Hottentotta polystictus ( Pocock, 1896 )

Kovařík, František & Lowe, Graeme, 2021, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXVI. Records of Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896), with descriptions of H. haudensis sp. n. and H. nigrimontanus sp. n. (Buthidae) from Somaliland, Euscorpius 330, pp. 1-28 : 3-9

Hottentotta polystictus ( Pocock, 1896)

( Figures 1–45 , 137–138 , 140–143 , Table 1) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C46B3DD-

4E9C-4FC0-91B1-095C8099A9EF

Buthus polystictus Pocock, 1896: 178 .

Hottentotta polystictus: KovařÍk & Ojanguren, 2013: 171–172 , 318, 338–339, figs. 1069–1072, 1206–1216 (complete reference list until 2013); KovařÍk & Mazuch, 2015: 23, figs. 112–131, table 4.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somalia, Goolis Mountains , inland of Berbera ; BMNH.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland , Goolis Mountains, inland of Berbera, 2♀ 1im. (holotype and paratypes, fig. 84 in KovařÍk, 2007: 55), leg. E. Lort Phillips , BMNH No. 1895.6.1.46-7.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED ( FKCP). Djibouti, Barra Yer (Petit Barre), 11°18'33.56"N 42°42'39.17"E, 585 m a. s. l., I. 2017, 3juvs., leg . R. Štarha . Ethiopia, NE of Dire Dawa, on road to Djibouti , 09°37'59"N 41°52'43"E, 1124 m a. s. l., 30.I.2015, 1♀, leg . T. Mazuch. Somaliland , Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E, 650 m a. s. l., XI.2010, 1♂ 1♀, leg . T. Mazuch ; 70 km from Berbera to Hargeysa, 1♂, XI.2010, leg. T. Mazuch ; Laas Gel , 50 km NE Hargeisa, 09°46'16.6"N 44°27'07.2"E, 1090 m a. s. l. (Locality 11SB), 7.VII.2011, 1♂ 2♀ 3juvs., leg. F. KovařÍk ; between Berbera and Sheikh , 10°05'49.9"N 45°11'40.1"E, 628 m a. s. l. (Locality 11SH), 10.VII.2011, 1♀ im., leg. F. KovařÍk ; Sheikh , Goolis mts., 09°56'23"N 45°11'14.2"E, 1439 m a. s. l., 11.VII.2011, 2♀ 2juvs., leg. F. KovařÍk ; Sheikh , 09°57'25.9"N 45°09'52.2"E, 1492 m a. s. l. (Locality 11SN), 12.VII.2011, 1♂ 7♀, leg. F. KovařÍk ; Laas Gel , 50 km NE Hargeisa, 09°46'47"N 44°26'43"E, 1043 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SD), 7.II.2017, 1♀, leg. F. KovařÍk ; Laas Gel , 50 km NE Hargeisa, 09°46'47"N 44°26'43"E, 1043 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SF =17SD), 28.-30.VIII.2017, 2♂ 3♀ 7juvs. (1290), leg. F. KovařÍk ; between Berbera and Burao , 10°02'12"N 44°47'21"E, 60 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SG), 30.VIII.2017, 1♂ im. (1303), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Sheikh , Goolis Mts., 09°56'38"N 45°10'59"E, 1418 m a. s. l (Locality No. 17SO), 6.IX.2017, 1♂ 9♀ 8juvs., leg. F. KovařÍk ; Borama , campus Amoud University, 09°56'49"N 43°13'23"E, 1394 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SR =17 SA), 9-13.IX.2017, 1♂ (No. 1330), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Gerissa , N of Borama, 10°36'01"N 43°26'07"E, 245 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17ST), 11.-12.IX.2017, 3♂ 4♀ (1296, 1335), leg. F. KovařÍk ; between Gerissa and Borama , 10°12'16"N 43°07'58"E, 1289 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17 SU), 12.IX.2017, 2♂ (1302, 1329), leg. F. KovařÍk ; campus Hargeysa University, 09°33'30"N 44°04'01"E, 1258 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 18 SA), 19.VIII.2018, 1♀ 1juv., leg. F. KovařÍk ; between Berbera and Hargeysa, 09°57'48"N 44°42'33"E, 787 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 18SL), 2.IX.2018, 1♂ 1♀ 2juvs., leg. F. KovařÍk ; Jidhi village , 10°37'13.9"N 43°04'09.4"E, 462 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19 SE), 1.VII.2019, 1♂ 1juv. (1690), leg. F. KovařÍk ; near Zeyla , 11°19'31.2"N 43°22'16.9"E, 21 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19SG), 3.VII.2019, 1♀ (1663), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Rugi , 09°58'00.6"N 43°25'36.2"E, 1130 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19 SM), 7.VII.2019, 1♂ (1678), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Gerissa , 10°36'01"N 43°26'07"E, 245 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19SH =17ST), 3.VII.2019, 1♂ 3♀, leg. F. KovařÍk ; Cali Haidh , 10°02'50.6"N 43°47'08.7"E, 1056 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19SN), 8.VII.2019, 4♂ 1♀ juv. (1685, 1699, 1721), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Agabar , 09°53'04.8"N 43°57'40.9"E, 982 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 19SO), 1♂ 1♀ 1juv. (1674, 1675, 1687), 9.VII.2019, leg. F. KovařÍk & T. Mazuch .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult males 35–45 mm, of females 40–55 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est. Sexual dimorphism not pronounced; manus of pedipalp usually about the same width in both sexes, but males have fingers of pedipalps slightly undulate. Pectine teeth number 22–24 in males, 18– 20 in females. Chelicerae yellow, anterior manus reticulated. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute. Metasoma with only a few setae. Base color almost uniformly yellowish brown. Dorsal surfaces of pedipalps and ventral surfaces of metasoma with numerous dark spots. Mesosoma yellowish to reddish brown, with black spots. Femur of pedipalp with 5 carinae that may be incomplete. Patella with 8 carinae, usually granulated. Chela lacks carinae, surfaces usually granulate. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 12–14 rows of denticles and 4–6 terminal and one basal terminal denticles. Seventh sternite bears 4 well marked carinae, usually granulated. Metasoma I–III with 10 carinae; metasoma IV with 8 or 10 carinae; metasoma V with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear larger posterior terminal granules. Metasoma narrow; metasomal segment I of adults usually longer than wide, or as long as wide; metasomal segment II always longer than wide; metasomal segment IV length/width ratio 1.70–1.77 in both sexes. Telson vesicle bulbous, telson length/depth ratio 2.40–2.48 in females.

