Mesobuthus fuscus (Birula, 1897)

Fet, Victor, Kovařík, František, Gantenbein, Benjamin, Kaiser, Ronald C., Stewart, Alexander K. & Graham, Matthew R., 2018, Revision of the Mesobuthus caucasicus complex from Central Asia with descriptions of six new species (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 255, pp. 1-77 : 16-21

Mesobuthus fuscus (Birula, 1897) , stat. n.

( Figs. 73–96, 268, 278, 290–291, 308, 324–325, Tables 4–6)

Buthus fuscus Birula, 1897: 388 .

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Tajikistan, Hisor District , Hisor ; ZISP.

REFERENCES (selected); see Fet (1989) and Fet & Lowe (2000) for full list before 1998:

Buthus caucasius fuscus: Birula, 1904a: 23 ; Birula, 1904b: 31.

Mesobuthus caucasicus fuscus: Vachon, 1958: 150 ; Fet, 1989: 112.

Olivierus caucasicus fuscus: Fet & Lowe, 2000: 191 .

DISTRIBUTION. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan ( Figs. 328, A 4).

TYPE MATERIAL. Syntypes of Buthus fuscus Birula, 1897 : Tajikistan, Hisor District, Hisor (=Gissar), 38. 5264 °N 68.5381°E, 1887, leg. S. A. Lidsky, 1♀ ( ZISP 532 ); Uzbekistan, Tashkent Province, Bostanlyk District , Iskandar (=Iskanderaryk), 1887, leg. S. Lidsky, 2♀ ( ZISP 533 ) (not examined) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Tajikistan, Khatlon Province , Dangara District, E slope of Sanglogh Mt. Range, Kolkot Kishlak env., 38.2581°N, 069.2512°E, 1346 m a.s.l., 30 April 2015, 5juvs.(♂ ♀♀), leg. Y. M. Marusik ( ZMUM); Khatlon Province , Hissar (Gissar) Mts., Ramit Reserve, Darai-Kholmon creek gorge, 38.7561°N 69.3048°E, 1370 m a.s.l., 2 May 2015, 6juvs., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( FKCP); Khatlon Province , Khodja-Abdukirim District , 38.023ºN 68.9461ºE, 1♀ 2juvs.(♂ ♀), 2 May 2002, leg. A. Feodorov ( ZMUM); Khatlon Province , Shaartuz District, Babataq Mts. , 37.0758°N 68.0196°E, 427 m a.s.l., 20 April 2015, 3juvs., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( ZMUM); Khatlon Province , Khuroson District, Ganjina , 37.5830°N 68.5589°E, 1♀ juv, 2002, leg. A. Feodorov ( ZMUM); Khatlon Province , Khuroson District, Ganjina , 37.9617°N 68.5619°E, 716 m a.s.l. ( Figs. 324–325), 22 April 2015, 1♂ 4♀ 6juvs. ( Figs. 73–96, 264, 274, 288–289, 304, both color varieties), leg. Y. M. Marusik ( FKCP); Khatlon Province , Vakhsh Karatau Mt. Range, Khodjamaston Mt. , 38.0042°N 68.9740°E, 1595 m a.s.l., 24 April 2015, 1♀ juv., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( ZMUM); Khatlon Province , Shaartuz District, near Pyandj Town , 37.2125°N 69.1925°E, 387 m a.s.l., 5 May 2015, 1♀ juv., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( ZMUM); Varzob District, Dagana , 38.34ºN 68.99º E, May 1988, 2♀, leg. Křížek ( FKCP); Varzob District, Varzob Valley, surroundigs of Varzob Lake , meadow, Artemisia , 38.67 69ºN 68.7897ºE, 985 m a.s.l., 3 May 2015, 1♀2♀ juvs., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( NMPC); Khatlon Province ,

April 2015, 3juvs., leg. R . V . Yakovlev ( NMPC). Uzbekistan, Surxondaryo-Rabot, 2016, 1♀, leg. A. Ullrich ( FKCP) .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult male 70 mm, 74– 80 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male with fingers proximally little more twisted than female. Pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 2.84 in males and 3.13–3.40 in females. Pectinal teeth number 26–29 in males, 21–25 in females. Pedipalp chela with longer manus and short fixed finger in male. Chelicerae yellow, with reticulation. Pedipalps and metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Color uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, black pigmented metasomal segment V or uniformly blackish brown (melanic form). Femur of pedipalp with 4–5 granulate carinae. Patella with 8 granulate or smooth carinae. Chela lacks carinae or carinae could be smooth indicated. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13–14 cutting rows of denticles and 5 terminal denticles. Seventh sternite bears 4 well marked granulate carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second to fourth with 8 carinae, other two carinae are indicated by incomplete row of denticles; fourth with 8 carinae; fifth with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear slightly larger terminal denticles. Length to width ratio of fourth metasomal segment 1.52 in male, 1.61– 1.63 in females. Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Pedal spur of legs with solitary setae only.

NOTES.

1. Buthus fuscus has not been collected or studied since its description in 1897. Birula’s description was based on females only. A brief Latin diagnosis given by Birula (1897: 12–13) says that the species resembles B. c. intermedius but differs by dark body color (“fusco vel fumigato”); carapace anterior margin moderately invaginated “nec non granulorum serie regulariter limbato”, all intercarinal surfaces “opacis profunde impressis costisque elevatis ac valde expressis,” posterior corners “subseriate” granulated. Pedipalp femur “supra laevi”, movable finger with 18 series (9 granules each). Pectines 20–21. Female measured was 67 mm, carapace 7.5 mm long. In a brief German text following the Latin dagnosis, Birula said (1897: 13): “This scorpion possibly is only a local variety of Buthus caucasicus (Nord.) , which is easily distinguished from the first glance by its dark coloration of the entire body (including extremities) and by outstandingly short and thick metasoma, and also by the deeply impressed, smooth intercarinal surfaces on the carapace and wide, nearly square first metasomal segment.”

2. Syntypes of M. fuscus were collected by S. A. Lidsky in 1887. The Hisor (=Gissar) locality fits the collections made in his 1887 expedition in Buchara ( Lidsky, 1888), and is close to Tajikistan localities studied by us. Iskanderaryk (literally, “Alexander’s Canal”, now Iskandar) was an irrigation canal and estate off Chirchik River built by the Grand Duke Nikolay Konstantinovich Romanov (1850–1918), self-exiled to Tashkent, who lived under the name of Prince Iskander. The identity of this syntype has to be confirmed.

3. A melanic form (phenotype) of M. fuscus , unique for the genus, is found in Ganjina, Tajikistan sympatric with the non-melanic form. Their DNA sequence is identical ( Fig. 329, Tab. 7).