Research on species composition, distribution and current status of scorpiones in the north central region of Vietnam

edge, without basal denticles; ventral edge with 4–5 reduced denticles and a moderate serrula; external distal denticle smaller than internal distal denticle; ventral aspect of fingers and manus with numerous macrosetae. Carapace: anterior margin only slightly depressed with a weakly marked concavity; lateral ocelli absent; median ocular tubercle represented by a smooth and only slightly depressed zone; median ocelli absent; interocular furrow obsolete. One pair of weakly marked circumocular sutures with a broad U-shaped configuration, also complete behind median ocular tubercle. Anteromedian and posteromedian furrows shallow; posterolateral furrow shallow, weakly curved; posteromarginal furrow narrow, shallow. Carapace almost entirely smooth, except for some very isolated granules anteriorly. Pedipalp segments apilose. Femur with five carinae, all moderate to weak; intercarinal surfaces smooth. Patella with six discernible carinae; ventrointernal carinae with some spinoid granules; intercarinal surfaces smooth. Chela with dorso-external and ventral carinae weakly marked; tegument smooth. Fixed and movable fingers strongly curved; dentate margins, each with median denticle row comprising seven oblique granular sub-rows; each subrow comprising several small granules and internal and external accessory granules. Trichobothria orthobothriotaxic, type D, d2 situated on dorsal surface, d3 and d4 in same axis of the femur, parallel and closer to the dorsoexternal carina than is d1, angle formed by d1, d3 and d4 opening toward the internal surface; totals: femur, 12 (5 dorsal, 4 internal, 3 external); patella, 10 (3 dorsal, 1 internal, 6 external); chela, 13 (5 on manus, 8 on fixed finger). Legs I to IV: tibiae without spurs; basitarsi each with a pair of pro- and retrolateral spurs; telotarsi each with several spinular setae, not clearly arranged in rows. Sternum pentagonal, type 1, strongly compressed horizontally, slightly longer than wide, external aspect not flat, with a concave region, posteromedian depression round. Pectines each with 3 distinct marginal lamellae and 7–8 well-delineated median lamellae in both sexes. Fulcra absent. Pectinal tooth count: 8–8 in males, 7– 7 in females. Genital operculum completely divided longitudinally; genital plugs observed in the male. Mesosoma: pre-tergites smooth and shiny; post-tergites II–VI smooth; granules totally absent; VII equally without granules and a pair of dorso-submedian and dorsolateral carinae, reaching posterior edge of segment. Sternites almost entirely smooth, acarinate; surfaces with scattered macrosetae; distal margins with sparse row of macrosetae; respiratory spiracles small, semi-oval to round. Metasoma with a few short macrosetae. Ten carinae on segments I to III; eight carinae on segment IV; four on segment V. Dorsosubmedian carinae moderately developed on segments I–IV, absent on segment V; spinoid granules absent. Other carinae moderately to weakly developed on segments I–V. Telson long and slightly bulbous in the male, slender in the female; vesicle smooth on all faces; aculeus shorter than vesicle and weakly curved, without a subaculear tubercle ventrally. Form of venom glands unknown, but most certainly similar to that of V. thienduongensis. Measurements (in mm) of male holotype and female paratype of Vietbocap quinquemilia. Total length 25.4/20.2. Carapace: length 3.2/2.5; anterior width 2.0/1.8; posterior width 3.3/2.7. Mesosoma length 7.4/6.1. Metasomal segments: I, length 1.2/1.0, width 1.6/1.2; II, length 1.4/1.2, width 1.4/1.0; III, length 1.6/1.3, width 1.3/0.9; IV, length 2.1/1.6, width 1.2/0.8; V, length 4.2/3.2, width 1.2/0.8, depth 1.1/0.8. Telson length 4.3/3.3; vesicle width 1.4/1.1, depth 1.2/0.9. Pedipalp: femur length 4.1/2.9, width 1.0/0.8; patella length 4.0/3.1, width 1.1/0.9; chela length 7.5/5.7, width 1.2/1.0, depth 1.1/0.9; movable finger length 4.4/3.4. Reports: Male: Sternum length/width, 1.4/ 1.2 = 1.17. Chela length/movable finger length, 7.5/4.4 = 1.70. Female: Sternum length/width, 1.1/1.0 = 1.10. Chela length/movable finger length, 5.7/ 3.4 = 1.68. 