Pseudouroctonus williamsi (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972)

Pseudouroctonus williamsi (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972)

Uroctonus williamsi Gertsch & Soleglad, 1972: 566, 579-580, fig. 11, 20, 34, 35, 125, 126; Soleglad, 1973b: 353.
Vejovis williamsi: Stahnke, 1974: 130, 136; Williams & Savary, 1991: 284.
Vaejovis angelenus (part): Williams, 1976: 2 (see note below).
Pseudouroctonus williamsi: Stockwell, 1992: 409; Kovarík, 1998: 145; Sissom, 2000:518.

type(s): Uroctonus williamsi Gertsch and Soleglad 1972 - Female holotype from Mission Gorge, 1 mi. W Padre Dam, 100 ft., San Diego County, California, July 7, 1969 (S. C. Williams, V. F. Lee), in collection of California Academy of Sciences (CAS, Type No. 11475)..

Original Description:
Gertsch and Soleglad 1972:

"DIAGNOSIS: Large, dusky brown, heavily granulated species similar to mordax except as follows: average size about 45 mm. with largest female 54 mm. long; median eye tubercle lying in front of middle of carapace; pectinal tooth count 11 for females, 13 for males; lower margin of movable finger of chelicera smooth; inferior lateral and median keels of basal segments of cauda prominent and granulated; keels on chela crenulate to heavily granulated; vesicle of sting considerably inflated at apex.
COLORATION: Of fully adult specimens as follows: carapace dark reddish brown, with granules on keels and eye tubercles blackish; preabdomen and cauda dusky brown; pedipalps dark reddish brown, quite shiny, with keels and fingers blackish; legs, sternites of preabdomen, chelicerae, and telson, except dark sting, yellowish. Immature specimens yellowish, with reddish brown pedipalps.
STRUCTURE: Similar in both sexes to that of mordax in basic features unless otherwise indicated. For measurements, see table 4.
Carapace: Entire surface covered thickly with large, round granules; coriaceous, with median grooves and posterior side depressions prominent and bordered by submarginal trench; frontal lobes with six stiff bristles. Frontal emargination a deep, rounded notch. Median eyes situated back about three-eighths of distance from front to posterior margin. Median eyes small, 0.34 mm., separated by full diameter. Lateral eyes (fig. 20) three, two large ones close together overhanging side margin; third eye small, inconspicuous, placed above second eye.
Preabdomen: All tergites quite coarsely granulated, except along basal strip, with heaviest granules along posterior edges; distinct traces of median keels present as rows of heavier granules on midline of tergites I-VI. Tergite VII granulose, with dorsal and lateral keels prominent, each set with heavy, rounded granules, and with many large granules in intercarinal spaces. Sternites smooth, shiny; sternite V with sides granulose and development of weak carinae in males, these much reduced in females. Shape of stigma ofmale as shown in figure 11.
Cauda: In both sexes widest at base and slightly narrowed at segment V. All caudal segments longer than wide; segment V, slightly longer than carapace. Keels on all surfaces prominent and granulated to give serrated appearance in lateral view; dorsal and superior lateral keels showing no prominent development of apical granules at posterior ends of series. Bristles on cauda short; three principal ventral pairs on all segments.
Telson: See figures 125, 126. Vesicle suboval, broader than fifth caudal segment, flattened above and inflated behind near sting, smooth above but with fine granulation below and on sides, provided with a few short bristles. Sting one-third as long as vesicle.
Pectines: Those of female: median piece twice as broad as long, with shallow, V-shaped indentation on frontal margin; pectin length less than twice that of median piece (40/23); middle lamellae, seven or eight; pectinal teeth, 11. Those of male with smaller, deeply indented median piece, which is about twic San Diego County, e as long as pectin (70/38); middle lamellae, six; pectinal teeth, 13.
Genital opercula: Like those of mordax.
Chelicerae: See figures 34, 35. Basic pattern like that of mordax but teeth short, rounded; lower margin ofmovable finger a smooth keel.
Pedipalps: In both sexes like those of mordax except as follows: frontal spurs on tibia of medium size, with prominent, pointed granules on each side bearing short seta; all keels on chela prominent, all granulated; superior keel finely crenulated as seen in lateral view; intercarinal spaces finely granulated above, smoother below.
Walking legs: Setation like that of mordax; tarsus with three thin spines on each side of ventral line of spinules."

subsequent accounts:

distribution: NORTH AMERICA. USA: (California:San Diego County).

Published Records: California: San Diego County: Mission Gorge, 1 mi. W Padre Dam, 100 ft., July 7, 1969 (S. C. Williams, V. F. Lee), three males and three immature females, in collection of California Academy of Sciences; Mission Gorge, March 31, 1940 (Earl Brown), female, in San Diego Museum; Wild Cat Canyon, August 9, 1962 (S. C. Williams), female probably this species from pit trap in burned area.

notes: Gertsch and Soleglad (1972) dedicated this species "to Dr. Stanley C. Williams, San Francisco State College, who has made numerous contributions to knowledge ofAmerican scorpions. Williams (1976) listed V. williamsi (Gertsch & Soleglad, 1972) as a junior synonym of V. angelenus (Gertsch & Soleglad, 1972). Later, Williams & Savary (1991) regarded them as separate species."

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