Grosphus hirtus Kraepelin, 1900

Lourenço, Wilson R., 2014, The genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in South-Western Madagascar, with the description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Zoosystema 36 (3), pp. 631-645 : 634

Grosphus hirtus Kraepelin, 1900

Grosphus hirtus Kraepelin, 1900: 15 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Female holotype: Madagascar, Central region, Makaraingo , 1898 (Dr Escoffe), MNHN. RS-1545 .

DIAGNOSIS. — Scorpion of medium size with a total length of 40 to 50 mm. General coloration yellowish to reddish-yellow with variegated brownish spots over the body and appendages. Carapace weakly to moderately granular; anterior margin almost straight.Pectines:pectinal teeth count in average 19- 19 in males and 15- 15 in females; basal middle lamellae of each pecten not dilated in males, strongly dilated in females with a more or less square shape. Metasomal segment I wider than long. Dorsal carinae on segments II to IV with one strong posterior spinoid granule. Fixed and movable fingers with 11-12 oblique rows of granules.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — It was first suggested that this species was broadly distributed in the island ( Lourenço 1996). However, more precise inspection of specimens previously allocated to G. hirtus indicates that several previous records attributed to this taxon were misidentifications of morphologically similar species, which were subsequently described as new species ( Lourenço 2005). After a reexamination of available material, there is no evidence for the occurrence of G. hirtus in South-Western Madagascar ( Lourenço et al. 2007a, b).