Vaejovis gravicaudus Williams 1970

Vejovis gravicaudus Williams, 1970b: 325-331, fig. 29-30; Stahnke, 1974a: 135.
Vaejovis gravicaudus: Díaz Najera, 1975: 6, 14; Williams, 1980: 55, 61-62, fig. 65, 66; Sissom, 1991a: 215-217; Kovarík, 1998: 147; Beutelspacher, 2000: 88, 136, 137, 153, map 61 (part);Sissom, 2000:533; Hendrixson 2001: 49; Soleglad & Fet, 2003a: 8, 161, figs. 6, 69.
Vejovis spinigerus (MIS: part): ?Kraepelin, 1901: 274; Díaz Najera, 1964: 21.

HOLOTYPE:  Male (CAS, Type No. 10418), 34.4 km W Los Aripes, Baja California Sur, México, 25-VII-1968, S. C. Williams, J. Bigelow, M. M. Bentzien.  .

Original description:
Vejovis gravicaudus Williams, 1970b: 325-331, fig. 29-30

Subsequent Accounts:
Stahnke 1974a (Vejovis gravicaudus):
Williams 1980 (Vaejovis gravicaudus):

"Diagnosis. Adults to 65 mm long. Base color of body brownish yellow with underlying dusky markings; two pairs of more or less obsolete dark longitudinal stripes on mesosomal dorsum, two pairs more or less distinct stripes underlying ventromedian and ventrolateral keels of metasoma; pedipalp fingers similar to palm in color; pedipalp with palm slightly swollen, palm keels obsolete, palm smooth and agranular; ratio of movable-finger length to carapace length 0.8-0.9; ratio of chela length to palm width 3.1-4.3; ratio of movable-finger length to palm width 2. 1-2.6; supernumerary granules 6 on fixed finger, 7 on movable finger, movable finger with primary row of denticles subdivided into six subrows by five slightly enlarged denticles, movable finger with most proximal supernumerary granule not paired with adjacent enlarged denticle in primary row; pedipalp fixed finger with primary row of denticles separated into 6 subrows of denticles by five slightly enlarged denticles; fixed finger with proximal supernumerary granule closely paired with adjacent enlarged denticle in primary row; pectine teeth 19-23 in females, 24-27 in males. Metasoma with ventrolateral keels greatly reduced and smooth, ventromedial keels obsolete, segment IV with depth distinctly greater than depth of segment I.
Similar to Vaejovis spinigerus but differs as follows: mature female with vesicle distinctly more hirsute, mature male with vesicle distinctly less hirsute; larger proximal space between fingers when chela closed; dorsal stripes on mesosoma not distinct (even in young instars)."

Distribution: NORTH AMERICA. México (Baja California Norte, Baja California Sur -  El Marmol south to La Paz and following islands: Tiburon, San Marcos, Carmen, San Jose, and San Francisco).

Published Records: Paratypes: 13M, 15F (CAS; including F allotype), same locality as holotype; 170 specimens (CAS), numerous localities in Baja California Sur, México. Baja California Norte, Mexico: 37 km S El Marmol, Rancho San Luis, 12-1-1965 (Roth. AMNH). Baja California Sur: 26 km S Santa Rosalia. 19-IV-I969 (Williams); Isla San Marcos, SW end, 19-III-1971 (Lee); San Ignacio, 24-VI-1968 (Williams, Cazier); 29 km S Mulege, 20-IV-1969 (Williams); Bahia Concepcion, El Coyote, 17-11-1966 (Roth, AMNH); 1.6 km SW Rancho Canipole. 15-V-1969 (Williams); 6.4 km W La Purisima, l-VII-1968 (Williams. Cazier): 39 km NE San Jose de Comondu, 15-V-1969 (Williams); 8.0 km S Loreto, 16-V-1969 (Williams): 0.8 km W Rancho Las Parras, 26-V-1970 (Lee, Williams); Isla Carmen, Puerto Balandra, 24-V-1970 (Williams. Lee): Puerto Nopalo, 12-IV-1962 (Belvedere Expedition): Rancho Chenque, N Puerto Escondido, 7-IV-1962 (Belvedere Expedition); 6.4 km S Mision San Javier, 18-V-1969 (Williams); Isla San Jose, SW side, 19-V-1970 (Williams, Lee); Isla San Francisco, S end, 10-IV-1974 (Banta), Sonora: Agua Dulce Bay, Tiburon Island, 18-111-1962 (Wiggins).

Notes: Beutelspacher's (2000) listing of V. gravicaudus from Isla Tiburon, Sonora is incorrect. The specimens are referable to V. spinigerus (Wood)(Sissom 1992, pers. obs.).
Williams (1980): "Commonly encountered in rocky habitats. This species was most abundant in samples taken in the bottoms of canyons and washes where outcrops of volcanic rock and moderately packed soils were adjacent to each other.