Gint banfasae, Kovařík & Lowe, 2019

Kovařík, František & Lowe, Graeme, 2019, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida Scorpiones) Part XVIII Gint banfasae sp n from Somaliland (Buthidae), Euscorpius 272, pp. 1-14 : 5-9

Gint banfasae sp. n.

( Figs. 1–62 , Table 1 )

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:92799A FB-BFBE-4920-AA6B-45C597137D72

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somaliland, Shanshade vill., 08°39'35"N 45°55'49"E, 790 m a.s.l. ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland, Shanshade vill., 08°39'35"N 45°55'49"E, 790 m a.s.l. (Locality No. 18SJ), 29–31.VIII.2018, 66♂ 8♀ 4juvs. (holotype and paratypes, Nos. 1530, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534), FKCP, 2♂ GLPC. leg. F. Kovařík et al .

ETYMOLOGY. Named after Huda Ali Banfas from Hargeisa, Somaliland. For the last years, Huda has been working with both local and international non-governmental organizations specialized in the area of children and human rights. Huda is a freelance landscape photographer and is devoted to taking photos during her off days and in 2018 her unique book of photos of Somaliland nature, people and animals “Kayd Dee-gaan” in the second edition was published.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 25–29 mm (males) to 32–34 mm (females); chelicerae yellow with reticulation in anterior part or uniformly yellow; carapace densely granulated with only anterior median carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight; pectine teeth 21–26 in males and 21–25 in females; sternites III–VI lacking carinae; sternite VII with four weakly indicated carinae, lateral surface granulated; metasomal segment V length/width ratio 2.35–2.38 in male; metasomal segment II–IV intercarinal surfaces granulated in both sexes; metasomal segment IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate in both sexes; metasomal segment V of both sexes has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae that in posterior halves bear several lobate granules; dorsal surface of segment V smooth and lateral surface may be weakly granulated (more so in males); all metasomal segments sparsely setose; metasomal segment V bearing ca. 48 long setae in both sexes; telson elongate, more elongated in male than in female, aculeus slightly shorter than vesicle in both sexes; legs I–III with tarsal bristle combs composed of 5 to 10 long, thin setae; movable finger of pedipalp with 9 or rarely 8 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules.

DESCRIPTION. Adult males are 25–29 mm long and the adult females are 32–34 mm long. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 14– 17, 19 , and 21. Sexual dimorphism is noticeable. Males are substantially smaller, with more elongated telson. Pedipalp patella and femur are granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossy in females.

COLORATION ( Figs. 1–4 , 58–59 ). Basic color is yellow to orange with very weak dark patterning. The carinae on the metasoma can be dark. Metasomal segment V is darker than the other metasomal segments. The chelicerae are yellow with reticulation in the anterior part or uniformly yellow; dentition is reddish.

CARAPACE ( Figs. 5–6 , 41 ). The surface is densely granulated. The anterior margin is straight and bears 8–10 macrosetae. Anterior median carinae are coarsely granular. There are 5 lateral eyes on each side (3 larger, 2 smaller).

MESOSOMA ( Figs. 1–8 , 41–42 ). The tergites bear three coarsely granular carinae, of which the lateral pair on tergites I–II are inconspicuous. All tergites with dense coarse and fine granulation. The pectinal tooth count is 21–26 (mean 23.01) in males and 21–25 (mean 23.38) in females. The marginal tips of the pectines extend from the third quarter to the end of sternite IV in females, and from the end of sternite IV to the first quarter of sternite V in males. The pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 8–11 middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, three to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae, their surfaces are smooth in females and wrinkled with finely shagreened lateral areas in males. Sternite VII has one to two pairs of poorly indicated carinae and is weakly granulated in the area outside the lateral carinae, more so in males. All sternites bear several long macrosetae on their surfaces and margins.

HEMISPERMATOPHORE ( Figs. 53–57 ). Flagelliform, trunk long and slender, capsule relatively short. Flagellum with short pars recta bearing a fin-like expansion along proximal anterior margin, and long, hyaline pars reflecta extending up to halfway from capsule to foot. Capsule with 3+1 lobe structure, sperm hemiduct separated from flagellum, trilobate with posterior lobe longest, median lobe shortest and apically acuminate, anterior lobe of intermediate length and apically tapered. Posterior margin of median lobe overhanging the posterior lobe, the two lobes fused along a dark suture or carina. Basal lobe well developed as a low, rounded scoop. Morphology was consistent across 9 hemispermatophores examined from 5 males (1530, 1531, 1532, 1533, 1534).

