Orobothriurus bivittatus; Arachnida, Scorpiones): proposed
replacement of the holotype by the designation of a neotype not accepted. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature,
65(1), 69–70.
Mattoni, C. I. & Acosta, L. E. (2005) A new species of Bothriurus from Brazil (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae). Journal of
Arachnology, 33 (3), 735–744.
Maury, E. A. (1976) Escorpiones y escorpionismo en el Perú V. Orobothriurus, un nuevo género de escorpiones
altoandinos (Bothriuridae). Revista Peruana de Entomología, 18(1), 14–25.
Morrone, J. J., Roig-Juñent, S. & Flores, G. (2002) Delimitation of biogeographic districts of central Patagonia, based on
beetle distributional patterns (Insecta, Coleoptera, Carabidae and Tenebrionidae). Revista del Museo Argentino de
Ciencias Naturales n. s., 4(1), 1–6.
Ochoa, J. A. 2004. Filogenia del género Orobothiurus y descripción de un nuevo género de Bothriuridae (Scorpiones).
Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 9, 43–73.
Ochoa J. A. & Acosta, L. E. (2002) Orobothriurus atiquipa, a new Bothriurid species (Scorpiones) from Lomas in
southern Peru. Journal of Arachnology, 30, 98–103.
Ochoa J. A. & Acosta, L. E. (2003) Una nueva especie de Orobothriurus del Santuario Nacional de Ampay, Apurimac,
Perú. Revista Peruana de Entomología, 43, 1–6.
Ojanguren-Affilastro, A. A. (2003a) Un Nuevo Orobothriurus (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) de la region de Atacama,
Chile. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 7, 117–122.
Ojanguren-Affilastro, A. A. (2003b) Las especies andinas del género Brachistosternus (Letosternus) con la descripción
de tres nuevas especies. Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, 8, 23–36.
OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ET AL.42 · Zootaxa 2209 © 2009 Magnolia Press
Ojanguren-Affilastro, A. A. (2005) Estudio monográfico de los escorpiones de la República Argentina. Revista Ibérica
de Aracnología, 11,75–241.
Pocock, R. I. 1899. Scorpions and Spiders. InE. A. Fitzgerald. The Hihest Andes. A record of the first ascent of
Aconcagua and Tupungato in Argentina, and the exploration of the surrounding valleys. (Appendix C. Notes on the
natural history of the Aconcagua Valleys), pp. 356–360. New York: Charles Srcibner’s Sons.
Roig-Juñent, S. (1993) Cnemalobini, una tribu de Carabidae (Coleoptera) endémica de América del Sur. Acta
Entomológica Chilena, 18, 7–18.
Roig-Juñent, S. & Sallenave, S. (2005) Una nueva especie de Trechisibus de la Argentina (Coleoptera: Carabidae).
Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina, 64(3), 87–92.
Roig-Juñent, S., Carrara, R., Ruiz-Manzanos, E., Agrain, F., Sackmann, P. & Tognelli, F. M. (2007) Phylogenetic
relationships and biogeographic considerations of four species of Cnemabolus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from
Patagonia. Insect Systematics and Evolution, 38(2), 1–26.
Roig-Juñent, E., Agrain, S., Carrara, R., Ruiz-Manzanos, & Tognelli, F. M. (2008) Description and phylogenetic
relationships of two new species of Baripus (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Broschini) and considerations regarding
patterns of speciation. Annals of Carnegie Museum, 77(1), 211–227.
Thorell, T. (1877) Sobre algunos arácnidos de la República Argentina. Periódico Zoológico, (Sociedad Zoológica
Argentina: Buenos Aires), 2, 201–218.
Vachon, M. (1973) [1974]. Étude des caractères utilisés pour classer les familles et les genres de scorpions (Arachnides).
1. La trichobothriotaxie en arachnologie. Sigles trichobothriaux et types de trichobothriotaxie chez les scorpions.
Bulletin du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (Paris), 3º serie, 140, 857–958.
