Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911

Di, Zhiyong, Xu, Xiaobo, Cao, Zhijian, Wu, Yingliang & Li, Wenxin, 2013, Notes on the scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) from Xizang with the redescription of Scorpiops jendeki Kovarik, 2000 (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) from Yunnan (China), ZooKeys 301, pp. 51-99 : 67-74

Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911 Figures 102-118, Table 2

Scorpiopstibetanus Hirst, 1911:472-473; Kovařík, 2000b: 197, figs 47, 68, 69, tab. 1-3; Fet, 2000d: 495.

Type locality.

China, Xizang, Tsangpo Valley, Chaksam Ferry..

Type material.

Holotype, male. L. A. Wadell leg. BMNH, No. 1911. 8. 10. 1.

Material examined.

1 female and 5 juveniles, China, Xizang, Shigatse City, around the Zhabulun Temple, 13/8/2006, Xiao-Feng Yang leg, (MHBU, Ar.- MHBU - XZSH0601-6).

Diagnosis.

Adult body length about 45-65 mm. Mainly color uniformly reddishblack. Male has finger of pedipalps more flexed and manus shorter and broader than the female. 17 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) and 7-10 ventral trichobothria (usually 9) on the patella. Pectinal teeth number 5-11.

Comments. In Kovařík & Ahmed’s list of Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” (2009: 10): containing Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911. Hirst (1911) did not provide a detailed description except the brief comparison with Scorpiops austerus Hirst, 1911 (syn onymized with Scorpiops hardwickii by Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 418) and Scorpiops crassimanus Pocock, 1899 (synonymized with Scorpiops hardwickii by Kovařík, 2000b: 175). Kovařík (2000b) examined the holotype (male) of Scorpiops tibetanus and recorded some important information: (1) total length is 50-65mm; (2) male has finger of pedipalps more flexed and manus shorter and broader than the female; (3) 17 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) and 7-10 ventral trichobothria (usually 9) on the patella; (4) pectinal teeth number 5-11. Di et al. (2011a) excluded Scorpiops tibetanus from Kovařík’s Scorpiops hardwickii “complex” as followed reasons: (1) ventral trichobothria on patella in S. tibetanus number 7-10 (usually 9, in one young out of 37 specimens, 7 on one side; Kovařík, 2000b: 196), 6-8 in Scorpiops hardwickii “complex”; (2) pectinal teeth number is 5-11 (usually 7-11) in Scorpiops tibetanus , 4-9 in Scorpiops hardwickii (usually 5-7).

Description.

(based on female specimens: Ar.- MHBU - XZSH0601).

Coloration: red brown mainly.

Carapace dark red brown. Median and lateral ocular tubercles black. Tergites mostly 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 (Fig. 103); 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 (Figs 103, 106). Median ocular tubercle with granules and a pair of big median eyes and a median furrow. Lateral ocular tubercle with some granules.

Mesosoma: Tergites sparsely covered with coarse and big granules, posterior part of tergites with bigger granules; tergites III–VI with a median carina; tergite VII with two pairs of lateral carinae (shaped by bigger granules); tergites margin smooth. Pectinal teeth count 7/7, fulcra present (Fig. 107). Sternum quinquangular. Genital operculum subtriangular. Sternites smooth and shiny; segment VII with 4 smooth 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 (Fig. 108) 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 some granules. Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic ( Vachon 1974); patella with 17 external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et), 9 ventral trichobothria (Figs 109-111). Chela with length/width ratio: 2.2-2.5 in adult females and 2.0 in male (holotype, Kovařík, 2000b: 161. tab. 1). Chela with dorsal marginal, external secondary, and ventrointernal carinae granulated (Figs 115-118); ventrointernal carina with some big granules; tegument with granules; female 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. The male has fingers of pedipalps more flexed and manus shorter and broader than the female ( Kovařík, 2000b: 196).

Chelicerae: Tegument smooth. Tibia smooth. Movable finger with 4 teeth on dorsal edge, 5teeth on ventral edge. Fixed finger with 3 teeth on dorsal edge (Figs 104, 105).

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.

Both sexes with coloration and morphology very similar to holotype. 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 2.

Ecology.

This species was collected from barren mountain. They were found under stones.

Distribution.

Tsangpo Valley and Xigazê (standard notation of Shigatse) (China).