Neobuthus dhobo, Euscorpius & No., 2024

Euscorpius & No., 2024, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XXXIV. Four new species of Neobuthus from Somaliland (Buthidae), Euscorpius 401, pp. 1-31 : 3-9

Neobuthus dhobo sp. n.

( Figs. 1–45 , 160 , Table 1) http: //zoobank. org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FFCC6091-

2691-4C3D-8F54-34925A726F31

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somaliland , Awdal Region, Fadhixun, 10.2915050° N 43.2847133° E, FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland , Awdal Region , Fadhixun, 10.2915050° N 43.2847133° E, 1♀ (holotYpe DNA No. 498) 2♀ 1juv. ♀ (paratYpes DNA Nos. 499, 514, 515), CarawaYne, 10.2842511° N 43.4213997° E, 1♂ (paratYpe DNA No. 519), XI.2023, leg. Hassan Elmi.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the mountain range in the area of distribution.

DIAGNOSIS (♂ ♀). Total length 16 mm (male), 22–25 mm (females); carapace with area between anterior median carinae fuscous; tergites with 3 dark stripes, median stripe flanked on either side bY broad longitudinal Yellow bands that maY be broken bY fuscositY extending across anterior tergites; pedipalp relativelY slender, male with femur L/ W 2.34, patella L/ W 2.44, chela L/ W 4.63; chela movable finger with 5–6 subrows of primarY denticles, 4 external accessorY denticles flanking proximal end of each subrow; dorsoexternal and ventroexternal carinae on pedipalp patella in female absent or weaklY indicated; posterior margins of tergites without or with 1–2 pairs of macrosetae; pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson with moderatelY short in male, not verY spiniform, and long, fine setae in females; both sexes with sternites III– VI smooth, sternite VII finelY granulated with 4 granulated carinae; sternite III with lesser than 10 macrosetae; metasoma I–III with median lateral carinae absent; lateral surface of metasoma V in males granulated, with granules separated; soles of telotarsi with relativelY sparse setation, leg III of adults with 18–21 ventral macrosetae on telotarsus; pectine teeth: 17 (male), 14–17 (females).

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult male 16 mm, of adult females 22–25 mm; measurements of carapace, telson, segments of metasoma and pedipalps given in Table 1; positions and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps shown in Figs. 36–39, 41–42 ; trichobothrium d 2 usuallY present on pedipalp femur and present on patella; base color Yellow to light orange with variable fuscous pigmentation and extensive patterns of dark maculation on mesosoma, metasoma, partiallY on pedipalps and legs; chelicerae Yellow with dark reticulation on anterior manus, dentition reddish. Sexual dimorphism: strong, adult male substantiallY smaller, but without differences in shapes of pedipalps, metasoma and telson; pedipalp patella and femur granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossY in females; macrosetae on pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson much longer and finer in females than males; other sex differences cited below.

Pedipalp ( Figs. 25–45 ). Pedipalp mostlY sparselY hirsute; finelY granulated in males and smooth in females; femur with five conspicuouslY granulose carinae, more stronglY developed in male; patella with seven granulose carinae, well developed in male and reduced or absent in females; dorsoexternal carinae on pedipalp patella in female absent or weaklY indicated; chela with smooth carinae in females absent or weaklY indicated; chela movable finger with 5–6 and fixed finger with 5 subrows of primarY denticles, 4 external accessorY denticles flanking proximal end of each subrow.

Carapace ( Figs. 5–9, 11 ). StronglY trapezoidal (narrower anteriorlY), wider than long (L/ W 0.81 –0.96); posterior median postocular area flat, anterior median preocular area gentlY sloped downwards towards anterior margin; lateral flanks steeplY sloped; ocular tubercle broad, prominent, located slightlY anterior of carapace; anterior margin straight, finelY microdenticulate, with coarser granules overlapping edge, bearing 8 macrosetae; anterior median carinae present, coarselY granular, other carinae indistinct; dense granulation covering most of carapace.

