Genus Vejovoidus Stahnke 1974

Synonymy.

Vejovoidus Stahnke, 1974: 120-121; type species Syntropis longiunguis Williams, 1969 [=Vejovoidus longiunguis (Williams, 1969)].

REFERENCES:

Vejovoidus: Williams, 1980: 112, fig. 110; Francke, 1985: 14, 18, 21; Sissom, 1990a: 110, 114; Stockwell, 1992: 409, 416, 419, fig. 56, 57; Kovarík, 1998: 148; Beutelspacher, 2000: 55, 116; Ponce Saavedra & Beutelspacher, 2001: 20; Sissom, 2000: 552; Soleglad & Fet, 2003a: 15, 31, 33, 36, 67, 144, 163, 164, figs. 66, 79, 80, D-5, Tabs. 3, 4, 9.

Vaejovoidus (ISS): Nenilin & Fet, 1992: 10.

Description. - The genus Vejovoidus is a very distinctive, it's sole member easily recognized by the following characters: 

Prosoma. –  Anterior carapacial margin straight. 

Mesosoma. – Pectinal tooth counts 28-35 in males, 24-31 in females.  All female pectinal teeth similar in size and shape, and with sensorial areas. 

Metasoma. –  Dorsal carinae of segments I-IV with an angular termination; terminal denticles distinctly enlarged.  All segments with single ventromedian carina, this usually absent on I-II. Segment V with ventromedian carina linear throughout (i.e., not distally bifurcated). 

Chelicerae. –  Ventral margin of the cheliceral movable finger smooth to feebly crenulate; fixed finger carina with several small ventral denticles.  Serrula of movable finger absent. 

Pedipalps. –  Patella:  Inner face with basal tubercles moderately developed; inner longitudinal carina present.  Chelal carinae:  Carinae moderately to well developed, dorsomarginal, dorsal secondary, ventroexternal, and ventromedian denticulate, others smooth.  Chela dentition: Terminal denticles moderately large, conically shaped.  Chela fixed finger with primary denticle row divided into eight to nine subrows of denticles, these are flanked by seven to eight inner accessory denticles.   Chela movable finger with primary denticle row divided into eight to ten subrows of denticles, these flanked by eight to nine inner accessory denticles. Denticles of denticle row subconical to peglike, subserrate. 

Trichobothrial Pattern.  Patella with two ventral trichobothria along ventroexternal carina (the third ventral trichobothrium is positioned on the external face).  Chela with four ventral (V) trichobothria.  Chelal trichobothrium ib positioned at the base of the fixed finger. Trichobothrium est distinctly closer to et than to esb. 

Legs. – Basitarsi and telotarsi with distinct setal combs; telotarsi ventrally with a median row of small spinules that are flanked distally by a pair of slightly larger spinules; telotarsi very setose; ungues long and only slightly curved; dactyl poorly developed. 

Hemispermatophore. – No published observations exist. 

Included species. – V. longiunguis (Williams, 1968). 

Remarks. - This monotypic genus was created for V. longiunguis, an ultrapsammophile bearing remarkable tarsal adaptations for burrowing in shifting sand dunes of the Vizcaino Desert, Baja California Sur, where it is endemic and occurs in extremely high densities (Williams 1969).

Literature Cited:

Williams, S.C. 1969. A new species of Syntropis from Baja California Sur, Mexico with notes on its biology (Scorpionida: Vejovidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 45: 285–291.