Buthus somalilandus, Kovařík & Šťáhlavský & Elmi, 2020

Kovařík, František, Šťáhlavský, František & Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman, 2020, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida Scorpiones) Part XXIII Buthus (Buthidae), with description of two new species, Euscorpius 307, pp. 1-32 : 17-22

Buthus somalilandus sp. n.

( Figures 102–139 , 182–183, 189 , 193, 210–211, Table 2 )

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2D740F55- 9522-4911-87A8-5119B727F228

Buthus berberensis: KovařÍk, 2011: 2 , 4–6, figs. 1–4, 18–23.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somaliland, near Berbera, 10°15'30.5"N 45°06'04.2"E, 376 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 11SO); FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL ( FKCP). Somaliland, near Berbera, 10°15'30.5"N 45°06'04.2"E, 376 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 11SO), 12.VII.2011, 1♂ (holotype) 1♂ 2♀1♀ juv. (paratypes), leg. F. KovařÍk; between Berbera and Burao, 10°02'12"N 44°47'21"E, 60 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SG), 21.VIII.2018, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg. F. KovařÍk; Hamas , between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E, 650 m a. s. l.), 4♂ 1♀ (paratypes), XI.2010, leg. T. Mazuch ; beetwen Hargeisa and Berbera, 09°56'41"N 44°41'03"E, 817 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 11SD), 8.VII.2011, 1♂ (paratype), leg. F. KovařÍk; beetwen Berbera and Sheikh, 10°05'49.9"N 45°11'40.1"E, 628 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 11SH), 10.VII.2011, 1♀ juv. (paratype), leg. F. KovařÍk; between Berbera and Hargeisa, 09°51'35"N 44°32'08"E, 933 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 18SM), 2.IX.2018, 1♀ (paratype), leg. F. KovařÍk.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the country of occurence.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 42–55 mm. Base color yellow dark pattern reduced; telson orange; chelicerae pale yellow without reticulation. Pedipalp movable fingers bear 10–11 rows of granules, with 11 outer and inner denticles and fixed finger with 9 outer and 10 inner denticles. Chela of pedipalp narrower in male, its length to width ratio 3.6–3.9 in females and 4.2–4.4 in males. Telson bulbous, with aculeus shorter than vesicle. Pectinal teeth number 23–26 in females and 30–35 in males.

DESCRIPTION. The adults are 42 mm (male) – 55 mm (female) long. The habitus is shown in Figs. 102–105 , 193 . For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 114– 118 , and 120. Sexual dimorphism minor: adult males with pedipalp chela broader. Female with a wide basal middle lamella ( Fig. 134 ).

Coloration ( Figs. 102–105 , 193 ). The base color is uniformly yellow with dark pattern reduced in juveniles and often absent in adults, tergites yellow. The pedipalps and legs are yellow without dark carina in adults. Telson is orange.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 102–105 , 132–135 ). The entire carapace is covered with granules small along much of the middline and large anteriorly, posteriorly and laterally. The carinae are typical for genus Buthus , strongly developed and composed of large, round granules. The anterior margin of the carapace is straight, and bears 10–12 long, symmetrically placed macrosetae. The tergites are granulated in posterior parts and bear very strong median carinae. A pair of denticulate lateral carinae is strong on tergites II–VI. Tergite VII is pentacarinate, with all carinae strong and granulated. The pectinal tooth count is 23–26 (1x23, 6x24, 6x25, 1x26) in the females and 30–35 (2x30, 4x31, 5x33, 3x34, 2x35) in the males.

The pectinal marginal tips extend to the end of the fourth sternite or to the quoter of the fifth sternite in males and to the end of the third sternite in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and seven or eight middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, each fulcrum with three to six dark setae. All sternites are smooth or finely granulated. The seventh sternite bears four strongly developed ventral crenulate carinae.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 106–113 ). The first metasomal segment bears 10 carinae, the second throught fourth segments bear eight to 10 carinae (the lateral surface of the second and third segments bears a row of granules that exceeds three-quarters of the second and one-half of the third segment length). The fourth segment bear eight carinae and the fifth segment bears five carinae. The ventrolateral carinae of the fifth segment terminate in two lobes. The ventral keels on the second and third segments posteriorly bear two to four large granules. The surface between the carinae is smooth. All segments are sparsely setose. The telson is bulbous, with aculeus shorter than the vesicle. The surface of the telson is unevenly granulated and bears an incomplete lateral carina.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 114–131 ). The pedipalps are smooth or finely granulated. The femur bears four to five carinae; the ventroexternal carina is incomplete, the other carinae are coarsely granular. The patella bears seven coarsely granular carinae. The chela bears five carinae, which may be weak and incomplete. The movable and fixed fingers bear 10–11 rows of granules, with 11 outer and inner denticles and fixed finger with 9 outer and 10 inner denticles.

Legs ( Figs. 136–139 ). Pairs III and IV bear long tibial spurs. Retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs are present on all legs. The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces. Bristlecombs are present on the first to third legs. The femur bears four carinae and the patella bears four to six carinae. The femur and patella bear only solitary macrosetae.

Measurements. See Table 2 .

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish B. somalilandus sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. B. somalilandus sp. n. is similar to B. zeylensis . It is possible to mainly differentiate these two species mainly according to pedipalp movable finger dentition (see key below).

Figures

Figures 102–105: Buthus somalilandus sp. n. Figures 102–103. Male in dorsal (102) and ventral (103) views. Figures 104–105. Female in dorsal (104) and ventral (105) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 106–113: Buthus somalilandus sp. n. Figures 106, 108–110. Male, telson lateral (106), and metasoma and telson lateral (108), dorsal (109), and ventral (111) views. Figures 107, 111–113. Female, telson lateral (107), and metasoma and telson lateral (111), dorsal (112), and ventral (113) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (108–113).

Figures 114–131: Buthus somalilandus sp. n. Figures 114–123. Male. Chela dorsal (114), external (115) and ventral (116) views. Patella dorsal (117), external (118) and ventral (119) views. Trochanter and femur dorsal (120) and femur ventral (121) views. Movable (122) and fixed (123) finger dentition. Trichobothrial pattern is indicated by white circles (114–118, 120). Figures 124–129. Female. Chela dorsal (124), external (125) and ventral (126) views. Patella dorsal (127), external (128) and ventral (129) views. Trochanter and femur dorsal (130) and ventral (131) views.

Figures 132–139: Buthus somalilandus sp. n. Figures 132, 136–139. Male holotype, carapace and tergites I–IV (132), coxosternal area and sternites (134), left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (136–139 respectively). Figures 133–134. Female paratopotype, carapace and tergites I–III (133), coxosternal area and sternites III–VI (134).

Figures 176–190: Comparison of pdipalp chela (176, 178, 180, 182, 184), pedipalp patella (177, 179, 181, 183, 185), and telson (186–190) of males of Buthus. Figures 176–177, 186. B. awashensis, holotype. Figures 178–179, 187. B. berberensis from locality 19SO. Figures 180–181, 188. B. pococki sp. n., holotype. Figures 182–183, 189. B. somalilandus sp. n., holotype. Figures 184–185, 190. B. zeylensis from locality 19SH.

Figures 191–194: Buthus, in vivo habitus. Figure 191. B. awashensis, female paratype. Figure 192. B. pococki sp. n., male paratype. Figure 193. B. somalilandus sp. n., female, paratype. Figure 194. B. zeylensis from locality 19SH.