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

Parabuthus Pocock, 1890

( Figures 1–129 , Table 1)

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

Parabuthus : 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 , figs. 1–204, tables 1–2; KovařÍk et al., 2019: 1–62 , 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 ) 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 ) and P. quincyae sp. n. (sample S2134) ( Figs. 125–127 ) 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 ) and 14 chromosomes in P. quincyae sp. n. ( Fig. 126 ). 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.

Figures

Figures 1–2: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 1. Female in vivo habitus. Figure 2. Locality, Somaliland, vicinity of Garadak.

Figures 3–4. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female, in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 5–8: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 5. End of metasoma IV, metasoma V, and telson in lateral view. Figures 6–8. Metasoma and telson in lateral (6), dorsal (7), and ventral (8) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (6-8).

Figures 9–15: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 9. Carapace and tergites I–IV. Figures 10–11. Sternopectinal area and sternites.. Figures 12–15. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect.

Figures 16–26. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female, right pedipalp, chela in dorsal (16), external (17), and ventral (18) views, patella in dorsal (19), external (20), and ventral (21) views, femur and trochanter in internal (22), dorsal (23), and ventral (24) views. Dentate margins of movable (25) and fixed (26) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 17– 20 and 22–23 by white circles.

Figures 27–28. Parabuthus dorisae sp. n., male holotype, in dorsal (27) and ventral (28) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 29–35: Parabuthus dorisae sp. n. Figure 29. Juvenile paratype 60 mm long, metasoma IV–V and telson lateral. Figure 30. Juvenile paratype 27 mm long, metasoma and telson lateral. Figures 31–35: Male holotype. Figure 31. Metasoma V, and telson in lateral view. Figure 32. Metasoma I–III in dorsal view.Figures 33–35. Metasoma and telson in lateral (33), ventral (34), and dorsal (35) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (29–30, 33–35).

Figures 36–48: Parabuthus dorisae sp. n., male holotype. Figures 36–46. Right pedipalp, chela in dorsal (36), external (37), and ventral (38) views, patella in dorsal (39), external (40), and ventral (41) views, femur and trochanter in internal (42), dorsal (43), and ventral (44) views. Dentate margins of movable (45) and fixed (46) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 37– 40 and 42–43 by white circles. Figure 47. Carapace and tergites I–V. Figures 48. Sternopectinal area and sternites.

Figures 49–53: Parabuthus dorisae sp. n., male holotype.. Figures 49–52. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect. Figure 53. Type locality, Somaliland, vicinity of God Heeli.

Figures 54–57: Parabuthus dorisae sp. n., holotype, right hemispermatophore. Figure 54. Whole hemispermatophore, convex view. Figure 55. Capsule and flagellum, convex view. Figures 56–57. Capsule, in posterior (56) and anterior (57) views. Scale bars: 2 mm (54), 1 mm (55–57).

Figures 58–59: Parabuthus evae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 58. Female holotype in vivo habitus. Figure 59. Locality, Somaliland, E of Las Anod.

Figures 60–61. Parabuthus evae sp. n., male holotype, in dorsal (60) and ventral (61) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 62–71: Parabuthus evae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 62. Carapace and tergites I–V. Figure 63. Sternopectinal area and sternites. Figures 64–67. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect. Figure 68. Metasoma V, and telson in lateral view. Figures 69–71. Metasoma and telson in lateral (69), ventral (70), and dorsal (71) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (69–71).

Figures 72–93: Figures 72–82: Parabuthus evae sp. n., male holotype. Figures 83–93: Parabuthus cimrmani, male holotype. Figures 72–93. Right pedipalp, chela in dorsal (72, 83), external (73, 84), and ventral (74, 85) views, patella in dorsal (75, 86), external (76, 87), and ventral (77, 88) views, femur and trochanter in internal (78, 89), dorsal (79, 90), and ventral (80, 91) views. Dentate margins of movable (81, 92) and fixed (82, 93) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 73–76 and 78–79 by white circles.

Figures 94–95: Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 94. Male holotype in vivo habitus. Figure 95. Locality, Somaliland, vicinity of Huluul.

Figures 96–97. Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype, in dorsal (96) and ventral (97) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 98–102: Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 98. Metasoma V, and telson in lateral view. Figure 99. Metasoma I–III in dorsal view.Figures 100–102. Metasoma and telson in lateral (100), ventral (101), and dorsal (102) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (100–102).

Figures 103–110: Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 103. Carapace and tergites I–IV. Figures 104–105. Sternopectinal area and sternites. Figure 106. Sternite VII and metasoma I–II ventral Figures 107–110. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect.

Figures 111–121. Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype. Right pedipalp, chela in dorsal (111), external (112), and ventral (113) views, patella in dorsal (114), external (115), and ventral (116) views, femur and trochanter in internal (117), dorsal (118), and ventral (119) views. Dentate margins of movable (120) and fixed (121) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 111–115 and 117–118 by white circles.

Figures 122–127. Male mitotic metaphases (122, 125), postpachytenes (123, 126), one sister (124) and two sister metaphases II (127) of Parabuthus species. Parabuthus dorisae sp. n. (sample 2037) (2n=16, 4II+CVIII) (122–124), P. quincyae sp. n. (sample S2134) (2n=16, II+CXIV) (125–127). Arrowheads show chromosomes in multivalent association during postpachytene. Scale bar: 5 μm. (122–127).

Figures 128–129: Figure 128. Map showing confirmed distribution of Parabuthus spp. In Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland. Figure 129. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female from Somaliland in vivo habitus.