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 33–40 , 43–45 ). Metasoma I–III bear 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 IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate in both sexes. Metasoma V of both sexes has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae, which in posterior halves bear several lobate granules. Intercarinal surfaces of segments II–IV are granulated in both sexes. The ventral aspect of metasoma I is sparsely, faintly granulated or smooth in both sexes. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of this segment are granulated in both sexes, lateral surfaces densely and dorsal surfaces moderately or sparsely. The lateral anal arch consists of three or four lobes in both sexes. All segments are sparsely setose; the fifth segment has ca. 48 long setae in both sexes. The telson is rather elongate, more so in males. 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 5–10 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. 13–32 , 46–49 ). The femur and patella are matte and granulated in males, and smooth and glossy in females. The femur bears four granular carinae in both sexes. The patella bears seven coarsely granular carinae, in females dorsal and ventral carinae may be either smooth or missing. 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 nine or rarely eight rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule, and 5 terminal granules (4 subterminal and one distal terminal). The fixed finger has nine rows of granules, with one external and one internal granule.

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 18SJ is red sandy semidesert ( Figs. 60– 61 ). The types of Gint banfasae sp. n. were recorded as the dominant scorpion species at night during UV collecting together with Hottentotta sp., Lanzatus somalilandus Kovařík et Lowe, 2016 , and two Parabuthus species. The first author (F.K.) visited the locality on 29–31 August 2018 and recorded maximum daytime temperatures of 40 ºC and a minimum nighttime temperature of 23 ºC. The recorded humidity was between 24% (minimum at day) and 65% (maximum at night).

Figures

Figures 1–4: Gint banfasae sp. n. Figures 1–2. Holotype male, dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Figures 3–4. Paratype female, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 5–12: Gint banfasae sp. n. Figures 5, 7. Holotype male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (5) and sternopectinal region and sternites (7). Figures 6, 8, 9–12. Paratype female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (6), sternopectinal region and sternites (8), distal segments of right legs I–IV, retrolateral views (9–12).

Figures 13–32: Gint banfasae sp. n. Figures 13–21. Holotype male. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (13), external (14), and ventrointernal (15) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (16), external (17), and ventral (18) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, internal (19), ventral (20) and dorsal (21) views. Figures 22–32. Paratype female. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (22), external (23), and ventrointernal (24) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (25), external (26), and ventral (27) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, internal (28), ventral (29) and dorsal (30) views. Pedipalp chela, movable (31) and fixed (32) fingers dentate margin. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 14–17, 19, 21 (white circles).

Figures 33–40: Gint banfasae sp. n. Figures 33, 38–40. Holotype male, metasoma V and telson lateral view (33), metasoma and telson, lateral (38), ventral (39), and dorsal (40) views. Figures 34–37. Paratype female, metasoma V and telson lateral view (34), metasoma and telson, lateral (35), ventral (36), and dorsal (37) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (35–40).

Figures 41–42: Gint banfasae sp. n. paratype male, carapace and tergites (41), coxosternal area and sternites (42). UV fluorescence. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 43–49: Gint banfasae sp. n., paratype male. Figures 43–45. Metasoma and telson dorsal (43), lateral (44) and ventral (45) views. Scale bar: 2 mm. Figures 46–49. Left pedipalp, dorsal (46), external (47), ventral (48) and internal (49) views.. Scale bar: 1 mm UV fluorescence.

Figures 50–57: Gint banfasae sp. n., paratype males. Figures 50–52. Right chelicera, dorsal (50) and ventral (51) views, and ventral view under UV fluorescence (52). Scale bar: 400 µm. Figures 53–57. Paratype 1531. Left hemispermatophore: capsule region in posterior (53), convex compressed (54), convex (55) and anterior (56) views; whole hemispermatophore, convex view (57). Scale bars: 200 µm, 500 µm.

Figures 58-59: Gint banfasae sp. n., two male paratypes in vivo habitus, photograph of animal on natural substrate in the field at the collection site (58), and image taken in the laboratory with dark contrast stone background (59).

Figures 60–61: Gint banfasae sp. n., type locality.

Figure 62: Map showing confirmed distribution of Gint spp.