Redescription and lectotype designation of \u3cem\u3eVaejovis lapidicola\u3c/em\u3e Stahnke, 1940 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

The original description of the Arizona scorpion species Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 consists of a single paragraph. Furthermore, a holotype for this species was never designated. To remedy this, two syntypes of V. lapidicola were obtained for study. A male syntype is redescribed and designated the lectotype, and a female is assigned as a paralectotype. The taxonomic status of V. lapidicola is also confirmed

Malformed pedipalp finger dentition of the scorpion \u3cem\u3eSuperstitionia donensis\u3c/em\u3e (Scorpiones: Superstitioniidae)

A novel deformity of pedipalp finger dentition is presented from the scorpion Superstitionia donensis. This anomaly, present on the left pedipalp chela only, is herein described and discussed in regards to possible problems it could cause with species identification

Sky island \u3cem\u3eVaejovis\u3c/em\u3e: two new species and a redescription of \u3cem\u3eV. vorhiesi\u3c/em\u3e Stahnke (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

Two new scorpion species, Vaejovis cashi sp. nov. and V. feti sp. nov. are described and placed in the “mexicanus” group of the genus Vaejovis. These small scorpions were collected at high-elevations from the sky island archipelago of southern Arizona and New Mexico. Both new species are similar to V. vorhiesi Stahnke, a small mesic scorpion of the Huachuca and Santa Catalina Mountains. The original description of V. vorhiesi consists of a single uninformative paragraph and a holotype was never designated. This paper provides a redescription and lectotype designation for V. vorhiesi and describes the two new related species. All three species are illustrated and compared to closely related members of the Vaejovis “mexicanus” group; V. jonesi Stahnke, V. paysonensis Soleglad, and V. lapidicola Stahnke

Distribution and Conservation Genetics of the Cow Knob Salamander, Plethodon punctatus Highton (Caudata: Plethodontidae)

Being lungless, plethodontid salamanders respire through their skin and are especially sensitive to environmental disturbances. Habitat fragmentation, low abundance, extreme habitat requirements, and a narrow distribution of less than 70 miles in length, makes one such salamander, Plethodon punctatus, a species of concern (S1) in West Virginia. To better understand this sensitive species, day and night survey hikes were conducted through ideal habitat and coordinate data as well as tail tips (10 to 20 mm in length) were collected. DNA was extracted from the tail tips and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene fragments. Maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and UPGMA algorithms were used to produce phylogenetic haplotype trees, rooted with P. wehrlei. Based on our DNA sequence data, four disparate management units are designated. Surveys revealed new records on Jack Mountain, a disjunct population that expands the known distribution of the species 10 miles west. In addition, surveys by Flint verified a population on Nathaniel Mountain, WV and revealed new records on Elliot Knob, extending the known range several miles south. DNA sequencing of 24 individuals revealed 8 haplotypes. 16 individuals from the main population on Shenandoah Mountain all had the same haplotype, suggesting low genetic variability. Conversely, each individual from all other areas possessed a unique haplotype. Most importantly, a haplotype from Nathaniel Mountain, WV was deeply divergent and has probably been isolated since the early Pleistocene, making the population a conservation priority. It is hoped that this new genetic data will increase the efficacy of Cow Knob salamander conservation efforts by providing the means to implement management plans that conserve intraspecific genetic diversity

Multi-region relaxed magnetohydrodynamics with anisotropy and flow

We present an extension of the multi-region relaxed magnetohydrodynamics (MRxMHD) equilibrium model that includes pressure anisotropy and general plasma flows. This anisotropic extension to our previous isotropic model is motivated by Sun and Finn's model of relaxed anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic equilibria. We prove that as the number of plasma regions becomes infinite, our anisotropic extension of MRxMHD reduces to anisotropic ideal MHD with flow. The continuously nested flux surface limit of our MRxMHD model is the first variational principle for anisotropic plasma equilibria with general flow fields.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1401.307

Serrula in retrospect: a historical look at scorpion literature (Scorpiones: Orthosterni)

Serrula, a small comb-like structure on the ventral aspect of cheliceral movable finger in scorpions, has often been overlooked or ignored. Scorpion genera that are currently known to possess serrula belong to six families: Chactidae, Euscorpiidae, Iuridae, Pseudochactidae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae. All relevant literature on scorpion serrula is reviewed, and serrula of representative scorpion taxa is illustrated by SEM images. We suggest that the inconsistency in reporting serrula is based on several factors (or combination thereof): (a) serrula tines can quite often be broken off partially or completely, especially in adults; (b) serrula can be vestigial and hardly visible under a dissection microscope; and (c) serrula can be obscured by long, dense setae

A new scorpion genus representing a primitive taxon of tribe Stahnkeini, with a description of a new species from Sonora, Mexico (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae)

A new scorpion genus, Gertschius gen. nov., and species, Gertschius crassicorpus sp. nov., (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) from Sonora, Mexico is described. Gertschius exhibits a reduced modification of the basal pectinal teeth in the female holotype and serration of the chelal finger denticles is limited to the median denticles (MD), thus we consider it a relict member of tribe Stahnkeini. Serradigitus agilis Sissom et Stockwell, 1991, is transferred to this new genus; Gertschius agilis, comb. nov