Heterometrus bengalensis (C. L. Koch, 1841)

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 : 7-9

Heterometrus bengalensis (C. L. Koch, 1841)

( Fig. 10 )

Buthus bengalensis C. L. Koch, 1841: 3 , fig. 696; C. L. Koch, 1850: 88.

Palamnaeus bengalensis : Pocock, 1892: 39; Pocock, 1900: 94; Kanungo, 1954: 536; Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 310.

Scorpio bengalensis : Pocock, 1893: 310; Pocock, 1894: 72; Kraepelin, 1895: 51.

Heterometrus bengalensis : Kraepelin, 1899: 114; Werner, 1902: 601; Kraepelin, 1913: 166; Borelli, 1915: 463; Lampe, 1918: 198; Roewer, 1943: 228; Takashima, 1945: 93; Minnocci, 1974: 38; Brignoli, 1985: 415; Hjelle, 1990: 51; McCormick & Polis, 1990: 298.

Heterometrus (Scorpio) bengalensis : Kraepelin, 1901: 271.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) bengalensis : Couzijn, 1981: 117 (in part); Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 539; Kovařík, 1998: 137 (in part); Fet, 2000: 432 (in part); Kovařík, 2002: 17.

= Palamnaeus costimanus glaucus Thorell, 1876b: 219 (syn. by Couzijn, 1981: 117).

= Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) fastigiosus Couzijn, 1981: 140 ; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 587; Kovařík, 1998: 136; Fet, 2000: 438;? Bastawade, 2002: 295; Kovařík, 2002: 17. Syn. n.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Ostindien , Bengalen ; ZMHB.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Bengal, 1♂ (lectotype hereby designated), ZMHB No. 70/2, 1♂ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis and paratype of Heterometrus fastigiosus ), ZMHB No. 70/1, 1♀ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis and paratype of Heterometrus fastigiosus ), ZMHB No. 70/3, 1♂ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis ), ZMHB No. 70/4, 1♂ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis ), ZMHB No. 70/5, 1♀ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis ), ZMHB No. 70/6, 1im. ♀ (paralectotype of Buthus bengalensis ), ZMHB No. 70/7; Assam, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv. (holotype and paratypes Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) fastigiosus Couzijn, 1981 ), SMFD No. 8886/228 .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Mizgapur Banaras , 1♂, CASC ; Orissa, Nagpur-Keonjahr Dist., Daitari , II.1974, 1♂ 1♀, FKCP ; West Bengal, Midnapore , 19.III.1960, 1♂ leg. C. L. Kau, CASC; 30 m from Kharpur , 28.IX.1960, 1juv., 20.VI.1960, 1♂ 1juv., 28.IX.1960, 2♂ 2♀ 1juv., 5.X.1960, 2♀ 1im., 6.X.1960, 1im., 1.III.1961, 1juv., 24.III.1961, 1juv., 9.V.1961, 2juvs., leg. J. Singh, CASC; 30 m from Kharpur , 17.II.1961, 1♀, 27.II.1961, 1♀, leg. C. L. Kau, CASC; 5 m from Kharpur, roots of Polash tree, 9.V.1961, 1juv., leg. B. Singh, CASC ; 4.III.1961, 1juv., VI.1961, 1♂ 2juvs., 18.VI.1962, 1♀ (im.), CASC ; before 13.III.1968, Zafer´s Export Centre , 5♂ 5♀ 2ims. (labeled as Heterometrus fastigiosus and Heterometrus bengalensis ), CASC , 14♂ 20♀ 20ims.7juvs., CASC , 1♂ 1♀ 1im., FKCP ; Calcutta , 17.VIII.1965, 1♀, leg. P. K. Sina, CASC .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 95–115 mm long. Color of adults uniformly reddish brown to light brown. Pectinal teeth number 14–17 in both sexes. Male with chela, femur and patella of pedipalp relatively narrower and longer than in female. Chela not lobiform, its length to width ratio about 3.0 in male and 2.2 in female. Much of manus sparsely tuberculate, uneven, but without discrete granules and carinae, especially in male. Patella of pedipalp without pronounced internal tubercle. Carapace smooth, with granules only at margins. Third and fourth leg spine formula 4–5:5–6. Telson hirsute, bulbous, vesicle longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. This species was based on seven syntypes deposited at ZMHB. Couzijn (1981: 120 and 142) stated that these syntypes were destroyed during WW2, although he saw two of them and speculated that in reality they were not the syntypes of Buthus bengalensis but a different species which he described as Heterometrus fastigiosus . He thus designated the two examined syntypes of Buthus bengalensis as paratypes of Heterometrus fastigiosus , and for Heterometrus bengalensis designated a neotype deposited at MNHN. I consider this taxonomic move entirely invalid and incomprehensible. All seven syntypes of Buthus bengalensis are preserved at ZMHB and I hereby designate one of them as lectotype to assure the stability of the species. In accordance with ICZN Article 75.8, it invalidates Couzijn‘s designation of the neotype. I examined the holotype and paratypes of Heterometrus fastigiosus from SMFD and found them to be the same species. Therefore, Heterometrus fastigiosus Couzijn, 1981 is a synonym of Heterometrus bengalensis (C. L. Koch, 1841) .

DISTRIBUTION. India: West Bengal (C. L. Koch, 1841: 5; Pocock, 1894: 72), Orissa (first report). I presume also occurrence in Bangladesh and other states of India. However, the records listed by Tikader & Bastawade (1983: 543) from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya and Maharashtra are due to confusion with other species doubtful and require verification .

Figures

Figure 10: Heterometrus bengalensis, dorsal view, male lectotype.