Heterometrus tibetanus, Lourenço, Wilson R., Qi, Jian-Xin & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2005

Lourenço, Wilson R., Qi, Jian-Xin & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2005, Description of two new species of scorpions from China (Tibet) belonging to the genera Mesobuthus Vachon (Buthidae) and Heterometrus Ehrenberg (Scorpionidae), Zootaxa 985, pp. 1-16 : 10-13

Heterometrus tibetanus sp. n. ( Figs. 18–34 )

Type material: 1 male holotype, 2 male paratypes. China, Tibet, south region of Pulan, low valley of the river Kongque He, near to the border with Nepal, VII/1931 (Collector unknown). Holotype and 1 paratype deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris . One paratype deposited in Hebei University, Baoding, China.

Etymology: The specific name refers to the region, Tibet, in which the new species was collected.

Diagnosis: Scorpions of moderate size, with respect to the genus. Males reaching 85 to 88 mm in total length. Coloration, basically reddish­yellow to reddish­brown with legs, chelicerae and telson paler than the body. Pedipalps, especially the chela, strongly elongated, and rather slender. Chela manus with strong spinoid granules on the dorso­internal aspect. Second metasomal segment longer than wide (7.1/5.9). Telson markedly elongated; aculeus as long as the vesicle. Pectines with 15­16 teeth. Trichobothriotaxy of type C, orthobothriotaxic; three trichobothria on femur, 19 on patella, and 26 on chela. Venom glands complex.

Relationships: Heterometrus tibetanus sp. n., can be distinguished from other Heterometrus species, and in particular from H. nepalensis Kovařík, 2004 , the most geographically related species of the genus by the following features: (i) much paler coloration; H. nepalensis is reddish­black, (ii) pedipalps and chela strongly elongated; N. nepalensis has a hirsute lobiform chela, (iii) second metasomal segment longer than wide; in H. nepalensis this segment is wider than long, (iv) telson aculeus of same length as the vesicle; in H. nepalensis the vesicle is longer than the aculeus.

Description based on male holotype. Measurements in Table I.

Coloration. Body basically reddish­yellow to reddish­brown. Prosoma: carapace reddish­yellow with several paler zones in the middle; some blackness near the eyes; furrows paler than the rest of the carapace. Mesosoma: tergites reddish­brown, darker than carapace, with a median longitudinal brown­yellowish stripe; sternites IIIVI reddish­yellow; sternite VII darker than the others. Coxapophysis and sternum reddish­brown; genital operculum and pectines yellowish. Metasoma: all segments reddish­brown, with some dark pigment over carinae. Telson yellowish; aculeus reddish at the base and blackish at the extremity. Chelicerae reddish­yellow with variegated reddish­brown spots; fingers reddish­brown with darker teeth. Pedipalps: femur reddish­brown; patella and chela reddish with the presence of blackish pigment over the carinae. Legs reddish on proximal segments and yellowish on distal ones.

Morphology. Carapace lustrous and acarinate with thin granulation on lateral margins; anterior margin with a strongly pronounced concavity; carinae almost absent; posterior furrows moderately to strongly pronounced; median ocular tubercle distinct in the centre of the carapace; three pairs of moderate to small lateral eyes, about half the size of median eyes. Mesosoma: sternum pentagonal, higher than wide. Tergites almost acarinate and smooth (lustrous) with some sparse, thin granulation on tergites IV to VII. Venter: genital operculum formed by two plates with a semi­oval shape. Pectines: pectinal tooth count 15–16; fulcra strongly developed. Sternites smooth and shiny, with two longitudinal parallel furrows on III to VI; spiracles linear and conspicuous. Metasoma with ventral carinae inconspicuous on segments I to III and granular on segment IV; granulation becomes strongly spiniform on segment V; ventral and latero­ventral carinae intensely spinoid on V; all intercarinal surfaces weakly granular to smooth. Telson markedly elongated with two lateral and four ventral carinae formed by spinoid granules; aculeus as long as vesicle and moderately curved. Cheliceral dentition characteristic of the Scorpionidae ( Vachon, 1963) ; movable finger with one subdistal tooth, and conspicuous basal teeth. Pedipalps with moderate to strong granulation; femur with four carinae, almost complete; patella with a dorsal carina complete, and spinoid granules on the internal aspect; chela with six carinae; dorsointernal with spinoid granules; external aspect of the manus strongly granular. Dentate margin on fixed and movable fingers with a series of granules divided by 4 and 5 strong accessory granules; extremity of the fingers finishing by a strong hook­shaped granule. Trichobothriotaxy of type C; orthobothriotaxic ( Vachon, 1974); femur with 3 trichobothria, patella with 19, and chela with 26. Legs: tarsi of legs III and IV with three internal and four external spines arranged in series.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Heterometrus tibetanus sp. n., male holotype, dorsal aspect. Total length 87.2 mm. Scale = 10 mm.

FIGURES 19 – 26. Heterometrus tibetanus sp. n., male holotype. 19 – 20. Chelicera (19, dorsal, 20 ventral aspect). 21. Lateral ocular region, in detail, dorsal aspect. 22. Genital operculum and pecten, ventral aspect. 23. Metasomal segment V and telson, ventral aspect. 24. Disposition of granulations on the dentate margins of the pedipalp chela movable finger. 25 – 26. Leg I (25, ventral, 26, dorsal aspect). Scales = 2 mm.

FIGURES 27 – 34. Heterometrus tibetanus sp. n., male holotype. Trichobothrial pattern. 27 – 29. Chela (27, dorso­external, 28, internal, 29, ventral aspect). 30. Fixed finger, dorsal aspect. 31 – 33. Patella (31, dorsal, 32, external, 33, ventral aspect). 34. Femur, dorsal aspect. Scale = 5 mm.