Accepted by L. Prendini: 10 Dec. 2010; published: 24 Jan. 2011 ZOOTAXA ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Copyright © 2011 · Magnolia Press Zootaxa 2747: 37–52 (2011) www.mapress.com/ zootaxa/ Article 37 On the identity of Microananteris, with a discussion on pectinal morphology, and description of a new Ananteris from Brazil (Scorpiones, Buthidae) RICARDO BOTERO-TRUJILLO 1 & JORGE ARI NORIEGA 2 1 Laboratorio de Entomología, Unidad de Ecología y Sistemática–UNESIS, Departamento de Biología, Pontificia Universidad Javeri- ana, Bogotá, Colombia. E-mail: pachyurus@yahoo.com 2 Facultad de Ingeniería Ambiental, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia. E-mail: jnorieg@hotmail.com Abstract The characters originally used to define the monotypic genus Microananteris Lourenço, 2003 are reanalyzed from the point of view of their usefulness to justify its recognition as a genus apart from Ananteris Thorell, 1891. A study of pectinal morphology conducted with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in six species of Ananteris, along with the results pre- sented by Lourenço (2003) and other authors, demonstrate that both genera cannot be separated based on the shape of the peg sensillae but demonstrate this character’s (and the presence of seta-like structures) immediate usefulness at the species level instead. Such analysis of the morphological attributes of Microananteris as defined by Lourenço (2003) reveals there is no evidence in support of its validity. Therefore, Microananteris is synonymized with Ananteris and Microananteris minor Lourenço, 2003 transferred to this genus. A new species of Ananteris is also described from the Natural Reserve Palmari in the Brazilian Amazon. Key words: Ananteris, Microananteris syn. nov., Ananteris minor comb. nov., Ananteris palmari sp. nov., pectines, scanning electron microscopy, Brazil Resumen Los caracteres originalmente utilizados para definir al género monotípico Microananteris Lourenço, 2003 fueron re-anal- izados desde el punto de vista de su utilidad para justificar el reconocimiento del mismo como un género aparte de Anan- teris Thorell, 1891. Un estudio de la morfología pectinal realizado con microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM) en seis especies de Ananteris, junto con los resultados presentados por Lourenço (2003) y otros autores, demuestra que ambos géneros no pueden ser separados sobre la base de la forma de las ‘peg’ sensilas pero demuestra la utilidad de este carácter (y de la presencia de estructuras setosas) al nivel de especie. Tal análisis de los atributos morfológicos de Microananteris según éste fue definido por Lourenço (2003) revela que no hay pruebas que apoyen su validez. Debido a esto, Microanan- teris es sinonimizado con Ananteris y Microananteris minor Lourenço, 2003 transferido a este género. Se describe tam- bién una nueva especie de Ananteris de la Reserva Natural Palmari en la Amazonía Brasilera. Palabras clave: Ananteris, Microananteris syn. nov., Ananteris minor comb. nov., Ananteris palmari sp. nov., pectinas, microscopía electrónica de barrido, Brasil Introduction Lourenço (2003) described a new species of humicolous scorpion from French Guiana for which he created the genus Microananteris Lourenço, 2003. Among the New World buthid scorpions, Microananteris was definitely most similar to Ananteris Thorell, 1891 than to any other genus, due the absence of fulcra in the pectines, the type Beta trichobothriotaxy, the presence of 6/7 rows of granules in the pedipalp fingers, and the presence of tibial spur on legs III and IV. Lourenço (2003) separated both genera primarily based on the shape of the peg sensillae, spat- ula-like in Ananteris but round and bottle-like in Microananteris, and stated that the presence of seta-like structures between and around the peg sensillae of both attested for a possible phylogenetic association between them.