9 3.1.3.3. Species Vietbocap thienduongensis Lourenco & Pham, 2012 Diagnosis: Anterior margin of carapace only slightly depressed, with a weak concavity. Lateral ocelli absent. Pair of circumocular sutures complete in the posterior region to median ocular tubercle with a broad U-shaped configuration. Median ocelli absent; median tubercle represented by a smooth but not depressed zone. Anterosubmedial carinae absent from zone delimited by circumocular sutures. Type D trichobothrial pattern with 35 trichobothria per pedipalp: 12 on femur, of which 5 dorsal, 4 internal and 3 external (d1, d4, d5 and i4 extremely reduced); 10 on patella, of which 3 dorsal, 1 internal and 6 external (est extremely reduced); ventral surface without trichobothria; 13 trichobothria on chela, of which 5 on manus, 8 on fixed finger (ib2 extremely reduced); dorsal trichobothria of femur with ‘beta-like’ configuration. Sternum pentagonal, type 1, strongly compressed horizontally, slightly longer than wide, external aspect not flat, with a concave region, posteromedian depression round. Telotarsi each with several spinular setae, not clearly arranged in rows. Metasomal segment V with a weakly marked pair of ventrosubmedian carinae; no ventromedian carina between ventrosubmedian carinae. Fixed and movable fingers strongly curved; dentate margins each with median denticle row comprising seven oblique granular sub-rows; internal and external accessory granules at base of each sub-row. Respiratory spiracles small, semi-oval to round. Pro- and retrolateral pedal spurs present on legs I-IV. Tibial spurs absent from all legs. Material: Vietnam, Quang Binh Province, Phong Nha–Ke National Park, Thien Duong cave (17°31’10.3” N and 106°13’22,9E), initial section of the cave (750 m from the cave entrance), 18/V/2016 (T.-D Do, T.-H. Tran & T.-N. Nguyen), 2 females. Material deposited in the ‘Muse´ um national d’histoire naturelle’, Paris Description: General coloration yellow, less pale than on male for metasomal segments and telson; cheliceral teeth, telson tip, and rows of granules on pedipalp fingers dark reddish. Anterior margin of carapace only slightly depressed, with a concavity slightly stronger than that of male; carapace smooth, except for some isolate granules. Lateral ocelli absent. Pair of circumocular sutures complete in the posterior region to median ocular tubercle with a broad Ushaped configuration. Median ocelli absent; median tubercle represented by a smooth but not depressed zone. Anterosubmedial carinae absent from zone delimited by circumocular sutures; furrows obsolete. Chelicerae shorter in the female; dorsal edge of fixed finger with four denticles (basal, medial, subdistal, distal); ventral edge with 3–4 very reduced denticles; movable finger with three denticles (medial, subdistal, external distal) on dorsal edge, without basal denticles; ventral edge with 4–5 reduced denticles and a weak serrula; external distal denticle smaller than internal distal denticle; ventral aspect of fingers and manus with numerous macrosetae. Type-D trichobothrial pattern with 35 trichobothria per pedipalp: 12 on femur, of which 5 dorsal, 4 internal and 3 external (d1, d4, d5 and i4 extremely. reduced); 10 on patella, of which 3 dorsal, 1 internal and 6 external (est extremely reduced); ventral surface without trichobothria; 13 trichobothria on chela, of which 5 on manus, 8 on fixed finger (ib2 extremely reduced); dorsal trichobothria of femur with ‘‘beta-like’’ configuration. Sternum pentagonal, type 1, strongly compressed horizontally, slightly longer than wide, external aspect not flat, with a concave region, posteromedian depression round. Pectines each with 3–4 distinct marginal lamellae and 6–7 well- delineated median lamellae; fulcra absent; pectinal tooth count 7–7 and 7–8. Genital operculum completely divided longitudinally. Telotarsi each with several spinular setae, not clearly arranged in rows. Metasomal segment V with a weakly marked pair of