DISTRIBUTION. Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somaliland ( Fig. 138 ).

Figures

Figures 1–2: Hottentotta polystictus, male from locality 17ST (1) and female from locality 17SD (2) in vivo habitus.

Figures 3–6: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 3–4. Male, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Figures 5–6. Female, dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 7–14: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 7, 9, 11–14. Male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites (7), sternopectinal region and sternites (9), and left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (11–14). Figures 8, 10, Female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–V (8), and sternopectinal region and sternites (10).

Figures 15–22: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 15, 20–22. Male, telson lateral (15), and metasoma and telson lateral (20), dorsal (21), and ventral (22). Figures 16–19. Female, telson lateral (16), and metasoma and telson lateral (17), dorsal (18), and ventral (19). Scale bars: 10 mm (17–19, 20–22).

Figures 23–43: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 23–33. Male, pedipalp chela dorsal (23), external (24) and ventral (25) views, patella dorsal (26), external (27) and ventral (28) views, femur and trochanter ventral (29), internal (30), and dorsal (31) views, movable (32) and fixed (33) fingers dentition. Figures 34–43. Female, pedipalp chela dorsal (34), external (35) and ventral (36) views, patella dorsal (37), external (38) and ventral (39) views, femur and trochanter ventral (40), internal (41), and dorsal (42) views, movable finger dentition (43). Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 34–38 and 41–42 by white circles.

Figures 44–45: Hottentotta polystictus, female from locality 11SD, in vivo habitus at locality with newborns (44), and with juveniles after first ecdysis (45).

Figures 136–137: Collection localities. Figure 136. Hottentotta haudensis sp. n., type locality. Figure 137. H. polystictus, locality 11SH.

Figures 138–139: Figure 138. Map showing the distribution of Hottentotta in Somaliland checked during 2011–2019 expeditions, including records of H. polystictus from Djibouti and Ethiopia. Figure 139. Hottentotta nigrimontanus sp. n., type locality (18SD).

Figures 140–146: Hemispermatophores. Figures 140–143: Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896), male from locality 17ST (1335). Figure 140. Whole right hemispermatophore, convex view. Figures 141–143. Capsule region of right hemispermatophore, anterior (141), convex compressed (142) and posterior (143) views. Scale bars: 1 mm (140), 200 μm (141–143). Figures 144–146: H. haudensis sp. n., paratype male (1198). Figures 144–145. Capsule regions of right (144) and left (145) hemispermatophores, convex views. Right capsule was fractured, split off lobes were positioned for display. Capsules compressed to separate the lobes. Figure 146. Whole left hemispermatophore, convex view. Trunk was fractured, pieces were positioned for display. Scale bars: 200 μm (144–145), 1 mm (146).