Paruroctonus marksi Haradon 1984

Ve]ovis (Paruroctonus) auratus Gertsch and Soleglad 1966: 47 (in part, male from Pisgah Crater, San Bemardino Co., California).
Paruroctonus marksi Haradon 1984a: 215, fig. 12, 23-24, 31-34, 38, 39.

Paruroctonus marksi Haradon, female.  Photo by W.David Sissom

type(s):  Paruroctonus marksi Haradon 1984: Holotype male (adult) from U.S.A., California, Los Angeles County, approximately 7 miles N Littlerock, 0.5 miles N jct. Avenue O, along 90th Street E, 1 September 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks). Depository: California Academy of Sciences (CAS), Type No. 15061.

original description:
Paruroctonus marksi Haradon 1984a: 215, fig. 12, 23-24, 31-34, 38, 39:

"Description of male holotype (allotype). - Measurements: Table 3. Coloration: uniformly pale yellow. Carapace: anterior margin essentially straight; surface coarsely granular (lightly granular, somewhat glossy). Tergites: coarsely (lightly) granular posteriorly, essentially smooth (and somewhat glossy) anteriorly; weak medial carina on II-VI; five granular carinae on VII. Sternites: III-VII finely granular (glossy smooth) V, II with pair of granular (weak) carinae. Metasomal carinae: dorsals and dorsolaterals I-IV well developed, serrate, dorsolaterals V granular; ventrolaterals I-III lightly to moderately granular (smooth with few posterior crenulations), IV crenulate to serrate (posteriorly serrate), V dentate; ventrals I-III weakly granular and mainly posteriorly (essentially smooth), IV granular (granular posterior 1/3), V dentate. Metasomal setae: long, well developed; dorsals 0,1,1,2; dorsolaterals 0,1,1,2; laterals 1,0,0,0,2; ventrolaterals2 ,3,3,4-5,7-8; ventrals 3,4-5,4,4-5. Telson: lightly tubercular(smooth); eight pairs of long setae lateral and ventral surfaces. Pectines: extend to femur IV (to 1/3-1/2 length of trochanter IV). Chelicerae: one pigmented denticle, and several smaller unpigmented denticles, on inferior border of fixed digit; four to five denticles or crenulations on inferior border of movable digit. Humerus: all carinae well developed, granular; intercarinal surfaces lightly granular. Brachium: all carinae well developed, granular; intercarinal surfaces finely granular. Chela: eight major carinae well developed, moderately (weakly to moderately) granular; intercarinal surfaces very finely granular; primary denticles on fixed fingers 3,5,6,6,9-10,10-8, movable fingers 5-4,6,8,9,13-14,8-9. Basitarsi I-III: not compressed (lightly compressed) laterally; mrs seta on III set relatively close to superior setae; superior setae 5,5+2,5+2, with one or two extraneous setae. Telotarsal setae I-IV: proinferiors 1,2,2,2; promedials 2,2,2,2; prosuperiors 2,2,2,2; retrosuperiors 2,2,2,2; retromedials 2,2,2,2; retroinferiors 1,1,2,2; retroinferior terminals 2,2,2,2. Ungues I-IV: about 3/5 as long as telotarsus."

subsequent accounts:

distribution: NORTH AMERICA. UNITED STATES (sand dunes, western and central Mojave Desert in California). View Map

published records:  Paratypes. Population I. UNITED STATES: CALIFORNIA Los Angeles County - appzox. 7 mi. N Littlerock, 1 September 1972 (R. M. Haradon, L L. Marks), 15 males, 10 females (includes allotype) (CAS), 8.5 mi N Littlerock, 1 May 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks), 5 females (CAS), Alpine Butte, approx. 7 mi. N Pearblossom, 2 May1 972 (R. M. Haradon, J . L. Marks), 5 males, 11 females (CAS), Alpine Butte, 31 May 1972 (R. N. Haradon), 1 male, 2 females (CAS), Butte, 1 September 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks), 6 males, 4 females (CAS), approx. 5 N Pearblossom, 5 September 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks), 10 males (CAS), Piute Butte, approx. 12 mi. NNW Pearblossom,1 June 1972 (R. M. Haradon), 3 males, 3 females (CAS), Piute Butte, 3 May 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks), 5 males, 6 females (CAS), Piute Butte, 1 September 1972 (R. M. Haradon, J. L. Marks), 13 males, 3 females (CAS).  Population II. UNITED STATES: CALIFORNIA: San Bernardino County - 3 .5 mi. NE Barstow along road to Fort Irwin, 30 June 1977( R. M.H aradon, J. L. Marks), 3 males, 8 females (CAS), 7 mi. ENE Newberry, 18 May 1968 (M. A. Cazier et al.), 19 males, 30 females (CAS), 9 mi. ENE Newberry, 18 May 1968 (M. A. Cazier et al.), 1 female( CAS), 2 mi. N Newberry, 18 May 1968 (M. A. Cazier et al.), 4 males, 1 female( CAS), 0.8 mi. N Daggett, 16 April 1965 (V. Lee), 6 males, 1 female (CAS), Pisgah Crater, 12 April 1961 (Norris and Heath), 1 female (AMNH), Pisgah Crater, 19 November 1962 (Norris and Heath),2 males (AMNH), 7.6 mi. W Ludlow.16 October 1977 ( J. Hjelle, W. E. Savary), 6 males, 5 females (CAS).

notes:  Haradon (1984) offered the following diagnosis of this taxon: "A species in the baergi group of nominate subgenus Paruroctonus differentiated by: telotarsus III with two long retrosuperior setae, and two long retromedial setae (Fig. 12); basitarsus III with seven superior setae in two rows (five distal, two proximal), mrs seta stout and about 2/3 as long as and set relatively close to superior setae (Figs. 33-34); humeral macrosetae include three inframedials on proximal 3/5 of internal surface (similar to Fig. 15), and two medials on distal 3/5 of external surface (similar to Fig. 14); pedipalpal internal macrosetae include three on palm, two on movable finger, and one on fixed finger (Fig. 38); telson of adult male tubercular. Intragroup comparisons are presented in Table 4."  He noted the presence of two major populations of P. marksi. One population ("Population I") occurs in Los Angeles County, west of the Shadow Mountains of extreme western San Bernardino County, in the Little Rock Wash and Big Rock Wash drainage region. This population Haradon described as having the following attributes: six to eight ventrolateral setae on metasomal segment V (mode 7/7, 80% with 7/7 or fewer); primary denticles in rows 1-5 total on pedipalp fixed finger 28-34 (30.48 +/- 1.33, n = 67), movable Finger 37-45 (40.61 +/- 1.87, n = 66): adult carapace length in males 3.8-4.9 mm, females 4.3-5.0 mm.  The second population ("Population II") occurs in: San Bemardino County, east of the Shadow Mountains of extreme western San Bernardino County, in the Mojave River drainage area and associated dry lake dunes from Barstow eastward to Ludlow. Haradon described that population as having the following attributes: seven to nine ventrolateral setae on metasomal segment V (mode 8/8, 89% with 7/8 or more); primary denticles in rows 1-5 total on pedipalp fixed finger 31-40 (34.91 +/- 2.27, n = 34), movable finger 40-54 (45.56 +/- 2.88, n = 32); adult carapace length in males 4.8-5.2 mm, females 4.9-6.0 mm.
Etymology.-Paruroctonus marksi is named for a friend of mine, Joseph L. Marks, who has contributed much time and effort collecting scorpions, including many of the specimens upon which the description of this species is based.