ventrosubmedian carinae; no ventromedian carina between ventrosubmedian carinae; metasomal carinae better marked than on male. Pedipalps shorter than those of male; fixed and movable fingers strongly curved, but less than on male; dentate margins each with median 10 denticle row comprising seven oblique granular sub-rows; internal and external accessory granules at base of each sub-row. Respiratory spiracles small, semi-oval to round. Pro- and retrolateral pedal spurs present on legs I–IV. Tibial spurs absent from all legs. Telson long and less bulbous than on male; vesicle smooth on all faces; aculeus shorter. than vesicle and weakly curved without a subaculear tubercle ventrally. Form of venom glands extremely simples with a total absence of folds. Measurements (in mm) of female Vietbocap thienduongensis: Total length 23.9. Carapace: length 3.0; anterior width 2.0; posterior width 3.2. Mesosoma length 5.5. Metasomal segments: I, length 1.2, width 1.5; II, length 1.4, width 1.2; III, length 1.7, width 1.1; IV, length 2.2, width 1.1; V, length 4.3, width 1.0, depth 1.0. Telson length 4.6; vesicle width 1.4, depth 1.2. Pedipalp: femur length 4.0, width 1.0; patella length 3.8, width 1.2; chela length 7.5, width 1.2, depth 1.2; movable finger length 4.4. Reports: Sternum length/width, 1.2/1.2 = 1.00. Chela length/movable finger length, 7.5/4.4 = 1.70. 3.1.3.4. Species Vietbocap canhi Lourenco & Pham, 2010 Diagnosis: Cheliceral movable fnger with three denticles (medial, subdistal, external distal) on dorsal edge; external distal denticle smaller than internal distal denticle. Anterior margin of carapace depressed with a moderate concavity, posterior margin shallowly recurved. Lateral ocelli absent. Pair of circumocular sutures with a broad U-shaped confguration (diagnostic for family), only vestigial and incomplete in the posterior region to median ocular tubercle. Median ocelli absent; median tubercle represented by a smooth depressed zone. Anterosubmedial carinae absent from zone limited by circumocular sutures. Type D trichobothrial pattern (Soleglad and Fet 2001, 2003a) with 35 trichobothria per pedipalp: 12 on femur, of which fve dorsal, four internal and three external (d1, d4, d5 and i4 extremely reduced; i4 absent, in one specimen); 10 on the patella, of which three dorsal, one internal, six external (est extremely reduced; absent in one specimen); ventral surface without trichobothria; 13 on the chela, of which fve on manus, eight on fxed fnger (est displaced to cutting edge of fxed fnger); pedipalp femur dorsal trichobothria with ‘beta-like’ confguration. Sternum pentagonal, type 1, moderately compressed horizontally, markedly longer than wide, external aspect not flat, with a concave region, posteromedian depression round. Telotarsi each with several spinular setae not clearly arranged in rows. Metasomal segment V with a weakly marked pair of ventrosubmedian carinae; no ventromedian carina between ventrosubmedian carinae. Fixed and movable fngers strongly curved; dentate margins each with median denticle row comprising eight oblique granular subrows; internal and external accessory granules at base of each subrow. Respiratory spiracles small, semi-oval. Pro-and retrolateral pedal spurs present on legs I-IV. Tibial spurs absent from all legs. Materials: female, Vietnam, Quang Binh Province, Phong Nha–Ke National Park, Tien Son cave (106°16'E – 17°32'N); 3/III/2017 (Tran Thi Hang, Pham Dinh Sac), 2 females. Material deposited in the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources - Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Description: female Colour: General coloration yellowish to pale yellow; cheliceral teeth, telson tip and rows of granules on pedipalp fngers reddish-yellow to dark reddish Vietbocap canhi and Vietbocap thienduongensis are rather similar in morphology. However, the new species can be distinguished from V. canhi by a number of features: (i) bigger size and distinct morphometric values; (ii) complete and more strongly marked circumocular sutures; (iii) chela fingers proportionally shorter (ratios