Deccanometrus xanthopus ( Pocock, 1897 ), 2020

Prendini, Lorenzo & Loria, Stephanie F., 2020, Systematic Revision Of The Asian Forest Scorpions (Heterometrinae Simon, 1879), Revised Suprageneric Classification Of Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802, And Revalidation Of Rugodentidae Bastawade Et Al., 2005, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2020 (442), pp. 1-480 : 192-198

Deccanometrus xanthopus ( Pocock, 1897) ,

comb. nov.

Figures 7A, C, 8H, 9C, 10, 20C, D, 34C, D, 47E–H, 64G, 65G, 66G, 118, 127C–F, 142–144, table 1

Palamnaeus xanthopus Pocock, 1897: 116 ; 1900a: 85, 92; Tikader, 1973: 263.

Heterometrus xanthopus: Kraepelin, 1899: 110 , 115; Takashima, 1945: 93; Khatavkar and More, 1990: 79–81, figs. 1–4; Kovařík, 2004: 1, 49–52, tables 2, 3, fig. 32; 2009: 35, 36, 46, 48, 49, 98, 100, tables 1, 2, figs. 174–179, 202, 203; Javed et al., 2010a: 147; Pande et al., 2012: 2382–2385, 2387, table 1, image 10; Patil and Shah, 2012a: 139–141, figs. 1–7; 2012b: 491–493, fig. 1; Tahir and Prendini, 2014: 9.

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) xanthopus: Couzijn, 1981: 41 , 87, 133, 136–138, 169, 192, table 7, figs. 40, 57; Tikader and Bastawade, 1983: 576, 609–614, figs. 1609– 1624; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 441; Bastawade, 2002: 296.

Heterometrus telanganaensis Javed et al., 2010a: 143–148 , table 1, figs. 1–8; syn. nov.

TYPE MATERIAL: INDIA: Maharashtra: Satara Distr. : Palamnaeus xanthopus : Lectotype ♂, paralectotypes: 1 ♀, 2 subad. ♂ [BNHS 707], 1 subad. ♀ [BNHS 703] (BMNH 1896.9.26.88-91 [BNHS 700, 703]), Kadao Tal ( Satara ) [Khatav, 17°39′N 74°22′E], S. Dekhan, Bombay [Bombay

Presidency ], A.D. Wilkins [examined]. Telangana : Jayashankar Bhupalpally Distr. : Heterometrus telanganaensis : Holotype ♀, paratypes: 1 subad. ♂, 1 subad. ♀ (ZSI/FBRC/A-30-32), Regonda, 18°14′N 79°49′E, Warangal District, 24.ix.2010 and 27.x.2010, N. Goud.

