Scorpiops lhasa, Di, Zhi-Yong & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009

Di, Zhi-Yong & Zhu, Ming-Sheng, 2009, One new species of the Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae) from Xizang, China, Zootaxa 2030, pp. 39-48 : 40-47

Scorpiops lhasa sp.nov

(Figures. 1–33; Table 1

Type material: Female holotype, CHINA: Xizang, Lhasa banlieue, elevation about 3700m, 10/VII/2008, Zhi-Yong DI leg (Ar.-MHU-XZLS0801); paratypes: 1 female and 1 female juvenile, 2 males and 1 male juvenile, same data as holotype (Ar.-MHU-XZLS0802–0806) (in MHBU).

Diagnosis: In accordance with the revision proposed by Kovařík (2000) for the genus Scorpiops , the new species differs from other members with ten ventral trichobothria on the patella ( S. lindbergi Vachon, 1980 , S. pachmarhicus Bastawade, 1992 , S. tibetanus Hirst, 1911 ) in being slightly smaller than the others, total length is less than 40 mm (35.9–39.6); carapace surface is coarse; chela narrow and elongated, the ratio between length and width is above 2.6; pectines 9–11, with fulcra. Scorpiops lhasa sp. n. can be distinguished from other Scorpiops species from China easily, in particular from S. atomatus Qi, Zhu et Lourenço, 2005 , the most geographically close species of the genus by the following features: (1) pedipalp chela narrow and elongated, the ratio between length and width is above 2.6 (female holotype: 2.94 (XZLS0801), female paratype: 2.92 (XZLS0803); 2 male paratypes: 2.67 (XZLS0802) and 2.69 (XZLS0804)), the ratio of length / width is under 2.6 in S. atomatus (male holotype: 2.13; a female paratype: 2.53); (2) ventral trichobothria on the pedipalp patella number 10 (11 rarely), whereas there are 9 in S. atomatus ; (3) pedipalp coarse dorsally, pedipalp of S.

FIGURE. 1. Habitus of Scorpiops lhasa sp. nov. female holotype, dorsal view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm.

FIGURES. 2–12 Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., female holotype. 2. Carapace. 3– 4. Chelicera, dorsal and ventral aspects. 5. Dentate margin of movable finger, showing rows of granules. 6. Telson, lateral aspect. 7. Genital operculum and pectines. 8. Lateral eyes. 9–11. Tergites I, III, V. 12. Metasomal segment V, ventral aspects. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES. 13–22. 13–16 Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., female holotype. 13. Femur dorsal aspect. 14–16. Patella external, dorsal and ventral aspects. 17–21. Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., male paratype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0802). 17. Femur dorsal aspect. 18–20. Patella external, dorsal and ventral aspects. 21. Genital operculum and pectines. 22. Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., male paratype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0804). Telson, lateral aspect. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES. 23–30. 23–26 Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., female holotype. Chela dorsoexternal, external, ventral and internal aspects. 27–30 Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., male paratype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0802). Chela dorsoexternal, external, ventral and internal aspects. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES. 31–33 Scorpiops lhasa sp. n., male paratype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0802). Right hemispermatophore, ventral, internal and dorsal aspects. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Etymology: The specific name, a noun in apposition, refers to Lhasa , type locality of the new species.

Description (based on female holotype):

Coloration: Basically red brown. Carapace dark brown, Median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Tergites red brown mainly with dark red brown parts on posterior edge. Metasoma segments dark red brown with pale stripes; vesicle brown with a yellowish aculeus. Chelicerae yellow brown; with the fingers red brown and gradually lighter toward the tip. Pedipalp femur and patella dark brown; and the chela red brown with the fingers dark red brown. Legs dark brown with yellow brown spots. Claws yellowish brown. Sternum, genital operculum, venter and sternites pale brown. Pectines yellowish.

Morphology: Carapace is coarse, with dense, minute granules; lateral furrow broad and flat; anterior median furrow broad and moderately deep; posterior median furrow deep, slit-shaped; anterior and posterior margins smooth; lateral margins and other parts with dense, minute granules, anterior granules larger than the posterior ones. Median eyes situated anterior to the center of the carapace; three pairs of lateral eyes, the third smallest. Median ocular tubercle smooth with a pair of small median eyes, which are almost the same size as the first two pairs of lateral eyes. Lateral ocular tubercle with some granules.

Mesosoma: Tergites are almost completely densely covered with fine granules, posterior part of tergites with some bigger ones; from tergite III to VI the trace of a median carina first appears and gradually becomes distinct; on tergite VII with a distinct carina, and two pairs of lateral carinae. Pectinal tooth count 9/9, fulcra TABLE. 1: Measurements (in mm) of holotype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0801) and paratype (Ar.-HBU-XZLS0802) of S. lhasa sp.nov.

present (Figures. 7, 21). Genital operculums are subtriangular. Sternites are almost smooth and shiny; segment VII ventrally with 4 weak carinae.

Metasoma: segments II to V are longer than wide; segments I to V have 10-8-8-8 -7 carinae, segments II–IV with a pair of lateral carinae vestigial; all dorsal carinae are serrated on segment I, and become strongly serrated from II to IV slightly; with tegument punctated; on segment V, carinae with smaller serration dorsally and larger serration ventrally. Vesicle is coarse but without granules, with few setae (Figures. 6, 22).

Pedipalps: Femur with external, dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal carinae granulated and internal carinae crenulated; tegument with evenly scattered coarse granules dorsally and smooth ventrally. Patella with dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and external carinae with large, smooth granules; two large spinoid granules present on the internal aspect, the ventrointernal spine appearing bifid (Figures. 16, 20); tegument with coarse granules dorsally and with few smooth granules ventrally. Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic ( Vachon 1974); patella with 17 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et), 10 ventral trichobothria (Figures. 14, 16, 18, 20). Chela elongated and narrow, with four ventral trichobothria. Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, and ventral internal carinae, all smooth (Figures. 23– 30); ventral median carina strong; tegument granulated dorsally and ventrally. Fingers curved (Figures. 23–30).

Chelicerae: Tibiae are smooth, with reticular pattern. Movable finger with 4 teeth on dorsal edge and 6 teeth on ventral edge. Fixed finger with 3 teeth on dorsal edge (Figures. 3– 4).

Legs: Trochanter with few granules and setae. Femur dorsal surface densely granulose and ventrally smooth, internally with 2 granular carinae. Patella dorsally with scattered small granules, internally with 1 granular carina. Tibiae with few setae, without spurs. Basitarsus with 3 distinct rows of spinules and more setae, with 2 lateral pedal spurs. Tarsus ventrally with row of spinules. Claws hook-like.

Variation. Female and male paratypes: coloration and morphology are very similar to holotype. Number (left/right) of ventral trichobothria on the pedipalp patellae: holotype, 2 males, 1 female and 1 male juvenile with 10/10; 1 female juvenile with 11/10. Number of pectinal teeth: holotype, 1 female and 1 female juvenile with 9/9; 1 male with 11/10; 1 male with 11/11; 1 male juvenile with 10/10. Measurements in Table 1.

Habitat: Found under stones on steep hillside. Distrbution: China (Xizang).