Heterometrus petersii (Thorell, 1876)

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 : 32-34

Heterometrus petersii (Thorell, 1876)

( Fig. 23 )

Heterometrus megacephalus (nec Buthus megacephalus C. L. Koch, 1836: 73 ): Simon, 1872: 97.

Palamnaeus petersii Thorell, 1876a: 13 ; Pocock, 1892: 39; Pocock, 1900: 84.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) petersi : Kovařík, 1998: 137.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) petersii : Fet, 2000: 437; Kovařík, 2002: 17.

Heterometrus petersii : Soleglad & Fet, 2003: 5, 8.

Heterometrus petersii petersii : Warburg & Polis, 1990: 225.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) petersii petersii : Couzijn, 1981:96; Le Xuan Hue et al., 1998: 7; Fet, 2000: 437.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) petersii mindanaensis Couzijn, 1981: 97 (TL: Mindanao; MNHN); Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 437.

Palamnaeus spinifer (in part): Pocock, 1892: 40; Pocock, 1893: 316.

Heterometrus longimanus (in part): Kraepelin, 1895: 34; Kraepelin, 1899: 111.

Heterometrus longimanus petersi : Kraepelin, 1905: 199; Giltay, 1931: 4; Fage, 1933: 25; Fage, 1936: 181; Fage, 1944: 71; Takashima, 1945: 90.

= Palamnaeus silenus Simon, 1884: 361 ; Flower, 1901: 35; Simon, 1904: 293 (syn. by Pocock, 1900: 84).

Scorpio longimanus silenus : Kraepelin, 1895: 41; Kraepelin, 1899: 111; Kraepelin, 1901: 271; Kraepelin, 1905: 199; Masi, 1912: 123.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Cochinchina ( Vietnam) ; MNHN.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Thailand, Bangkok, 1.VI.1957, 1♂ (det.?), leg. J. Hunyard, CASC ; Prachin Buri, 4.I.1966, 1♀, leg. Y. Siah, CASC . Vietnam, Quan Toi , 29.IX.1969, 1♂, leg. W. Horan, CASC ; Khank Hoa prov., Nha Trang env., Xuan Son , 30 m, 23.I.1994, 1♀, leg. K. Petrželka, FKCP ; prov. Dong Nai, 80 km NE Saigon, valley Ma Da, Tri An dam, 10°56'N – 107°20'E, IV.1995, 1♂, VII.1995, 1juv., 27.IV.1996, 2ims.3juvs., 7.VI.1996, 1juv., 1997, 1♂, V.1998, 1juv., leg. K. Petrželka, FKCP .?, 1im., no location, CASC; Cochinchina , V.1872, 1♀, SMFD No. 5331 .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 90–125 mm long. Base color of adults uniformly black, only manus and telson may be reddish brown. Pectinal teeth number 15–19 in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps not noticeable. Male has more pronounced tooth on movable fingers of pedipalp. Chela rounded, its length to width ratio 2–2.4 in both sexes. Much of manus smooth, with smooth carinae mainly on margins. Patella of pedipalp without pronounced internal tubercle. Carapace with disc smooth and margins granulate. Telson hirsute, elongate, vesicle longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. Couzijn (1981) described the Philippine subspecies H. p. mindanaensis, whose holotype I have not been able to examine, and H. p. luzonensis, which has been synonymized with H. cyaneus (C. L. Koch, 1836) (see Kovařík, 2002: 3, 17). Sexual dimorphism (tooth on movable fingers of pedipalp more pronounced in male than in female) distinguishes this species from H. laoticus Couzijn, 1981 .

DISTRIBUTION. Cambodia (Kraepelin, 1901: 271), Laos (Kraepelin, 1901: 271), Philippines (Couzijn, 1981: 97) and Vietnam ( Thorell, 1876a: 13, Kraepelin, 1899: 112). Thailand and Malaysia records (Kraepelin, 1901: 271) are doubtful, as they could well pertain to H. laoticus Couzijn, 1981 and H. spinifer (Ehrenberg, 1828) .

Figures

Figure 23: Heterometrus petersii, dorsal view, male from Vietnam (FKCP).