DIAGNOSIS: Deccanometrus xanthopus may be separated from other species of Deccanometrus as follows. The carapace is vaulted, the lateral surfaces sloping moderately (fig. 20C, D), in D. xanthopus but slightly to markedly dorsoventrally compressed, the lateral surfaces sloping gently, in all other species except D. latimanus . The median notch in the carapace anterior margin is deeply excavated in D. xanthopus but shallow in D. liurus . The superciliary carinae are higher than the median ocelli in D. xanthopus , but lower than the ocelli in all other species except D. latimanus , D. liurus and D. ubicki . The interocular suture is present in D. xanthopus but absent in D. liurus . The frontal lobes and medial region of the carapace interocular surface are partially to entirely granular in the male (fig. 20C) or granular, with smooth areas, in the female (fig. 20D) of D. xanthopus , whereas the interocular surface is granular along the median longitudinal and anterior bifurcated sulci only in the male and female of D. latimanus , D. liurus , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni , and the male of D. bengalensis , and the frontal lobes and medial region are granular, with smooth areas, in the male of D. ubicki . The carapace posterolateral surfaces of the female are smooth or nearly so in D. xanthopus but granular in D. bengalensis , D. latimanus , and D. liurus . The cheliceral movable finger prodistal (DI) and retrodistal (DE) teeth are aligned longitudinally and not opposable in D. xanthopus , but opposable, i.e., forming a bicusp, in D. liurus and D. ubicki . The pedipalps of the adult male are long, with femur length: posterior carapace width ratio (FL:PCW) ≥ 0.80 and femur length: carapace length ratio (FL:CL) ≥ 0.76 (fig. 127C, D) in D. xanthopus but short, with FL:PCW <0.77, FL:CL <0.74 in D. latimanus . The pedipalp femur prodorsal carina is absent or obsolete in D. xanthopus but present and distinct in all other species except D. liurus . The pedipalp patella dorsomedian carina of the female (fig. 142) is entirely to predominantly granular in D. xanthopus but absent or obsolete in D. latimanus , D. liurus , and D. ubicki . The patella retrodorsal carina of the female (fig. 142) is absent or obsolete in D. xanthopus but as strongly developed as or more strongly developed than the retromedian carinae in D. obscurus and D. phipsoni . The retromedian carinae of the female are absent or obsolete in D. xanthopus but granular in D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni . The patella dorsal, retrodorsal, and retroventral intercarinal surfaces of the female are smooth or nearly so in D. xanthopus but granular in D. obscurus and D. phipsoni . The pedipalp chela is immaculate and paler than the femur and patella in D. xanthopus but infuscate and similar in color to the femur and patella in D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , D. phipsoni and D. ubicki . The pedipalp chela of the adult male is sparsely setose (fig. 143A) in D. xanthopus but moderately to densely setose in all other species. The chela manus promedian carina of the female is absent or obsolete in D. xanthopus (fig. 144B) but present and granular in all other species except D. latimanus . The maximum distance between the dorsomedian and dorsal secondary carinae (DMC–DSC) of the chela manus is similar to the maximum distance between the dorsal secondary and digital carinae (DSC–DC) in the male and female of D. xanthopus whereas the DMC–DSC is less than the DSC–DC in the male of D. obscurus , and the male and female of D. bengalensis , D. liurus , D. phipsoni , and D. ubicki , and greater than the DSC–DC in the male and female of D. latimanus . The chela manus dorsal intercarinal surface is finely to coarsely granular and shallowly reticulate (fig. 143) in D. xanthopus , smooth and shallowly reticulate in D. ubicki , and finely to coarsely granular, without reticulation in D. obscurus and D. phipsoni . The manus retrolateral intercarinal surfaces are granular in D. xanthopus but smooth or nearly so in D. ubicki . The legs are pale or very lightly infuscate (figs. 9C, 127C–F) in D. xanthopus but very dark or heavily infuscate in D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni . Macroseta st on the retroventral surfaces of the basitarsi is setiform on legs I–III (fig. 47E–H) in D. xanthopus but spiniform on legs I–III in D. obscurus , D. phipsoni , and D. ubicki , and spiniform on legs I and II and setiform on III in D. bengalensis ; sb on the retroventral surfaces of the basitarsi is setiform on leg I, and setiform or spiniform on leg II in D. xanthopus , setiform on legs I and II in D. latimanus , and spiniform on legs I and II in the other species; st on the proventral surface of the basitarsus of leg III is spiniform in D. xanthopus but setiform in D. obscurus and D. phipsoni ; sb on the retrolateral surface of the basitarsus of leg III is spiniform in D. xanthopus but setiform in D. latimanus . The laterodistal lobes on the telotarsi of legs I−IV each bear only two spiniform macrosetae in D. xanthopus but three or more in D. latimanus . The angle of the pectinal first proximal median lamella (scape) is approximately 90° in the male (fig. 34C) of D. xanthopus and> 90° but <180° in the male of D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni . The mesial surfaces of mesosomal tergites I–VI are granular in the male and the lateral surfaces smooth in the female of D. xanthopus , whereas the mesial surfaces are smooth in the male and the lateral surfaces granular in the female of D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni , and the mesial surfaces smooth in the male of D. latimanus , D. liurus , and D. ubicki . The ventral surface of mesosomal sternite VII bears two pairs of moderately to strongly developed ventrosubmedian and ventrolateral carinae in D. xanthopus and a pair of weakly developed ventrolateral carinae in D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni . The dorsosubmedian carinae of metasomal segments I–IV are granular or costate-granular (fig. 64G) in D. xanthopus , costate in D. latimanus , and obsolete in D. liurus . The ventrosubmedian and ventrolateral carinae of metasomal segments I–IV are more strongly developed on segments I and II than on III and IV (fig. 66G) in D. xanthopus but more strongly developed on segments III and IV than on I and II in D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni . The lateral carinae are partial on metasomal segments I and V (fig. 65G) in D. xanthopus but vestigial on I in D. liurus and D. ubicki , and absent or obsolete on V in D. latimanus , D. liurus , and D. ubicki . The dorsolateral carinae of metasomal segment V are weak and discontinuous to absent (fig. 64G) in D. xanthopus but strong and continuous in all other species except D. latimanus and D. liurus . The telson is paler than metasomal segment V in D. xanthopus but as dark as segment V in D. latimanus . The width of the telson vesicle is greater than the width of metasomal segment V in the male of D. xanthopus but approximately equal to or less than the width of segment V in the male of D. bengalensis , D. obscurus , and D. phipsoni .

