Neobuthus Hirst, 1911

Lowe, Graeme & Kovařík, František, 2016, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part V. Two new species of Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 (Buthidae), from Ethiopia and Eritrea, Euscorpius 224, pp. 1-46 : 2

Neobuthus Hirst, 1911

( Figs. 1–165, Tables 1–5)

Neobuthus Hirst, 1911: 462 ; Kovařík & Lowe, 2012: 2; Kovařík et al., 2013: 4, 14; for complete generic synonymy prior to 2012, see Kovařík & Lowe, 2012: 2.

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. Small buthid scorpions, total length 18–23 mm (males), 22–31 mm (females); carapace strongly trapezoidal, surface granular with only anterior median carinae developed; ventral aspect of cheliceral fixed finger with single denticle; tergites with three carinae, of which the lateral pair may be less conspicuous; sternites III–VI with finely micro-denticulate posterior margins, lacking larger non-contiguous denticles; pectines with fulcra, hirsute; metasomal segments I–III with 8–10 carinae, segment V with enlarged lobate dentition on posterior ventrolateral carinae; telson rather bulbous, vesicle steeply inclined posteriorly, aculeus shorter than vesicle; macrosetae on vesicle oriented in anterior direction; pedipalps short with stout segments, movable finger of pedipalp with 4–6 subrows of primary denticles flanked by mid-row internal and proximal external accessory denticles, 3 denticles just proximal to terminal denticle; movable finger without dense terminal brush of setae on ventral surface; strongly spatulate microsetae not present on termini of fixed and movable fingers; pedipalp finger margins straight, without proximal scalloping or basal lobe and notch; trichobothrial pattern type A, orthobothriotaxic or neobothriotaxic minorante, dorsal trichobothria of femur arranged in β- configuration; trichobothrium d 2 of pedipalp femur present or absent on dorsal surface, d 2 of pedipalp patella present or absent, d 3 of pedipalp patella situated internal to dorsomedian carina, V 2 of chela manus strongly displaced internally relative to V 1, chela fixed finger with db located in proximal half, proximal to est; tibial spurs present on legs III–IV; sexual dimorphism in setation, granulation and metasomal dentition: pedipalps, legs and metasoma with weaker granulation and long, filiform macrosetae in females, stronger granulation and shorter (often spiniform) macrosetae in males, ventrosubmedian and ventrolateral carinae on segments II–III strongly developed with enlarged dentition in females, with regular dentition in males; capsule of hemispermatophore with 4 lobes, flagellum well separated from lobes.

SUBORDINATE TAXA. N. awashensis Kovařík et Lowe, 2012 , N. berberensis Hirst, 1911 (type species), N. cloudsleythompsoni Lourenço, 2001 , N. eritreaensis sp. n., N. ferrugineus ( Kraepelin, 1898) , N. kutcheri sp. n., and N. sudanensis Lourenço, 2005 (taxonomic position unclear).