Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980

Kovařík, František, 2005, Three new species of the genera Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 and Scorpiops Peters, 1861 from Asia (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae), Euscorpius 27 (27), pp. 1-10 : 1-6

Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980

( Figs. 1–8, 10–11 , 13–16 , Table 1)

Scorpiops Kraepelin, 1899: 179 (in part); Sissom, 1990: 114 (in part); Kovařík, 2000: 164 (in part); Kovařík, 2001: 85 (in part).

Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) Vachon, 1980: 155 (in part); Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 452 (in part); Bastawade, 1997: 104 (in part).

Euscorpiops : Stockwell, 1989: 120 (in part; unpublished); Kovařík, 1998: 141 (in part); Lourenço, 1998: 246 (in part); Fet, 2000: 488 (in part); Soleglad & Sissom, 2001: 93; Kovařík, 2004: 13.

Type species: Scorpiops asthenurus Pocock, 1900

DIAGNOSIS. Ventral edge of cheliceral movable finger with 5 – 7 denticles. Three pairs of lateral eyes and 17– 21 external trichobothria on pedipalp patella. Ventral surface of patella bears 6–18 trichobothria. Ventral surface of manus bears 4 trichobothria, of which V 4 is always situated on ventral aspect of chela. Trichobothrium Eb 3 on external surface of chela is located between trichobothria Dt and Est. Telson vesicle/aculeus juncture with annular ring.

COMMENTS. Euscorpiops was described by Vachon (1980: 155) as a subgenus, and was elevated to the genus level by Lourenço (1998). Vachon (1980) distinguished Euscorpiops from Scorpiops on the number of external trichobothria on the patella, 17 in Scorpiops , and 18–20 in Euscorpiops . Vachon (1980) also described Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) lindbergi Vachon, 1980 , whose different morphology and closeness to species placed in Scorpiops has led me to synonymize Euscorpiops with Scorpiops (see Kovařík, 2000: 164). At that time, I also synonymized S. kraepelini Lourenço, 1998 with S. lindbergi Vachon, 1980 and pointed out the position of trichobothrium Eb 3 in relation to species groups (see Kovařík, 2000: 166).

Soleglad & Sissom (2001) revised the family Euscorpiidae , in which they placed the subfamily Scorpiopinae and revived the genus Euscorpiops , but did so on the basis of position of trichobothrium Eb 3 ( Figs. 2 and 12 and Soleglad & Sissom, 2001: 52, figs. 114, 115) rather than on the number of trichobothria on the patella. It caused the transfer of Euscorpiops lindbergi ( Vachon, 1980) (= Scorpiops kraepelini Lourenço, 1998 ) to DESCRIPTION: The adult male holotype is 58 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. The base color is uniformly reddish black. For habitus see Figs. 13 and 14. MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma is granulated, with one median carina, and the seventh segment ventrally bears four inconspicuous carinae. The entire carapace is granulated, without carinae. Pectinal teeth number 8 and 9.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The metasoma is smooth, with only sparse granules. The first segment bears 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments bear eight carinae, and the fifth segment bears seven carinae, all composed of granules some of which are pointed. The dorsolateral carinae of the third and fourth segments posteriorly terminate in a pronounced tooth. The telson is elongate, with minute granules, exhibiting an annular ring at the vesicle/aculeus juncture.

PEDIPALPS: For position and distribution of trichobothria on the patella of pedipalps see Figs. 7 and 10 . External trichobothria on the patella number 18 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et) ( Fig. 7 ), and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 12 ( Fig. 10 ). The femur is granulated and has six granulose carinae, and the patella has five carinae with pronounced internal double tubercles. The manus ETYMOLOGY: Named after Janet Beccaloni, curator at the Natural History Museum, London, in appreciation of her kind help.

DIAGNOSIS. Adult male holotype 58 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish black. Pectinal teeth number 8 and 9. External trichobothria on patella number 18 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et); ventral trichobothria on patella number 12. Chela length to width ratio = 3.3. Male pedipalp fingers flexed. Female unknown.

Euscorpiops novaki sp. n.

