Pseudouroplectes lalyae, Lourenco & Ythier, 2010

Lourenco, Wilson & Ythier, Eric, 2010, Another new species of Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995 from Madagascar (Scorpiones, Buthidae), ZooKeys 48 (48), pp. 1-9 : 3-6

Pseudouroplectes lalyae sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:91514469-CA0E-4161-A0A4-8FB4219B6074

Figs 1, 3–8

Type material: Male holotype. Madagascar, Toliara Province, NE Ifaty, spiny forest thicket, 30 m alt., IX/2004 (W. R. Lourenço) ( MNHN). Paratypes. Toliara Province,

Figure ļ. Habitus of Pseudouroplectes lalyae sp. n., male holotype. Scale bar = 2 mm.

Forêt de Tsinjoriaky (22°48'08" S, 43°25'14" E), 6.2 km 84° E Tsifota, 70 m alt., 6–10/III/2002 (Fisher & Griswold et al.), general collecting, spiny forest-thicket, 2 male juveniles ( CAS – MNHN). Note: The two paratypes were previously misidentified as P. maculatus (Lourenço & Goodman, 2006) .

Etymology: The patronym is homage to Laly Ythier, daughter of the junior author.

Diagnosis: Small scorpions, when compared with the average size of most species of micro-buthid genera, and measuring up to 20.57 mm in total length (see morphometric values after the description). General coloration reddish-yellow with four longitudinal stripes starting on the posterior edge of carapace and running over tergites I to VII; dark spots over the pedipalps, legs and metasomal carinae. Carinae and granulations moderately to strongly marked.

Relationships: The new species can be readily distinguished from all the other species of the genus Pseudouroplectes Lourenço , by (i) presence of four longitudinal dark stripes running from the carapace and over all tergites, (ii) pedipalps, legs and

Figures 3–8. Pseudouroplectes lalyae sp. n. Male holotype. 3 Ventral aspect, showing coxapophysis, sternum, genital operculum, pectines and sternite III with spiracles 4 Carapace and chelicerae, dorsal aspect. 5–7 Trichobothrial pattern of the pedipalp 5 Chela, dorsoexternal aspect 6 Femur, dorsal aspect 7 Patella, dorsal aspect 8 Disposition of granules on the dentate margins of the pedipalp chela movable finger. Scale bars = 1 mm.

metasomal carinae intensely spotted, (iii) moderately marked carinae on tergites and metasomal segments, and (iv) pedipalps strongly granular.

Description based on male holotype.

Coloration. Reddish-yellow with four longitudinal dark stripes which start on the posterior edge of carapace and run over tergites I to VII. Carapace, pedipalps, and legs intensely marked with dark spots; carinae of metasomal segments densely spotted. Venter and chelicerae yellowish without spots.

Morphology. Carapace with a moderately to strongly marked granulation; anterior margin almost straight. Carinae weak; furrows inconspicuous. Median ocular tubercle distinctly on the anterior third of the carapace; median eyes separated by one ocular diameter. Three pairs of lateral eyes. Sternum subpentagonal. Mesosoma: tergites moderately granular. Median carina moderate to weak in all tergites. Tergite VII pentacarinate. Venter: genital operculum divided longitudinally, each plate having a more or less subtriangular shape. Pectines large: pectinal tooth count 16–15 (male paratypes with 15–16 and 16–16); basal middle lamellae of the pectines not dilated; fulcra inconspicuous. Sternites smooth with short semi-slit-like spiracles; VII punctuated and acarinated. Metasoma: segments I to IV with 10 carinae, moderately crenulate; ventral carinae reduced to vestigial on segments I to IV; intercarinal spaces weakly granular. Segment V rounded with five carinae. Telson has a very elongated “pear-like” shape, smooth with strong setation; aculeus short, weakly curved; subaculear tooth absent. Cheliceral dentition characteristic of the family Buthidae ( Vachon, 1963) ; fixed finger with two moderate basal teeth; movable finger with two very weak and fused basal teeth; ventral aspect of both finger and manus with dense, long setae. Pedipalps: femur pentacarinate; patella with seven carinae; internal face of patella with 7–8 spinoid granules; chela with vestigial carinae; all faces moderately to strongly granular. Fixed and movable fingers with 7–8 almost linear rows of granules; two accessory granules present at the base of each row; extremity of fixed and movable fingers with one long and sharp denticle. Trichobothriotaxy; orthobothriotaxy A-α( Vachon, 1974, 1975). Legs: tarsus with very numerous fine median setae ventrally. Pedal spurs reduced; tibial spurs absent.

Morphometric values (in mm) of the holotype. Total length (including telson), 20.57. Carapace: length, 2.43; anterior width, 1.43; posterior width, 2.14. Metasomal segments. I: length, 1.43; width, 1.28. II: length, 1.71; width, 1.14. III: length, 1.86; width, 1.00. IV: length, 2.14; width, 1.00. V: length, 3.00; width, 1.00; depth, 1.00. Telson: length, 2.57. Vesicle: width, 0.71; depth, 0.71. Pedipalp: femur length, 1.78, width, 0.57; patella length, 2.36, width, 0.86; chela length, 3.14, width, 0.71, depth, 0.64; movable finger length, 2.07.