Orthochirus fuscipes ( Pocock, 1900 )

Kovařík, FrantIšek, Fet, Victor & Yağmur, Ersen Aydın, 2020, Further review of Orthochirus Karsch, 1892 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Asia: taxonomic position of O. melanurus, O. persa, O. scrobiculosus, and description of six new species, Euscorpius 318, pp. 1-73 : 17

Orthochirus fuscipes ( Pocock, 1900)

( Figure 343 )

Butheolus melanurus fuscipes Pocock, 1900: 29 . http: //zoobank. org/ urn : lsid: zoobank. org: act: C55CA44B - 443A -4BE0-8C0C -E94432A9F00F

SYNONYMS:

= Paraorthochirus blandini Lourenço & Vachon, 1997: 329 (type locality and type repository: Pakistan, environs of Karachi); Fet & Lowe, 2000: 212. Syn. n. http: //zoobank. org/ urn : lsid: zoobank. org: act: D304CCB0- DA0D -465E -9653-69ADF7E80965

REFERENCES:

Orthochirus fuscipes: Vachon, 1949: 139 (1952: 225) ; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 195 (complete reference list until 1998); Kovařík, 2004: 11 (in part); Kovařík & Fet, 2006: 8.

Afghanorthochirus erardi: Lourenço & Vachon, 1997: 332 (in part; paratypes from Pakistan).

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Northern Baluchistan, now Pakistan ;? BMNH (could not be found; see Kovařík, 2004: 11).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Lasbela District , 7 mi NW Uthal, [25°48'N 66°37'E], 2 January 1960, 1♂ 5♀, leg. S. Minton, CASC ; Lasbela District, 7 mi from Diwana , [26°24'N 67°10'12"E], 21 February 1960, 1♀ A, leg. S. Minton, CASC ; Khurkhra , 38 km S Uthal, 2♂ 2♀, 24 April 1993, leg. S. Bečvář, FKCP . Sindh Province, Hyderabad , [25°22'45"N 68°22'06"E], 2012, 1♂, FKCP ; 7 mi NW Karachi , 20 December 1958, 2♂ 3♀, leg. S. Minton, CASC ; 1.75 mi NW Karachi, Airport , [24°51'36"N 67°00'12"E], 4 January 1959, leg. 1♂ 1juv. A, leg. S. Minton, CASC ; Karachi environs, January 2007, 5♂ 5♀, leg. Z. Ahmed, 2008, 8♂ 6♀, FKCP ; Thatta District , 1 mi NW Kalri (Keenjhar) Lake [24°57'N 68°03'E], 17 January 1959, 3♂ 3♀ 1juv., leg. S. Minton, CASC .

DIAGNOSIS (♂ ♀). Total length of adults 24–40 mm. Trichobothrium d 2 on dorsal surface of pedipalp femur absent or reduced. Pectinal teeth number 19–22 in males and 16–20 in females. Movable finger of pedipalps with 8–9 rows of denticles, 7–9 ID and 8–9 OD. Dorsal carinae on pedipalp patella developed and smooth. Metasoma I –II with 10 carinae, metasoma III with 6–8 carinae, metasoma IV – V with 2 dorsolateral carinae and 2 partly incomplete ventrolateral carinae. Metasoma III with laterodorsal carinae without punctae. Ventral carinae of metasoma I– III consist of large granules in one or two rows. Metasoma IV – V ventrally and laterally smooth with fine punctation developed at least in female, spaces among punctae usually smooth; metasoma I ventrally and laterally granulated or bumpy with punctation reduced. Metasoma V dorsal surface mesially usually granulated; metasoma I dorsal with 0–10 large granules in adults. Tergites roughly to finely granulated. Sternite VII granulated, with four granulated carinae present. Pedipalp, metasoma and telson glabrous. Moderate tibial spurs present on legs III and IV. Tarsomere I of legs I– III with 4–8 long setae in both sexes .

COMMENTS. We studied specimens from Pakistan, environs of Karachi (locality of holotype of Paraorthochirus blandini and paratypes of Afghanorthochirus erardi ) with strong intraspecific variability, which belong to Orthochirus fuscipes . Species P. blandini and A. erardi were described in different genera, which are now in synonymy with Orthochirus . In our opinion, all specimens from this area belong to Orthochirus fuscipes .

DISTRIBUTION. Pakistan ( Fig. 343 ).

Figures

Figure 343. Geographic distribution of the Orthochirus spp. found from Turkey to India. An approximate area where the lectotype of O. melanurus was collected is marked by red ellipse.