A new species of the genus Centruroides Marx (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from western Michoacán State, México using molecular and morphological evidence

Abstract

A new species of scorpion belonging to the genus Centruroides Marx, 1890 is described from the Coalcomán mountain range, western Michoacán State, Mexico. Its general aspect resembles Centruroides ruana Quijano-Ravell & Ponce-Saavedra, 2016, and C. infamatus (C. L. Koch, 1844), but it is a smaller species having lower pectinal tooth counts; also, males of C. ruana have the pedipalp chelae slightly thicker, whereas C. infamatus has a subaculear tubercle nearer to the base of the aculeus. Another species with similar aspect is Centruroides ornatus Pocock, 1902; however, a preliminary molecular analysis of the mitochondrial gene mRNA 16S showed genetic divergence (measured as p-distance) near to 10% between these species, and lower differences between the new species with respect to C. infamatus (4.63%) and C. ruana (5.07%). The molecular evidence together with the morphological characters (integrative taxonomy) are sufficient for recognizing the Coalcomán population as a separate and valid species.