of chela length/movable finger length 7.1/4.2 = 1.69 for V. canhi and 8.3/4.6 = 1.80 for V. thienduongensis sp. n.) and with 8 subrows of granules vs. 7 sub-rows; (iv) sternum only slightly longer than wide (ratio 1.15 for V. canhi and 1.30 for V. thienduongensis; (v) metasomal segments less carinated and 11 granulated and with a weaker chaetotaxy; (vi) pedipalp carinae better marked; (vii) pectines shorter and more bulkier with 8 teeth. Measurements (in mm) of holotype and female: Total length 22,4/21,9mm; Total length 22.4/21.3. Carapace: length 2.9/2.8; anterior width 2.0/1.9; posterior width 3.2/3,0. Mesosoma length 5.5/6.0. Metasomal segments: I, length 1.3/1.1, width 1.4/1.2; II, length 1.4/1.2, width 1.3/1.1; III, length 1.5/1.3, width 1.2/1,0; IV, length 2.1/1.9, width 1.1/0.9; V, length 3.9/3.3, width 1.1/1,0, depth 0.9/0.9. Telson length 3.9/3.7; vesicle length 2.4/2.2, width 1.3/1.1, depth 0,9/0.8. Pedipalp: femur length 3.8/3.2, width 0.9/0.7; patella length 3.6/3.4, width 1.1/1,0; chela length 7.1/5.8, width 1.2/1.1, depth 1.0/1,0; movable fnger length 4.2/4,1. Reports: Sternum length/width, 1.2/1.2 = 1.00. Chela length/movable finger length, 7.5/4.4 = 1.70. Holotype: Chela length/movable finger length, 7.5/4.4 = 1.70; female: Chela length/movable finger length 1,73. 3.1.3.5. Species Euscorpiops sejnai Kovarık, 2000 Diagnosis: Euscorpiops sejnai exhibits the general characteristics of the genus Euscorpiops (Vachon, 1980; Lourenço, 1998). Total body length is medium in relation to other species of the genus. Total length for the studied adult male is 32.4 mm. The general coloration ranges from yellow-brown to reddish-brown. Body and pedipalps moderately slender. Internal aspect of patella with two small spinoid tubercles of similar size; internal aspect of chela with conspicuous spinoid granules. Trichobothrial pattern with three trichobothria on femur: dorsal, internal and external. Patella with 2 dorsal, 1 internal, 9 ventral and 18 external trichobothria in both sexes. Chelal manus with 4 ventral, 2 dorsal (Dt, Db), 2 internal (ib, it), 1 Est, 5 Et, 1 Esb and 3 trichobothria in the Eb series. Trichobothrium Eb3 is distal in relation to Eb2 and at the same level as Dt. Material: 1 male, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue province, Bach Ma National Park (16°13’454” N – 107°51’284” E), 398 m, 16/VI/2018 (Tran T. Hang), specimen found under a rock; 1 female, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue province, Bach Ma National Park (16°13’446” N – 107°51’265” E), 391 m, 16/VI/2018 (Tran T. Hang), specimen collected at small cave entrance (cave without a name). 1 male and 1 female. Male deposited in the collections of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. Female deposited in the collections of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Description: Coloration yellow-brown to reddish-brown. Carapace reddish-brown with paler zones on anterior and posterior edges and on furrows. Tergites yellow-brown with paler confluent zones. Metasomal segments reddish-brown with carinae darker; telson yellow; base of aculeus yellow and tip reddish. Chelicerae yellow with conspicuous variegated spots; these are better marked at the base of the teeth. Pedipalps reddish-brown; carinae and granulations on fingers fingers darker than chela manus. Legs brown-yellow. Venter globally yellow to reddish-yellow with some infuscations on sternite VII. Morphology. Carapace weakly granular, granulation better marked on the anterior edge; furrows moderately deep. Median eyes anterior to the middle of carapace; three pairs of lateral eyes, the third pair slightly smaller than the first two. Sternum pentagonal, slightly longer than wide. Tergites moderately granulated; granulation thin; VII with five carinae, moderately marked. Pectines large in male, reduced in female; pectinal tooth count 6-6 in male, 5-5 in female; fulcra absent in both sexes. Sternites almost smooth and punctate; sternite VII with vestigial carinae and little granulation. Metasomal segment I wider than long; segments II to V longer than