Paruroctonus bantai (Gertsch & Soleglad, 1966)

Vejovis (Paruroctonus) bantai Gertsch & Soleglad, 1966: 6 (key), 20-23 (description), fig. 12, 22, 29; Williams & Hadley, 1967: 112; Williams, 1970a: 8.
Paruroctonus bantai: Williams, 1972: 3; Soleglad, 1972a: 75; Soleglad, 1973b: 355, tbl. 2; Stahnke, 1974a: 138; Williams, 1976: 2; Haradon, 1985: 27-29, 41, fig. 3-6; Kovarík, 1998: 143; Sissom, 2000:507.

type(s): Vejovis (Paruroctonus) bantai Gertsch & Soleglad: Holotype female (adult) from U.S.A., California, Inyo County, Saline Valley, Warm Springs Road, Station 94, from pit trap, 8 May 1960 (B . Banta). Depository: California Academy of Sciences (Type No. 10193).

Original Description:
Gertsch and Soleglad 1966

DIAGNOSIS: Near relative of boreus, readily distinguishable by following features: Pedipalps with thicker hands and shorter fingers. Cauda somewhat heavier in both sexes, and inferior median keels of fourth segment set with heavy granules for full length.
COLORATION: Available specimens hardened and presumably bleached by improper preservation, but pattern (fig. 12) similar in both sexes to that of boreus, except as noted. Base color pale yellow, with dusky pattern as follows: eyes and eye tubercles black; median eyes with small, W-shaped, black maculation little larger than area of tubercles, and with indistinct dusky shading running back in median groove; tergites I-VI of preabdomen with transverse dusky bands even less extensive than those of boreus, leaving wide pale stripe along posterior margins and along side margins; tergite VII with small dusky patch at base; cauda without contrasting markings above or below. Tip of sting red.
STRUCTURE: Similar to that of boreus in both sexes except as noted below. Males slightly smaller than females. Measurements given in table 2.
Carapace: Anterior margin essentially straight, lightly rounded in some specimens, with usual six rather long setae; breadth behind slightly less than length. Median eyes of average size, set on inconspicuous tubercles; width of median diad about one-fourth of width of carapace at that point (22/84). Granulation like that of boreus, with heavier and more numerous granules in males.
Preabdomen: Smooth except for rows of pale granules along side and posterior margins.
Cauda: Sculpturing of dorsal surface like that of boreus. Inferior lateral keels distinct and granulate on all segments, but those of sixth segment with fewer, larger granules than in boreus. Inferior median keels essentially obsolete on segments I and II, distinct and irregularly granulate on segment III, and heavily granulate on segment IV. Segment I-IV with 3-3-3-3 pairs of setae on inferior median keels. Segment V slightly longer than carapace in both sexes.
Telson: Somewhat stouter than that of boreus, with spine moderately curved and somewhat more than half as long as smooth vesicle.
Pectines: Similar to those of boreus in both sexes. Pectinal teeth of females 17, of males 23.
Chelicerae: Similar to those of boreus in both sexes. Keel on lower marginof movable finger crenulate, with four or five distinct rounded teeth. Lower margin usually with only one distinct tooth on weak lower margin.
Pedipalps: In both sexes short, with very heavy chelae and short fingers as shown in figure 29. Chela very heavy, with hand nearly as wide as long, as wide as length of fixed finger, and with all eight carinae distinct and granulated as in boreus. Inner keels of fingers lightly scalloped in females, more deeply scalloped at base in males.
Walking legs: Protarsi of third legs with row of six or seven long setae.

Subsequent Accounts:
Haradon, 1985

Diagnosis.—A species of subgenus Paruroctonus, boreus infragroup (cheliceral fixed digit with inferior carina extending proximally to level of bicusp; pectinal teeth 20-28 in males, 16-20 in females; pedipalp primary denticles, excluding proximal row, 28-35 on fixed finger, 37-49 on movable finger), and boreus microgroup (carapace length/cheliceral fixed digit length ratio 7.0-9.0; basitarsus II with mrs seta), differentiated by combination of: (1) pedipalp fingers in adult male deeply scalloped proximally, closed fingers form wide gap, in adult female weakly scalloped, closed fingers form narrow gap; (2) fuscous markings generally absent in interocular triangle and do not extend to posterior margin on tergites II-VI; (3) ventrolateral metasomal setae on IV 3, on V 4 or 6; (4) ventral metasomal setae I-IV 3,3,3,34; (5) dorsal metasomal setae I-IV 0,0,0,1; (6) ventrolateral metasomal carinae I-III granular; (7) ventral metasomal carinae I-III smooth to granular; (8) brachium with three long macrosetae on internal surface, dsm seta inconspicuous (Fig. 4); (9) pedipalp chelal macrosetae inconspicuous or absent (Fig . 3), except occasionally one short proximal on internal or ventrointernal carina, especially in females and juveniles.
Description.—Supplementing above diagnosis and Gertsch and Soleglad (1966: 20). Adult carapace lengths in males 4 .9-6 .2 mm, in females 5 .5-7.4 mm. Chelicera: fixed digit with denticles on inferior carina; on movable digit, superior distal tine elongate and curved, about 1 /2 as long as inferior distal tine. Trichobothria typical of genus in number and distribution. Humeral macrosetae: internals include one supramedial, three inframedials on proximal 3/5 ; four dorsals ; usually three external medials, middle seta smallest and occasionally absent . Chela: supernumerary denticles well developed, six on fixed finger, seven on movable finger. Basitarsi I-III: not conspicuously compressed laterally; superior setae on I 2+2 or 3+2, II 3+2 or 4+2, III 4+2; mrs seta on I-III stout, short and distinctly offset from superior setae. Telotarsal setae I-IV: proinferiors 1,2,2,2; two each promedials, prosuperiors, retrosuperiors, retromedials ; retroinferiors 1,1,2,2 ; retroinferior terminals 1-2,2,2,2. Ungues about 3/5 as long as telotarsus. Pectines in adult males extend to about 3/4 length of trochanter IV, in adult females to slightly beyond coxa IV or to about 1/3 length of trochanter IV. Telson setae: two long ventroanteriorly, two long at subaculear tubercle, others short or inconspicuous.

distribution: NORTH AMERICA. USA (California): Saline Valley and southern Death Valley. View Map

published records:  California: Warm Spring Road, Stations 90, 93-97, Saline Valley, Inyo County, April 3 to September 16, 1960 (B. Banta), four males, three females, from pit traps.

notes: Two  subspecies recognized: Paruroctonus bantai bantai (Gertsch & Soleglad 1966) and Paruroctonus bantai saratoga Haradon, 1985.