Mimoscorpius

Mimoscorpious pugnator has a black carapace with a bright red-orange ventral surface, reddish-brown legs and pedipalps, and a red-orange flagellum covered in fine hairs (setae). Collected specimens have ranged from 3.4 — 4.6cm long. The pedipalps of the male are longer than those of the female.^[3]

All of the six known specimens have been collected from Guatemala: five from El Papayo and one from Peña Blanca. It inhabits subtropical forests at an elevation of around 270m above sea level.^[3]

Mimoscorpious pugnator takes refuge in and under rotten logs, in holes at the bases of trees, and in the burrows of agoutis and armadillos. Multiple individuals may share a shelter. M. pugnator also shares shelters with schizomids.^[3]

Like other whip scorpions, M. pugnator releases a chemical spray when threatened, the odor of which is similar to that of acetic acid^[3] (from which whip scorpions derive their other common name, vinegaroons).

Mimoscorpius pugnator was described by the English entomologist Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1872 as Thelyphonus pugnator^[4] based on a male specimen.^[3] The holotype is held in the Natural History Museum in London.^[5] It was recorded as having been collected from the Philippines; this is now thought to be an error based on the collection of a further specimen from Guatemala and the morphologic similarity of the species to Central American whip scorpions.^[3] Though the etymology of the species name is not remarked upon in the original description, it likely derives from the Latin pūgnātor, meaning fighter or combatant.^[6]

The British zoologist Reginald Innes Pocock re-described the species as the sole member of the new genus Mimoscorpius in 1984.^[1] The female of the species was described in 2008.^[3]

Link to the holotype specimen record