Pandinops Birula, 1913

Kovařík, František, 2016, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part VIII. Pandinops Birula, 1913 (Scorpionidae) with description of two new species, Euscorpius 229, pp. 1-20 : 2

Pandinops Birula, 1913

( Figs. 1–69, Table 1)

Pandinus (Pandinops) Birula, 1913: 419–422 , fig. b; Vachon, 1974: 921, 953, figs. 116–118; Fet, 2000: 469; Kovařík, 2009: 51–53, 115–118, figs. 294– 298, 304–327.

TYPE SPECIES. Pandinus peeli Pocock, 1900

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 55–95 mm. External trichobothria on patella number 13–16 (5–6 eb, 2–4 esb, 2 em, 1–2 est, 3 et); ventral trichobothria on patella number 22–35; internal trichobothria on chela number 6–8; ventral trichobothria on chela number 9–13. Pedipalp chela manus lobiform. Movable fingers of pedipalp, length of segments of pedipalps, and telson without noticeable sexual dimorphism. Pectines with fulcra. Pectinal teeth number 11–21. Sternum subpentagonal, longer than wide. Carapace without distinct carinae. Dentate margin of pedipalp chela movable finger with distinct granules divided into 5–7 rows. Tergites I–VI of mesosoma bear one carina. Stridulation organ located on pedipalp coxae and first pair of legs, but can be reduced. Metasomal segments I–IV with paired parallel ventral median carinae or without carinae. Telson without subaculear tubercle. Legs with one pedal spur, retrolateral spur absent.

SPINIFORM FORMULA OF TARSOMERES OF LEGS OF PANDINOPS ( FIGS. 45–48).

Tarsomere I. Spiniform macroseta pd, vt, rt, vst are present on legs I–IV, but pd can be replaced by seta in P. bellicosus as intraspecific variability; pst is present on legs III–IV; pt and vm are absent on all legs; rm is present on legs I–IV, but is often replaced by seta or spiniform seta ( Fig. 48).

Tarsomere II. Spiniform formula is 3/4: 3/4: 3/4-5: 3/4- 5. Tarsomere II with 2 spines on inclined anteroventral surface, but P. turieli sp. n. has a seta on leg III transformed to "spiniform seta" which indicates not well developed third spine ( Fig. 47) as intraspecific variability.

COMMENTS. Since no data about macrosetae of tarsomeres and other characters (for example number of ventral trichobothria on pedipalp patella) have been published yet, and only the limited number of specimens of the rare Pandinops genus were examined in this study, I cannot define intraspecific variability exactly for most of the characters.