Chelicera. Fingers with tYpical buthid dentition ( Vachon, 1963; Lowe & KovařÍk, 2016; KovařÍk et al., 2018); fixed finger with large distal denticle, 1 subdistal denticle and 2 basal denticles fused into bicusp, single denticle on ventral surface at level of bicusp; dorsal margin of movable finger with 5 denticles: 1 large distal denticle, medium-sized subdistal and medial, and 2 small, partiallY fused basal denticles; ventral margin with 2 denticles.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 5–12 ). Tergites I–VI bear three carinae of which the lateral pair maY be less conspicuous mainlY on tergites I–IV; tergite VII bears five well-defined carinae (median, submedians and laterals); tergites I–VI denselY granular, with coarser granules on posterior lateral areas; tergite VII denselY granular; sternites III–VI smooth in both sexes; sternite VII granulated in both sexes, with four well-defined carinae; sternite III with lesser than 10 macrosetae; sternum tYpe 1, triangular in shape, smooth, with deep posteromedian invagination; genital opercula smooth; genital papillae present; pectines extending to around half of sternite V in male and around half of sternite IV in females; pectine teeth 17 in male, 14–17 in females; combs with 3 marginal lamellae and 7–8 middle lamellae; marginal lamellae, middle lamellae and fulcra with dense cover of short dark reddish macrosetae; fulcra with 2–4 setae.

Legs ( Figs. 13–16 ). Coxa, femora, patella and tibia of all legs bearing variable numbers of short to medium length, straight, dark-reddish macrosetae; tarsi with mix of short and longer, dark-reddish macrosetae; basitarsi I–III slightlY compressed with flat retrolateral surfaces, with bristle combs consisting of retrosuperior series of longer macrosetae, plus retroinferior and proinferior series of shorter macrosetae; telotarsi with two rows of short macrosetae on ventral aspect, 18–21 macrosetae on telotarsus III; strong tibial spurs present on leg IV and reduced on leg. III.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 5–8 , 17–24 ). Metasoma and telson sparselY hirsute, macrosetae moderatelY short, not verY spiniform, and long in male, and long, fine setae in females; metasomal segments I–IV with 8 carinae, V with 2 carinae; all carinae relativelY well developed; segment V with strong, granulate to dentate-lobate ventrolateral carinae; segments I–V with dense granulation on all intercarinal surfaces except dorsal surfaces which are sparselY granulated in female; segment V denselY granular on lateral and ventral surfaces, more coarselY so on ventral surface; telson smooth, ventral surface sparselY, weaklY granular; vesicle slightlY elongated; aculeus stout, shorter than vesicle, tip of aculeus almost verticallY directed.

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish N. dhobo sp. n. from all other species of the genus. TheY are recounted in the keY below and confirmed bY DNA phYlogenY (paper in preparation). The new species is most similar to N. amoudensis , which distinguishes mainlY according to two important characters. Female metasoma I–III with dorsal carinae present in N. amoudensis versus absent in N. dhobo sp. n.; sternite III with ca 25 macrosetae (fig. 10 in KovařÍk et al., 2018: 7) in N. amoudensis versus sternite III with lesser than 10 macrosetae ( Fig. 8 ) in N. dhobo sp. n.

41–42

Figures

Figures 1–4: Neobuthus dhobo sp. n. Figures 1–2. Male holotYpe, dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Figures 3–4. Female paratYpe, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figures 5–6. Neobuthus dhobo sp. n., male holotYpe, dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views under UV fluorescence.

Figures 7–8. Neobuthus dhobo sp. n., female paratYpe, dorsal (7) and ventral (8) views under UV fluorescence.

Figures 9–16: Neobuthus dhobo sp. n. Figures 9–10: Male holotYpe, carapace and tergites I–VI (9), coxosternal area and sternites (10). Figures 11–16: Female paratYpe, carapace and tergites I–V (11), coxosternal area and sternites (12), and right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (13–16).

Figures 17–24: Neobuthus dhobo sp. n. Figures. 17, 19–21. Male holotYpe, telson lateral (17), metasoma and telson lateral (19), ventral (20), and dorsal (21) views. Figures. 18, 22–24. Female paratYpe, telson lateral (18), metasoma and telson lateral (22), ventral (23), and dorsal (24) views. Scale bars: 5 mm (19–21, 22–24).

Figures 25–45: Neobuthus dhobo sp. n., pedipalp. Figures 25–34: Male holotYpe, chela dorsal (25), external (26), and ventral (27) views, patella dorsal (28), external (29) and ventral (30) views, femur and trochanter dorsal (31), and ventral (32) views, movable (33) and fixed (34) finger dentate margin. Figures 35–45. Female paratYpe, chela dorsal (35), external (36), and ventral (37) views, patella dorsal (38), external (39) and ventral (40) views, femur and trochanter internal (41), dorsal (42) and ventral (43) views, movable (44) and fixed (45) finger dentate

Figures 160–161. Map showing confirmed distribution of Neobuthus spp. (160) with detail for Somaliland (161).