Orthochirus kovariki, Yağmur & KhalIlI, 2022

Yağmur, Ersen Aydın & KhalIlI, FaIzurrahman, 2022, Orthochirus kovariki sp. n. from Takhar Province, Afghanistan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 352, pp. 1-16 : 3-10

Orthochirus kovariki sp. n.

( Figures 1–70 , Table 1) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsId: zoobank. org: act: 99019D92-

9740-4C51-A75C-BDDC30EABED5

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Afghanistan, Takhar Province, Taloqan District, Post Khor Region , 36°44'57"N 69°34'48"E, 840 m a. s. l. ; AZMM.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Afghanistan, Takhar Province, Taloqan District, Post Khor Region , 36°44'57"N 69°34'48"E, 840 m a. s. l., 1♂ (holotype) ( AZMM /Sco-2020:5), 2♂ 3♀ (paratypes) ( AZMM /Sco-2020:6-10), 14 May 2020, leg. F. Khalili.

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet is a patronym dedicated to František Kovařík, a friend of the first author and Czech arachnologist, who has made great contributions to the knowledge of the genus Orthochirus in Asia and the Middle East.

DIAGNOSIS. Small sized scorpion. Total length 31.41–31.58 mm in males and 34.23–35.34 in females. General coloration dark reddish black or black, femur of pedipalp yellowish brown or dark reddish brown, chela yellow. Distal segments of legs are yellow. Trichobothrium d 2 is located on the dorsal surface of pedipalp femur, reduced. Pectinal teeth number 22–23 in males and 15–18 in females. The movable and fixed fingers with 8–9 rows of denticles with internal and without external denticles, and three to five distal denticles. Metasoma I–II with 10 carinae, metasoma III with 6 carinae, metasoma IV–V with 2 dorsolateral carinae and incomplete ventrolateral carinae.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adults is 31.41–35.34 mm in both sexes. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps are given in Table 1.

Holotype male.

ColoratIon ( Figs. 1–2 ). The carapace, mesosoma and metasoma dark reddish black the vesicle reddish black, sting dark reddish brown. Femur of pedipalp yellowish brown, patella of pedipalp light yellowish brown, carinae of femur and patella are darker, chela yellow. Femur of legs yellowish brown and tibia of legs very light yellowish brown, other segments are yellow.

Carapace and mesosom a ( Figs. 5–8 , 13–16 ). The carapace is densely granulated, anterior region of carapace with swollen and sparsely granular, the interocular area is smooth. Anterior of carapace is convex. Mesosomal segments I-VI densely granulated, the granules are in the middle of tergite more distinct and bigger and bear a median carina. Mesosomal segment VII with dense granules medially and scattered coarse granules laterally and five granular carinae. Sternites III– V smooth medially and finely granular laterally and with two smooth carinae, sternite VI more granular and with two finely granular carinae, sternite VII with finely granular and four finely granular carinae. Pectinal teeth number 20–21.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 21–26 , 33–36 ). Metasomal segment I with 10 granular carinae, intercarinal area smooth with rough granules, and without punctae. Segment II with 10 sparsely granular carinae, lateral carinae vestigial, intercarinal area rough, without granules and with little number punctae. Segment III with 6 granular carinae, intercarinal area rough, without granules and with punctae. Segment IV– V with inconspicuous dorsal and ventrolateral, intercarinal area smooth and with dense punctae Segment V with small granules that gradually increased posteriorly on the ventrolateral carinae. Telson is elongated, vesicle with weak punctae. The entire metasoma is sparsely hirsute with short setae, telson without setae. Dorsal surface of metasoma smooth. Dorsal of segments I-II with a few coarse granules laterally and, segments V a few small granules mesially.

PedIpalps ( Figs. 42–43, 46–47 ). The femur of pedipalp with five granular carinae. Trichobothrium d 2 of pedipalp femur present on dorsal surface. The patella with seven smooth carinae. The chela is smooth, lustrous, without carinae. The movable and fixed fingers bear eight or nine rows of denticles with internal and without external denticles and three to five distal denticles. The all pedipalps with scattered and distinct setae.

Legs ( Figs. 61–64 ). The femur and patella of the leges bear setae and spines. Tarsomeres of legs I -III bear bristlecombs. The inner sides of all legs with two rows of spines.

Figures

Figures 1–4: O. kovariki 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 bar: 10 mm.

Figures 5–8: O. kovariki sp. n., carapace and mesosoma of male holotype. Figures 5–6: Under white light, dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views. Figures 7–8: Under UV light, dorsal (7) and ventral (8) views. 10 mm.

Figures 13–16: O. kovariki sp. n., carapace and sternopectinal area of male holotype.Figures 13–16: Under white light, dorsal (13) and ventral (14) views. Figures 15–16: Under UV light, dorsal (15) and ventral (16) views.

Figures 17–20: O. kovariki sp. n., carapace and sternopectinal area of female paratype. Figures 17–18: Under white light, dorsal (17) and ventral (18) views. Figures 19–20: Under UV light, dorsal (19) and ventral (20) views. 10 mm.

Figures 21–26: O. kovariki sp. n., metasoma and telson of male holotype. Figures 21–23. Under white light, lateral (21), dorsal (22), and ventral (23) views. Figures 24–26. Under UV light, lateral (24), dorsal (25), and ventral (26) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 27–32: O. kovariki sp. n., metasoma and telson of female paratype. Figures 27–29. Under white light, lateral (27), dorsal (28), and ventral (29) views. Figures 30–32. Under UV light, lateral (30), dorsal (31), and ventral (32) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 33–40: O. kovariki sp. n., metasoma V and telson under white (33–34, 37–38) and UV (35–36, 39–40) light. Figures 33–36: Male holotype, ventral (33, 35) and dorsal (34, 36) views. Figures 37–40: Female paratype, ventral (37, 39) and dorsal (38, 40) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (33–36, 37–40).

Figures 41–48: O. kovariki sp. n., pedipalp under white (41–44) and UV (45–48) light. Figures 41, 44–45, 48. Female paratype dorsal (41, 45) and ventral (44, 48) views. Figures 42–43, 46–47. Male holotype dorsal (42, 46) and ventral (43, 47) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (41–44, 45–48).

Figures 49–60: O. kovariki sp. n., pedipalp chela. Figures 49–54: Male holotype. Chela ventral (49), dorsal (50), internal (51) and external (52), fixed (53) and movable (54) fingers dentition. Figures 55–60: Female paratype. Chela ventral (55), dorsal (56), internal (57) and external (58), fixed (59) and movable (60) fingers dentition. Scale bars: 1 mm (49–52, 53–54, 55–58, 59–60).

Figures 61–68. O. kovariki sp. n., right legs I–IV of male holotype (61-64) and female paratype (65-68), retrolateral aspect.

Figures 69–70: Habitat of O. kovariki sp. n. Post Khor Region in Takhar Province, Afghanistan.