DISTRIBUTION: This species is endemic to India (fig. 118) and has been recorded only in the states of Maharashtra and Telangana (table 1).

ECOLOGY: Deccanometrus xanthopus inhabits a region of semiarid savanna, dominated by Acacia , Commiphora , Euphorbia , Sterculia , and Ziziphus trees, with a sparse grass layer on clayey-loam soils derived from volcanic basalt on the Deccan Plateau, at elevations of 300−930 m (fig. 7A, C; Javed et al., 2010a). The climate is predominately hot and dry, receiving approximately 550 mm of precipitation annually, during the monsoon season from June to September. The burrowing biology of this fossorial, pelophi- lous species was described by Khatavkar and More (1990), Javed et al. (2010a) and Pande et al. (2012). The burrows, constructed in open ground, have oval, semicircular or crescentshaped entrances, 2−2.5 cm x 1.5 cm (fig. 8H), and are 10−50 cm deep, usually almost vertical with a gradual turn, but sometimes tortuous, leading to a terminal chamber 8 cm in diameter. Whereas burrows are usually occupied by a single individual, those containing a female with her brood may have multiple entrances, each connecting, via a separate tunnel, to the main tunnel and terminal chamber ( Javed et al., 2010a). This species occurs in sympatry with the buthids Hottentotta pachyurus , Hottentotta tamulus , and Orthochirus bicolor , the scorpionid Chersonesometrus fulvipes , and the scorpiopid Neoscorpiops satarensis .

REMARKS: This species, previously placed in subgenus Chersonesometrus of Heterometrus by various authors (e.g., Couzijn, 1981; Tikader and Bastawade, 1983; Fet, 2000), is newly accommodated in Deccanometrus , gen. nov., based on a phylogenetic analysis (fig. 10).

Although the type material of H. telanganaensis , described from Telangana, was not examined and compared directly with D. xanthopus , described from Maharashtra, it is clearly conspecific with the latter, matching closely in size, coloration, shape and surface macrosculpture of the carapace and telson, and shape, carination, and surface macrosculpture of the pedipalp chela. The only apparent morphological differences, in pectinal tooth counts ( H. telanganaensis : ♂, 13/13, ♀, 10/10; D. xanthopus : ♂, 16/16, ♀, 14/14) and pro- and retroventral spiniform macrosetal counts of the leg telotarsi ( H. telanganaensis : 3−4/4 on legs I and II, 4/4−5 on III and IV; D. xanthopus : 4/5 on I and II, and 4/6 on III and IV), fall within the normal range of geographical variation for Scorpionidae ( Prendini, 2001a) . The burrowing biology described for H. telanganaensis is also a precise match for D. xanthopus ( Khatavkar and More, 1990; Javed et al., 2010a; Pande et al., 2012). Based on these deductions, the following new synonym is pre-

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sented: Heterometrus telanganaensis Javed et al., 2010 = Deccanometrus xanthopus ( Pocock, 1897) , syn. nov.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: INDIA: Maharashtra: Pune Distr.: Mayureshwar, ca. 2 km NW of Supe, 18°21′N 74°22′E, 644–646 m, 29.xi.2009, R. Datta, mixed savanna on plain intersected by episodic washes, excavated from vertical burrows (ca. 30–50 cm deep) in open ground, clayey soil along drainage lines or near riverbed, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (AMNH), same data, except: 676 m, 1 juv. ♀ (AMCC [LP 16814]). Satara Distr. : Khambatki Ghat, S of Khandala, on M.B.T. Road (Highway 47), 18°01′N 74°01′E, 928 m, 17.xi.2004, S. Basi, steep slopes of rocky ridge, mixed, semiarid savanna, excavated from near-vertical burrows (ca. 15 cm deep) in open ground, 1 ♀ (AMNH), 1 juv. ♂ (AMCC [LP 13126]), 18°01′N 74°01′E, 937 m, dry savanna woodland (mostly broadleaf) on steep mountain slope, excavated from burrows ca. 15 cm deep, almost vertical with gradual turn, in hard, reddish clayey-loam, 30.xi.2006, P. Menon, 3 ♀, 1 subad. ♀, 1 juv. ♀ (AMNH), 1 juv. ♂ (AMCC [LP 13971]), 902 m, 29.xi.2009, R. Datta, broadleaf woodland with dense grass layer on clayey-loam soil, excavated from near vertical burrows (ca. 10–20 cm deep) in open ground on steep slope, 1 ♂, 4 ♀, 1 juv. ♂ (AMNH), 1 juv. ♂ (AMCC [LP 16813]).