Heterometrus cimrmani, Kovařík, 2004

Kovařík, František, 2004, A review of the genus Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828, with descriptions of seven new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae), Euscorpius 15 (15), pp. 1-60 : 9-11

Heterometrus cimrmani sp. n.

( Fig. 11 )

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) spinifer : Kovařík, 1998: 137 (in part); Fet, 2000: 438 (in part).

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) spinifer spinifer (in part):? Couzijn, 1981: 89; Kovařík, 1995: 203;? Le Xuan Hue et al., 1998: 7.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Thailand, Trang env .; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Thailand, Trang env., 1♂ 1♀ (holotype and allotype), FKCP . Holotype and allotype were bred by the author; the holotype died on 16.V.1992, and the allotypic paratype gave birth, on 29.VIII.1992, to 18 juvs. of which paratypes are 2juvs. after 1st ecdysis, 1juv. after 2nd ecdysis, 1juv. after 3rd ecdysis, 1juv. after 4th ecdysis, 2ims. after 5th ecdysis, and 4♀ after 6th ecdysis, reared by F. Kovařík, FKCP ; Trang env., 1♂, 1980, FKCP ; Khao Chong (Trang), X.1998, 4♀ (paratypes), leg. V. Šejna, FKCP ; Trang-Kao Chong , 1juv., 10.IX.1993, leg. M. Veselý, FKCP ; Thaleban , 30 km SW near Satun, 1♂ (paratype), 20.IX.1993, FKCP ; Ban Huai Phan env., pr. Nakhon Si, Thammarat , 7– 12.VI.1996, 1♀ (im.) (paratype), leg. F. Kantner, FKCP ; 20 km E. of Trang, 1999, 1♀ (paratype – juv. born on 3- IX-1999), leg. Komzík, FKCP . Vietnam, Saigon, 1940, 1♀ (paratype), FKCP .

ETYMOLOGY. Named after Jára Cimrman, a well known Czech renaissance man. Jára Cimrman bred large Heterometrus from Thailand and Malaysia and in his log noted that they must be two species with different sexual dimorphism ( Heterometrus spinifer and the species described here). Regrettably, he has not published the observation.

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 90–115 mm long. Base color of adults uniformly black to greenish black. Pectinal teeth number 15–18 in both sexes. Male has longer but not narrower femur and patella of pedipalp, and longer and narrower chela of pedipalp. Chela slightly lobiform, its length to width ratio 2.8–3.0 in male and 2.1–2.4 in female. Male fixed fingers of pedipalp shorter than manus. Much of manus smooth, with punctae arranged in rows. Patella of pedipalp with pronounced internal tubercle. Carapace with disc smooth and margins granulate. Telson hirsute, elongate, vesicle longer than aculeus.

DESCRIPTION: The adult male holotype is 111.3 mm long, other adults are 90–115 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. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the length of the femur, patella and chela of pedipalp, and also in the width of the chela.

COLORATION: The color is uniformly black to greenish black.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma lacks carinae, is smooth, and the carapace has disc smooth and margins granulate. Sternites are smooth, entirely without granules, only the seventh sternite may bear smooth carinae. Pectinal teeth number 15–18 in both sexes.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The metasoma is smooth and sparsely hirsute. The first to fourth segments bear eight carinae, of which the ventral are smooth and the dorsal consist of rounded or pointed granules. The fifth segment bears five complete carinae and two additional lateral carinae developed on only two-thirds of the segment. All carinae of this segment consist of minute rounded or pointed granules and the spaces between them are finely granulate ventrally and smooth dorsally. The telson is elongate and hirsute, dorsally smooth and ventrally with four rows of minute granules. The vesicle is longer than the aculeus.

PEDIPALPS: The femur has three granulose complete carinae and its dorsal surface is smooth. The patella is smooth, dorsally and externally slightly tuberculate, with five smooth carinae, and on the internal surface with scattered pointed minute granules that form a conspicuous internal tubercle. The dorsal surface of the manus is in internal parts tuberculate, without carinae. The chela is hirsute and its external surface is smooth, with two carinae composed of widely spaced granules. The movable finger bears six or seven straight rows of granules.

LEGS: The legs bear solitary long and short setae. The third and fourth leg spine formula is 4–5:6–7.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish H. cimrmani sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. H. cimrmani sp. n. is close to H. spinifer , from which it differs primarily in the expression of sexual dimorphism.

Figures

Figure 11: Heterometrus cimrmani, sp. nov., dorsal view, male holotype.