Gint Kovařík, Lowe, Plíšková et Šťáhlavský, 2013

Kovařík, František, 2018, A new scorpion species from Kenya, Gint childsi sp. n. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 266, pp. 1-9 : 1-4

Gint Kovařík, Lowe, Plíšková et Šťáhlavský, 2013

( Figs. 1–42, Table 1)

Buthus (Buthacus) (in part): Birula, 1917: 21.

Buthacus (in part): Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973: 125; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 81; Kovařík, 2005: 1.

Gint Kovařík et al., 2013: 1–18 , figs. 1–4, 6–71; Kovařík & Mazuch, 2015: 1–23, figs. 1–89;? Rossi, 2015: 53–63, figs. 1–10; Kovařík et al., 2018: 1–41, figs. 1–202, tables 1–3.

TYPE SPECIES. Gint gaitako Kovařík et al., 2013 .

ETYMOLOGY. Gint (masculine) means scorpion in Amharian, the official language of Ethiopia.

DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 42). Ethiopia, Kenya (new record), Somalia, Somaliland.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length up to 24.5 mm (male) or 48.2 mm (female); carapace trapezoidal, in lateral view preocular area not distinctly inclined towards anterior margin, level with or higher than postocular area; surface of carapace densely granular, with only anterior median carinae developed; ventral aspect of cheliceral fixed finger with two denticles; tergites densely granular, with three carinae of which lateral pair on I and II are inconspicuous; sternites III–VI with finely microdenticulate posterior margins, lacking larger noncontiguous denticles; pectinal tooth number 19–31; pectines with fulcra, hirsute; hemispermatophore with flagellum separated from a 3-lobed sperm hemiduct, and with a projecting, scoop- or hook-like basal lobe; metasomal segments I–III with 8–10 carinae; metasoma I ventrally smooth, lacking ventromedial carinae; metasoma V with enlarged ‘lobate’ dentition on ventrolateral carinae which may be reduced; telson rather elongate (except for G. maidensis ), vesicle with moderate posterior slope, not sharply inclined or truncated, lacking subaculear tubercle, aculeus shorter than vesicle; all segments of metasoma and pedipalps sparsely hirsute, with long setae in both sexes, dentate margin of movable finger of pedipalp with 8–10 rows of granules, each with one external and one internal accessory granule, 5–6 terminal granules (4–5 terminal and one proximal terminal); trichobothrial pattern orthobothriotaxic type A; dorsal trichobothria of femur arranged in β- configuration; pedipalp patella with 7 external trichobothria; patella trichobothrium d 3 internal to dorsomedian carina; tibial spurs present on legs III–IV.

SUBORDINATE TAXA. Gint amoudensis Kovařík et al., 2018 ; Gint calviceps (Pocock, 1900) ; Gint childsi sp. n.; Gint dabakalo Kovařík et Mazuch, 2015 ; Gint gaitako Kovařík et al., 2013 ; Gint gubanensis Kovařík et al., 2018 ; Gint maidensis Kovařík et al., 2018 ; Gint puntlandus Kovařík et Mazuch, 2015 . For species described by Rossi (2015), see Kovařík et al. (2018: 12).

Gint childsi Kovařík , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–39, 42, Table 1) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8D302A

B3-B9B6-4568-BA16-51F56D2BA65D

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Kenya, South Horr , near Koros camp, 02°14'26.5"N 36°55'56.1"E ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Kenya, South Horr , near Koros camp, 02°14'26.5"N 36°55'56.1"E ( Fig. 42), 1♂ (holotype) 1♀ (paratype), 2018, leg. A. Child , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. The selected epithet is a patronym honoring a herpetologist Anthony Childs, the collector of types of the new species. He is also the author of the photos of type localities ( Fig. 42).

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 28.9 mm (male) and 38 mm (female); chelicerae yellow; carapace densely granulated with anterior median carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight; pectine teeth 22–25; all sternites lacking carinae; sternite VII with four smooth, weakly indicated carinae; sternites almost smooth in female and bumpy/wrinkled in male; metasoma V length/width ratio 2.33 in both sexes; metasomal segment I–III intercarinal surfaces granulated in male, smooth or almost smooth in female; metasoma I bears 10 carinae; metasoma III–IV bear 8 carinae; metasoma V of both sexes has only ventrolateral carinae that in posterior halves bear several lobate granules; dorsal and lateral surfaces of this segment smooth, without granules and carinae in both sexes; all metasomal segments sparsely setose; metasomal segment V bearing ca. 35 long setae in both sexes; telson rather elongate, telson length/depth ratio 3.14 in male, 3.4 in female; aculeus slightly shorter than vesicle in both sexes; legs I–III with tarsal bristle combs composed of long, thin setae; patellae of legs smooth; movable finger of pedipalp with 8 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules.

