Vaejovis vorhiesi

Stahnke, 1940

Vorhies' Scorpion

Vaejovis vorhiesi is a mountain in the 'vorhiesi' group of the Vaejovis, Vaejovidae. It is one of three recognized groups within the genus, distinguished from the 'mexicanus' and 'nitidulus+nigrescens' groups by morphological characters. This species is associated with the Sky Island mountain of Arizona and represents part of a rapidly expanding known diversity of montane scorpions in the region. The 'vorhiesi' group has shown remarkable cryptic diversity, with the number of known Arizona mountain scorpion species more than doubling in recent years.

SCORPION, sp, probably (Vaejovis vorhiesi) (11-2-12) 4900 ft, lower humboldt cyn, patagonia mts, scc, az -01 (8149385102) by ALAN SCHMIERER. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Vaejovis vorhiesi: //vaɪˈdʒoʊvɪs vɔːrˈhiːsi//

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Identification

As a member of the 'vorhiesi' group, distinguished from other Vaejovis groups by specific morphological characters detailed in taxonomic revisions. The 'vorhiesi' group is one of three recognized groups within the , separate from the 'mexicanus' group (distributed in Mexican mountains) and the 'nitidulus+nigrescens' group. Species-level identification within the 'vorhiesi' group requires examination of detailed morphological characters; keys for identification of males and females of 'vorhiesi' group species are available in taxonomic literature.

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Habitat

Montane regions of southwestern North America, specifically associated with isolated mountain in desert regions known as 'Sky Islands' in Arizona. These are elevated mountain ranges surrounded by desert lowlands that create isolated habitats with distinct ecological conditions.

Distribution

Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent areas of southwestern North America. Documented from mountain ranges in southern Arizona including the Santa Catalina Mountains, where it occurs sympatrically with Vaejovis brysoni—the first documented case of two 'vorhiesi' group on the same mountain.

Similar Taxa

  • Vaejovis brysoniAnother 'vorhiesi' group that occurs sympatrically with V. vorhiesi on the Santa Catalina Mountains; distinguished as a separate species through morphological and genetic analysis.
  • Vaejovis mexicanus group speciesDifferent group within the same , distinguished by morphological characters and geographic distribution—the 'mexicanus' group occurs in mountains of México rather than southwestern North America.

More Details

Group taxonomy

The 'vorhiesi' group is one of three groups recognized within Vaejovis, established through morphological revision. The group has been subject to intensive recent taxonomic study, revealing substantially higher diversity than previously recognized.

Research significance

Emma Jochim's honors thesis at Millsaps College addressed delimitation of Vaejovis scorpions from the Santa Catalina Mountains using genetic, morphological, and geographical data, reflecting ongoing research interest in this .

Sources and further reading