Parabuthus Pocock, 1890

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman & Šťáhlavský, František, 2024, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXX. Parabuthus (Buthidae) (Part III), with description of three new species from Somaliland and occurrence of Parabuthus eritreaensis Kovařík, 2003, Euscorpius 385, pp. 1-27 : 1-2

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.11449979

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E8574BC9-E5DA-4737-A900-DCB4F2EA6987

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A187EC-FF90-FFF4-8F9B-F974FBB7FE71

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Parabuthus Pocock, 1890
status

 

Parabuthus Pocock, 1890 View in CoL

( Figures 1–129 View Figures 1–2 View Figures 3–4 View Figures 5–8 View Figures 9–15 View Figures 16–26 View Figures 27–28 View Figures 29–35 View Figures 36–48 View Figures 49–53 View Figures 54–57 View Figures 58–59 View Figures 60–61 View Figures 62–71 View Figures 72–93 View Figures 94–95 View Figures 96–97 View Figures 98–102 View Figures 103–110 View Figures 111–121 View Figures 122–127 View Figures 128–129 , Table 1)

Buthus (Parabuthus) : Pocock, 1890: 124–125.

Parabuthus View in CoL : Pocock, 1895: 309–314, plate IX, figs. 4a–d; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 200–211 (complete reference list until 2000); KovařÍk, 2009: 22, 31; Prendini & Esposito, 2010: 673–710, figs. 1–17; KovařÍk et al., 2016: 1–58 View Cited Treatment , figs. 1–204, tables 1–2; KovařÍk et al., 2019: 1–62 View Cited Treatment , figs. 1–305, tables 1–5.

= Heterobuthus Kraepelin, 1891: 205–211 (63–69) (syn. by Kraepelin, 1895: 79 (7)).

= Riftobuthus Lourenço et al., 2010: 281 , figs. 1 and 2 (syn. by KovařÍk et al., 2016: 2).

TYPE SPECIES. Androctonus (Prionurus) liosoma Ehrenberg in Hemprich et Ehrenberg, 1828

DIAGNOSIS.Total length 35–180 mm. Carapace without distinct carinae, in lateral view with entire dorsal surface horizontal or nearly so. Five pairs of lateral eyes and eyespot present. Pectines with fulcra, female pectines typically with dilated or lobate basal middle lamella. Pectine teeth number 18–62. Hemispermatophore flagelliform, capsule with ‘2+1’ lobe configuration, with broad posterior lobe, small simple anterior lobe, and robust hook-like basal lobe; flagellum arising distally from posterior lobe, pars recta short and narrow, pars reflecta long and fusiform. Sternum subtriangular. Mesosoma with tergites I–VI monocarinate, sternites III–VI with slitlike spiracles. Dorsal surfaces of first and second metasomal segments with stridulatory areas. Telson without subaculear tubercle. Chelicera with typical buthid dentition, fixed finger with two ventral denticles. Orthobothriotaxic type A, dorsal trichobothria of pedipalp femur arranged in α-configuration. Patellar trichobothrium d 2 is located external to dorsomedian carina (when carina is present). Chela manus with trichobothria V 1 and V 2 axis oblique, Eb 1–3 in γ-configuration. Trichobothrium eb is located on fixed finger of chela. Dentate margin of pedipalp chela movable finger with distinct granules divided into 9–14 rows, 3 terminal granules and one basal terminal granule. Tibial spurs present on third and fourth pairs of legs.

REMARKS ON THE KARYOTYPES. We analyzed the male karyotypes of two new Parabuthus species from Somaliland. The chromosomes of both species ( Figs. 122–127 View Figures 122–127 ) exhibit typical characteristics observed in all members of the family Buthidae . These chromosomes are holocentric, and males have achiasmatic meiosis. Additionally, species within this family typically have a low number of chromosomes (see Schneider et al., 2023). The karyotypes of P. dorisae sp. n. (sample S2037) ( Figs. 122–124 View Figures 122–127 ) and P. quincyae sp. n. (sample S2134) ( Figs. 125–127 View Figures 122–127 ) possess 16 chromosomes. This chromosome count is commonly observed in species from the Horn of Africa, including P. abyssinicus , P. kabateki , P. robustus , and P. somalilandus ( KovařÍk et al., 2016; 2019). In both analyzed species, the first chromosome is slightly longer (7.54 % and 10.70% respectively), while the remaining chromosomes gradually decrease in length (6.89–4.45% and 10.70–4.17%). This difference likely is due to reciprocal translocations, resulting in the formation of multivalent associations: eight chromosomes in P. dorisae sp. n. ( Fig. 123 View Figures 122–127 ) and 14 chromosomes in P. quincyae sp. n. ( Fig. 126 View Figures 122–127 ). These longest chromosomes are consistently associated within these multivalents. Similar chromosome associations are frequently observed in representatives of the family Buthidae (see Šťáhlavský et al., 2020). Despite the fact that the 2n count is consistent among the mentioned Parabuthus species, the diploid number may vary among other taxa (2n= 18 in P. kajibu , P. mossambicensis , P. planicauda , P. raudus from Zimbabwe or 2n= 20 in P. capensis , P. pallidus , P. raudus from Namibia and P. transvaalicus ) (see Schneider et al., 2023). Therefore, cytogenetic characteristics hold promise for use in the taxonomy of this group.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Scorpiones

Family

Buthidae

Loc

Parabuthus Pocock, 1890

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman & Šťáhlavský, František 2024
2024
Loc

Riftobuthus Lourenço et al., 2010: 281

KOVARIK 2016: 2
LOURENCO 2010: 281
2010
Loc

Parabuthus

KOVARIK 2019: 1
KOVARIK 2016: 1
KOVARIK 2009: 22
POCOCK 1895: 309
1895
Loc

Heterobuthus

KRAEPELIN 1895: 79
KRAEPELIN 1891: 211
1891
Loc

Buthus (Parabuthus)

POCOCK 1890: 124
1890
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