DESCRIPTION. Adult male holotype is 28.9 mm long and the adult female paratype is 38 mm long. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 13–20. Sexual dimorphism is noticeable. Male is substantially smaller, and has more elongate telson. Pedipalp patella and femur are granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossy in females.

COLORATION ( Figs. 1–4). Basic color is yellowish brown with strong dark patterning and spots, but expression of colors is quite variable. The dark spots are also at the end of the femur of the legs. The chelicerae are yellow without reticulation or with reticulation in the anterior part; dentition is reddish.

CARAPACE ( Figs. 5–6). The surface is densely granulated, more in male. The anterior margin is straight and bears eight macrosetae. Anterior median carinae are developed and coarsely granular in male, almost smooth in female. There are 5 lateral eyes on each side (3 larger, 2 smaller).

MESOSOMA ( Figs. 1–8). The tergites bear three coarsely granular carinae, of which the lateral pair on tergites I–II is inconspicuous. All tergites with dense coarse and fine granulation. The pectinal tooth count is 22–23 in male and 25 in female. The marginal tips of the pectines extend to the end of sternite IV in both sexes. The pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 9–10 middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, three to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae, their surfaces are almost smooth except for finely shagreened lateral areas on sternite III covered by the pectines in female and bumpy/wrinkled in male. Sternite VII has two pairs of poorly indicated carinae and is weakly granulated in the area outside the lateral carinae, more so in males. All sternites bear long macrosetae on their surfaces and margins.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 32–39). Metasoma narrow, metasoma V length/width ratio 2.33 in both sexes. Metasoma I bears 10 carinae, the ventromedial carinae on metasoma I are present but smooth. Median lateral carinae are complete or almost complete on I–III. Ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae on metasoma II– III are granulated, with larger granules posteriorly, and strong granulation. Metasoma II bears 10 or 8 carinae, metasoma III–IV bear 8 carinae; the lateroventral carinae on metasoma IVare present/indicated but smooth. Metasoma V of both sexes has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae developed, which in posterior halves bear several lobate granules. Intercarinal surfaces of segments I–III are granulated in male and almost smooth in female, with granules of approximately equal size. The ventral aspect of metasoma I is smooth in both sexes. The anal arch consists of four not developed lobes in both sexes. All metasomal segments are sparsely setose; the fifth segment has ca. 45 long setae in both sexes. The telson is rather elongate, telson length/depth ratio 3.14 in male, 3.4 in female. The aculeus is slightly shorter than the vesicle in both sexes. The surface of the telson is smooth, sparsely hirsute, without a subaculear tubercle.

LEGS ( Figs. 9–12). The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces, which on legs I–III form bristle combs with 8–12 bristles. The macrosetae are thin in both sexes. The femur and patella may bear four to six carinae. The femur bears only solitary macrosetae.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 13–31). The femur and patella are matte and granulated in males, and smooth and glossy in females. The femur bears three to four carinae; the ventroexternal carina is absent, the other carinae are granular. The patella bears seven smooth to developed carinae. The chela is smooth in both sexes, with only traces of incomplete obsolete carinae. All pedipalp segments including the trochanter are sparsely hirsute, with long, dark macrosetae in both sexes. The dentate margin of the movable finger has eight rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule, and 5 terminal granules (4 terminal and one proximal terminal). The fixed finger has eight or nine rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule.

AFFINITIES. G. childsi sp. n. is morphologically similar to G. gaitako and these two species agree in all characters used in the key in Kovařík et al. (2018: 38). Nevertheless, these two species can be distinguished easily by several morphological characters: 1) metasoma very narrow in G. childsi sp. n., metasoma V length/ width ratio 2.33 in G. childsi sp. n. and 2.11–2.12 in males G. gaitako ( Figs. 34–41); 2) sternites bumpy/ wrinkled in the male in G. childsi sp. n. versus smooth in G. gaitako ; 3) metasoma III bears 8 carinae in G. childsi sp. n. versus 10 carinae in G. gaitako ; 4) telson more elongated in the male than in the female of G. childsi sp. n. versus no sexual difference in the shape of telson in G. gaitako ; 5) pectinal teeth number 22–25 in G. childsi sp. n. and 19–22 in G. gaitako .