( Figs. 8, 11 , 15–16 , Table 1)

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. China, Tibet, Bomi env. 29°52' N, 95°45'E, ca 3000 m; author‘s collection (FKCP)

TYPE MATERIAL. China, Tibet, Bomi env. 29°52' N, 95°45'E, ca 3000 m, 1988, 1♂ (holotype), leg. P. Rojek , FKCP. No other material .

ETYMOLOGY: Named after Jindřich Novák, chief editor of the Akva Tera Forum magazine and my friend.

DIAGNOSIS. Adult male holotype 47 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish brown. Pectinal teeth number 8. External trichobothria on patella number 19 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 5 est, 5 et); ventral trichobothria on patella number 9. Chela length to width ratio = 3.6. Male pedipalp fingers flexed. Female unknown.

DESCRIPTION: The adult male holotype is 47 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. The base color is uniformly reddish brown. For habitus see Figs. 15 and 16.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma is densely granulated, with one median carina, and the seventh segment ventrally bears four granulate carinae. The entire carapace is granulated, without carinae. Pectinal teeth number 8.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The metasoma is sparsely granulated. The first segment is missing, the second through fourth segments bear eight carinae, and the fifth segment bears seven carinae, all composed of granules some of which are pointed. The dorsolateral carinae of the third and fourth segments posteriorly terminate in a pronounced tooth. The telson is elongate, smooth, with several granules, vesicle/aculeus juncture with annular ring..

PEDIPALPS: For position and distribution of trichobothria on the patella of pedipalps see Figs. 8 and 11 . External trichobothria on the patella number 19 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 5 est, 5 et) ( Fig. 8 ), and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 9 ( Fig. 9 ). The femur is granulated, has six granulose carinae, and the patella has five carinae with pronounced internal double tubercles. The manus dorsally bears fine rounded granules, which in the central part form a longitudinal carina. The movable fingers bear straight double rows of granules with internal and external granules. The male pedipalp fingers ( Fig. 2 ) are flexed.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Euscorpiops novaki sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below.

Euscorpiops novaki sp. n. is closest to E. kubani , E. longimanus and E. beccaloniae sp. n. E. longimanus has the pedipalp fingers nearly straight in both sexes ( Kovařík, 2000: 173, fig. 39), whereas in the male of E. novaki sp. n. they are flexed (the female is unknown). Whereas E. beccaloniae sp. n. has 12 ventral trichobothria on the patella of pedipalps, E. novaki sp. n. has only 9. E. kubani differs from E. novaki sp. n. in the position and number of external trichobothria on the patella - E. kubani has 6 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, and 5 et ( Fig. 5 ), whereas E. novaki sp. n. has 5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 5 est, and 5 et ( Fig. 8 ). E. novaki sp. n. is the first species of the genus found in Tibet.

Figures

Figure 13: Euscorpiops beccaloniae sp. n., male holotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 14: Euscorpiops beccaloniae sp. n., male holotype, ventral aspect.

Figure 15: Euscorpiops novaki sp. n., male holotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 16: Euscorpiops novaki sp. n., male holotype, ventral aspect.

Figures 1–6: Euscorpiops kubani Kovařík, 2004, male holotype: 1. chela dorsal; 2. chela external; 3. manus ventral; 4. patella dorsal; 5. patella external; 6. patella ventral. In Figs. 1 to 3 the first capital letters denote trichobothria situated on the manus, and the first lower-case letters denote those situated on the fixed finger of pedipalp. Figs. 4 to 6 show the distribution of trichobothria on the patella of pedipalp. Explanation: First letters: D, dorsal; E, external; I, internal; V, ventral. Second or second plus third letters: b, basal; sb, suprabasal; m, medial; st, subterminal; t, terminal; v, ventral. Numerals distinguish individual trichobothria of the same series. Designation and description of trichobothria after Vachon (1974). Morphological terminology after Stahnke (1970).

Figures 7–12: 7 and 10. Euscorpiops beccaloniae sp. n., male holotype. 8 and 11. Euscorpiops novaki sp. n., male holotype. 9 and 12. Scorpiops demisi sp. n., female holotype. 7–9. patella external, 10–11. patella ventral; 12. chela external.