Alloscorpiops (Alloscorpiops) viktoriae, Lourenco, Wilson R. & Kosulic, Ondrej, 2018

Lourenco, Wilson R. & Kosulic, Ondrej, 2018, A new remarkable species of Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980 from Myanmar (Burma) (Scorpiones, Scorpiopidae), ZooKeys 775, pp. 47-58 : 47

Alloscorpiops (Alloscorpiops) viktoriae sp. n. Figs 1-2, 3-5, 6-12

Diagnosis.

The new species shows several of the characteristics already defined for the genus Alloscorpiops (Vachon, 1980). General colouration reddish brown to dark brown. Global size moderate to small in relation to other species of the genus; adult female with 50.9 mm in total length and a very strong overall granulation. The new species is also characterised by the trichobothrial patterns of some ‘territories’ or series. Femur with three trichobothria, d, i and e. Patella with the trichobothria d1 and d2 on the dorsal surface; i on the internal surface, 15-17 V on the ventral surface and only 22 trichobothria on the external surface (6 et, 7 est, 2 em, 2 esb, 5 eb). Chela-hand with an unusual trichobothrial number on the V series of 8-9 on the ventral surface, Dt on the dorsal surface, Db on the external surface, ib and it on the internal surface, five Et, Est, Esb and three trichobothria in the Eb series on the external surface. The annular ring is strongly marked. Pectines with 8-9 teeth in females and 8-8 in the only known male; fulcra reduced.

Material.

Myanmar (Burma), Magway region, Kyakhtu District, River Stream, Sandy habitat, GPS 21°27 ’36” N; 94°16 ’24” E, 398 m a.s.l., 29/I/2016 (O. Košulič). Female holotype (RS-9122) and male-juvenile paratype (RS-9123) deposited in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris. Female paratype (VS-55342) deposited in the Mendel University of Brno, Czech Republic.

Etymology.

The new species is named after a young lady, Viktorie Košuličová, the daughter of O. Košulič. Coincidently, the new species was also found in the region close to the most impressive peak of Central Myanmar, Mt. Victoria.

Description.

The general coloration is reddish brown to dark brown. Carapace and tergites reddish brown. Metasomal segments brown to dark brown; telson reddish brown; base of aculeus yellow and tip slightly reddish. Chelicerae yellow with intense variegated brownish spots; teeth reddish. Pedipalps dark brown; granulations on chela fingers almost reddish. Legs reddish brown. Venter reddish to reddish yellow; genital operculum and pectines yellow.

Morphology. Carapace strongly granular, furrows moderately to very deep. Median eyes anterior to the centre of carapace; three pairs of lateral eyes, the third pair only slightly smaller than the first two. Sternum pentagonal, longer than wide. Genital operculum formed by two semi-oval plates in female. Tergites strongly granulated; VII with four moderately marked carinae. Pectinal tooth count 8-8 (9-9) in females, 8-8 in male; fulcra reduced. Sternites smooth and shiny; VII with four weak carinae and some granulations. Metasomal segments I and II wider than long; segments III to V longer than wide; 10-8-8-8-7 carinae present on segments I–V, strongly marked; dorsal carinae on segments I-IV, with strongly marked posterior spinoid granules on segments III-IV; metasomal tegument moderately to strongly granulated; ventral carina on segment V with weak spinoid granules. Telson vesicle almost smooth, with some isolated granulations. Pedipalps: femur with dorsal internal, dorsal external, ventral internal and ventral external carinae moderately to strongly marked; tegument moderately granular. Patella with dorsal internal, ventral internal, dorsal external, ventral external and external carinae strongly marked; several spinoid granules present on internal aspect, two of which are very conspicuous; the interno-ventral being larger than the interno-dorsal granule; tegument moderately granular. Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, ventral internal and ventral carinae moderately to strongly marked; other carinae moderately marked; tegument granulated dorsally and ventrally. Chelal fingers with two longitudinal series of granules, almost fused, and a few inner and outer accessory granules. Chelicerae dentition as illustrated in Figure 3; four/five teeth on ventro-internal face of movable finger. Trichobothriotaxy type C, as presented in Figs 6-12.

Relationships.

Although geographically closer to the others species of Alloscorpiops described from Myanmar (Burma) the new species shows some affinities with Alloscorpiops troglodytes from Vietnam, in particular by the reduced number of trichobothria in some territories. Both species can, however, be readily distinguished by the structure of their tegument, which is weakly granular, almost smooth in A. troglodytes and strongly granular in A. viktoriae sp. n. Besides this, they differ in their overall size, pattern of pigmentation, and general morphology (see also the following key).

Morphometric values (in mm) of female holotype. Total length (including telson) 50.9. Carapace: length 8.0; anterior width 4.1; posterior width 7.9. Mesosoma length 17.8. Metasomal segment I: length 2.2, width 3.1; II: length 2.4, width 2.7; III: length 3.2, width 2.6; IV: length 3.6, width 2.4; V: length 6.3, width 2.2, depth 2.2. Telson length 7.4. Vesicle: width 2.2, depth 2.1. Pedipalp: femur length 7.9, width 3.0; patella length 7.2, width 3.3; chela length 15.9, width 4.4, depth 4.3; movable finger length 7.7.