wide; 10-8-8-8-7 carinae present on segments I-V; dorsal carinae on segments II-IV with a single moderately marked posterior spinoid granule; metasomal tegument weakly granulated; ventral carina on segment V with moderately marked spinoid granules. Telson vesicle with thin granulations on male and without granulations on female. Aculeus strongly curved on male, much less on female. Setation moderate to weak on metasomal segments and telson. Pedipalps: femur with dorsal internal, dorsal external, ventral internal and ventral external carinae strongly marked; tegument moderately granular. Patella with 12 dorsal internal, dorsal external, ventral internal, ventral external and external carinae strongly marked; two moderately marked spinoid granules of similar size present on internal aspect; tegument moderately granular. Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, ventral internal and ventral carinae strongly marked; tegument granulated dorsally and ventrally; internal aspect with conspicuous spinoid granules, less marked on female. Chelal fingers with two longitudinal series of granules, almost fused, a few inner and several outer accessory granules. Cheliceral dentition as defined for the Scorpionoidea (Vachon, 1963); 4-5 teeth on ventro-internal face of movable finger. Trichobothriotaxy type C, as shown in figures 4-10 (Vachon, 1974): see diagnosis for additional details. Morphometric values (in mm) of male topotype (values are not proposed for female because not a full adult). Total length (including telson) 32.4. Carapace: length 5.2; anterior width 3.3; posterior width 5.4. Mesosoma length 9.7. Metasomal segment I: length 1.6, width 1.9; II: length 1.9, width 1.7; III: length 2.0, width 1.5; IV: length 2.3, width 1.4; V: length 3.9, width 1.4, depth 1.5. Telson length 5.8. Vesicle: width 1.8, depth 1.7. Pedipalp: femur length 5.2, width 2.0; patella length 5.2, width 2.0; chela length 9.7, width 3.2, depth 2.3; movable finger length 4.4. 3.1.3.6. Species Euscorpiops dakrong Lourenco & Pham, 2014 Diagnosis: The new species exhibits the general characteristics of the genus Euscorpiops. Total body length medium to small relative to other species of the genus. Total length for adult males and female 27.3 and 25.7 mm, respectively. General coloration yellow to reddish–yellow. Body and pedipalps moderately slender. Internal aspect of patella with two small spinoid tubercles of similar size. Trichobothrial pattern with three trichobothria on femur: dorsal, internal and external. Patella with 2 dorsal, 1 internal, 9 ventral and 17 external trichobothria in both sexes. Chelal manus with 4 ventral, 2 dorsal (Dt, Db), 2 internal (ib, it), 1 Est, 5 Et, 1 Esb and 3 trichobothria in the Eb series. Trichobothrium Eb3 is distal in relation to Eb2. Sternum, type 2. Material: Female, Euscorpiops dakrong, colllected in Doi cave - Dakrong nature reserve, Quang Tri province (16°36'32,19"N 106°52'51,08"E) (Tran T. Hang), specimen collected at small cave entrance, deposited in the collections of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Description: Coloration yellow to reddish-yellow. Carapace reddish-yellow with paler zones on anterior edge and on furrows. Tergites reddish-yellow. Metasomal segments reddish-yellow; telson yellow; base of aculeus yellow and tip reddish. Chelicerae yellow with inconspicuous variegated spots, these better marked at the base of the teeth. Pedipalps reddish-brown; fingers darker than chela manus. Legs yellow. Venter globally yellow, without infuscations Morphology. Carapace moderately granular, granulation better marked in female; furrows oderately deep. Median eyes anterior to middle of carapace; three pairs of lateral eyes, the third pair only slightly smaller than the first two. Sternum pentagonal, wider than long. Tergites moderately granulated; VII with five carinae, moderately marked. Pectines very large in male, reduced in female; pectinal tooth count 7–7 in male, 6–5 in female; fulcra absent in both sexes. Sternites almost smooth and punctate; sternite VII with four weakly marked carinae and little