Euscorpiops kubani Kovarik , 2004

Di, Zhiyong, He, Yawen, Wu, Yingliang, Cao, Zhijian, Liu, Hui, Jiang, Dahe & Li, Wenxin, 2011, The scorpions of Yunnan (China): updated identification key, new record and redescriptions of Euscorpiops kubani and E. shidian (Arachnida, Scorpiones), ZooKeys 82, pp. 1-33 : 2-6

Euscorpiops kubani Kovarik, 2004 rec. n. Figures 1028

Euscorpiops kubani Kovařík 2004: 13-18, Figs 1-6, tab. 1.

Euscorpiops kubani : Kovařík 2005: 1-10, Figs 1-6, tab. 1.

Type locality.

Laos, prov. Phongsaly, Phongsaly env.

Type material.

Holotype male, Laos, prov. Phongsaly, Phongsaly env., 21°41'2"N, 102°06'8"E, 1500 m, Vt KubÆ leg, (deposited in the Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic). Other type materials. Allotype female: Laos, prov. Phongsaly, Phongsaly env., 21°41'2"N, 102°06'8"E, 1500 m, 28/V/20/VI/2003, leg. Vt KubÆ; (Moravian Museum, Brno, Czech Republic). 1 paratype male, Laos, prov. Phongsaly, Ban Sano Mai env., 21°21'N, 102°03'E, ca 1150 m, 19. 26/V/2004, Vt KubÆ leg, (FKCP, followed Kovařík 2004).

Material examined.

Menghai District (21.99°N, 100.45°E), 21/VIII/2010, Wenxin Li, Xiaohua He, Hui Liu, Dahe Jiang and Zhiyong Di leg, 3 females, 3 males, 3 female immatures, 2 male immatures (MWHU, Ar.-MWHU- YNMH 1001- 11); Menghai District, 21/VIII/2006, Bin Xu leg, 1 female immature (BHDC, Ar.-BHDC- YNMH 0601-02).

Diagnosis.

(Modified from Kovařík 2004) Adult 39-50 mm. Mainly color uniformly reddish-black. Pectinal teeth number 6-8. Sexual dimorphism expressed in shape of pedipalp fingers: in male flexed, in female nearly straight (slightly undulate). Pedipalp patella with 18 or rarely 19 external trichobothria (5 or 6 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et) ( Kovařík 2004), and 9 or 10 ventral trichobothria.

Euscorpiops kubani is similar to Euscorpiops shidian Qi, Zhu and Lourenço, 2005 in shape and color (Figs 10-13, 50-53): both are characterized by the presence of 18 trichobothria ( Euscorpiops kubani : mainly with 18) on the external surface of pedipalp patella, 6-8 pectinal teeth, chela with similar length/width ratio (Tab. 2). Both species can be separated by: male pedipalp chela fingers strongly scalloped in Euscorpiops kubani , whereas in Euscorpiops shidian males are slightly scalloped or straight, being the lobe and corresponding notch are reduced to absent; pectinal fulcra small, reduced or absent in Euscorpiops kubani , but well developed in Euscorpiops shidian .

Description

(based on specimens: Ar.-MWHU-YNMH1001-02).

Coloration: Carapace dark red brown. Median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Tergites mostly dark red brown to dark brown. Metasoma segments dark red brown to dark brown. Vesicle red brown with a reddish aculeus. Chelicerae yellow brown with fingers dark red brown gradually lighter toward the tip. Pedipalp femur and patella dark red brown, chela manus and fingers red brown. Legs red brown with yellow brown tarsi. Tarsal ungues yellowish brown. Sternum, genital operculum and sternites pale brown. Pectines yellowish.

Morphology. Prosoma: Carapace with sparse, coarse granules; lateral furrow broad; anterior median furrow broad and moderately deep; posterior median furrow deep; margin behind lateral eyes with granules, other margins smooth. Median eyes situated anteriorly compared to center of carapace; three pairs of lateral ocelli, posterior smallest. Median ocular tubercle with granules and a pair of big median eyes and a median furrow. Lateral ocular tubercle with some granules around eyes.

Mesosoma: Tergites sparsely covered with coarse granules, posterior part of tergites with bigger granules; tergites II–VI with a median carina; tergite VII with two pairs of lateral carinae (with bigger granules). Pectinal teeth count 6-8, fulcra small reduced to absent. Genital operculum subtriangular. Sternites smooth and shiny; segment VII with 4 weak ventral carinae and few granules.

Metasoma: Tegument coarse. Segments II to V longer than wide; segments I to V with respectively 10-8-8-8-7 carinae, segments II–IV with a pair of vestigial lateral carinae; all dorsal carinae crenulate, slightly stronger distally; segment V carinae with smaller granules dorsally and larger serration ventrally. Vesicle with few setae and granules.

Pedipalps: Tegument coarse. Femur with external, dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and internal carinae granulated; tegument with scattered granules dorsally and smooth ventrally. Patella with dorsointernal, dorsoexternal, ventrointernal, ventroexternal and external carinae with big granules; two large spinoid granules present on the internal aspect; tegument with smooth granules dorsally and ventrally. Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic ( Vachon 1974); patella with 18 (rarely 19) external trichobothria (5 or 6 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et) ( Kovařík 2004), 10 or 9 ventral trichobothria (Fig. 27). Chela with length/width ratio: 2.7-3.0 in adult males and 2.7-2.9 in females (3.1 on male holotype, 3.2 on female paratype after Kovařík 2004). Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, and ventrointernal carinae granulated (Figs 14-21); ventrointernal carina with some big granules; tegument with granules forming reticulated pattern; male fingers scalloped with a pronounced lobe in the movable finger and a corresponding notch in fixed finger, lobe and corresponding notch reduced to absent in females (Figs 23, 25).

Chelicerae: Tegument smooth. Tibia smooth. Movable finger with 4 teeth on dorsal edge, 6-7 teeth (not constant) on ventral edge. Fixed finger with 3 teeth on dorsal edge.

Legs: Tegument coarsely granular dorsally, except basitarsi and telotarsi, smooth ventrally. Trochanters with few setae. Femur dorsal surface with few small granules, external surface with a granular carina, internal surface with two granular carinae. Patella internally with a dentate carina. Tibia with few setae and small granules, without spurs. Basitarsi with some spinules, few setae and 2 lateral pedal spurs. Tarsi ventrally with one row of short spinules and few setae. Tarsal ungues curved and hook-like.

Variation.

Female and male paratypes: coloration and morphology are very similar to holotype ( Kovařík 2004). Sexual dimorphism: adult males, with more pronounced lobes on the movable fingers of the chela, and a more pronounced notch in the fixed finger and bigger pectinal teeth than females. Measurements in table 1. Feature datasets in table 2.

Ecology.

This species was collected from moist mixed forest and village. They are found in the shambles (brick or stones) and under the clod.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan), Laos.