granulation. Metasomal segment I wider than long; segments II to V longer than wide; 10–8–8–8–7 carinae present on segments I–V; dorsal carinae on segments II–IV with a single, strong, posterior spinoid granule; metasomal tegument weakly granulated; ventral carina on segment V with moderately marked spinoid granules. Telson vesicle smooth and without granulation. Setation weak on metasomal segments and telson. Pedipalps: femur with dorsal internal, dorsal external, ventral internal and ventral external carinae moderately marked; tegument moderately granular, better marked in the female. Patella with dorsal internal, dorsal external, ventral internal, ventral external and external carinae moderately 13 marked; two moderately marked spinoid granules of similar size present on the internal aspect; tegument moderately granular. Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, ventral internal and ventral carinae moderately marked; other carinae moderately to weakly marked; tegument granulated dorsally and ventrally. Chelal fingers with two longitudinal series of granules, almost fused, a few inner and several outer accessory granules. Cheliceral dentition as defined for the family; 4–5 teeth on the ventro-internal face of the movable finger. Trichobothriotaxy type C. Morphometric values (in mm) of the female /male holotype. Total length (including telson) 4,9/25.7. Carapace: length 3,8/3,7; anterior width 2,5/2,4; posterior width 4.0/4.1. Mesosoma length 8.4/8.3. Metasomal segment I: length 1.2/1.2, width 1.5/1.7; II: length 1.6/ 1.5, width 1.5/1.4; III: length 1,6/1.4, width 1.6/1.4; IV: length 2.2/1.9, width 1.2/1.3; V: length 3.4/3.3, width 1.1/1.2, depth 1.2/1.2. Telson length 3.2/3.2. Vesicle: width 1.2/1.2, depth 1.0/1.0. Pedipalp: femur length 3,2/3.3, width 1.31.3; patella length 3,4/3.6, width 1.5/1.5; chela length 6.9/6.8, width 2.6/2.5, depth 2,2/2.1; movable finger length 3.2/3.2. 3.1.3.7. Species Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) Diagnosis: Overall coloration in a shade of light brown. Dorsally round manus of pedipalps or at least the chela of one sex with length to width ratio higher than 2.2 or total length higher than 50 mm. Median ocular tubercle of carapace shallow, not raised above carapace surface; 2 pairs of lateral eyes; telotarsus with lateral lobes truncated. Telson with subaculear tooth. Type-C trichobothrial pattern, with 48 trichobothria per pedipalp: 3 on femur of which 1 dorsal, 1internal and 1 external; 19 on patella, of which 2 dorsal, 2 ventral, 1 internal and 13 external; 16 trichobothria on chela, of which 4 ventral, 2 dorsal, 10 external. Chela trichobothrium dt present. Sternum pentagonal, type 2. Respiratory spiracles oval to elip. Weak and short Pectines, pectinal tooth count: 6–8. Genital operculum pentagonal, smooth. As a single reproductive species, until now only females have been found. Materials: 1 female, Vietnam, Quang Binh province, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park (17°35'25,76"N 106°17'00,22"E), III/2017 and IX/2018 (Tran Thi Hang, Tran Thi Hang, Pham Dinh Sac), specimen found under a rock; Female deposited in the collections of the Vietnam National Museum of Nature of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology. Measurements (in mm) of female: Total length 31.1mm; Carapace: length 4.7; anterior width 2.8; Mesosoma length 13,5. Metasomal segments: I, length 1.6, width 1.1; II, length 1.8, width 1.1; III, length 1.8, width 1.0; IV, length 2.2, width 1.0; V, length 2.3, width 1.0. Telson: vesicle length 2.6, width 1.0, depth 0.9. Pedipalp: femur length 4.1, femur width 1.9; patella length 4.5, patella width 2.7; chela length 8.3, width 3.3; figer length 4.1. 3.1.3.8. Species Lychas mucronatus (Fabricius, 1798) Diagnosis: Generally reddish-yellow to reddishbrown with intense blackish variegated pigmentation. Total length about 40–65 mm in males and females. Male differs from female in having fngers of pedipalps proximally twisted. Sixth cutting edge on movable and fxed fngers of pedipalps, usually with 3 external granules each (rarely 2 or