Buthus dunlopi, Kovařík, 2006

Kovařík, František, 2006, Review of Tunisian species of the genus Buthus with descriptions of two new species and a discussion of Ehrenberg s types (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 34 (34), pp. 1-16 : 3-6

Buthus dunlopi , sp. n.

( Figs. 7–8 , Table 1)

Type locality and type repository. Tunisia, near Remada ; author’s collection ( FKCP) .

Type material. Tunisia, near Remada , 2♂ (holotype and paratype), 3♀ (allotype and paratypes), 20 September 1989, anonymous collector .

Etymology: Named after Jason Dunlop of the Museum für Naturkunde, Zentralinstitut der Humboldt- Universität zu Berlin, in appreciation of his kind help.

Diagnosis: Total adult length 50–60 mm. Legs, metasoma and pedipalps uniformly yellowish brown; mesosomal sagittal carina black, with adjacent dark band on each side. Movable fingers of pedipalps bear 12 rows of granules with one internal and one external granule and 3 distal granules. Chela of pedipalp narrow in both sexes, its length to width ratio 4.4–4.7. Pectinal teeth number 26–28 in females and 31–33 in males.

Description: The adult male holotype is 58.3 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. Legs, metasoma and pedipalps are uniformly yellowish brown, ventral carinae on the metasoma may be black. The metasomal sagittal carina is black, with adjacent median dark band on each side. Colors tend to be more contrasting in females. For habitus see Figs. 7 and 8 .

Mesosoma and carapace: The mesosoma is granulated, with three median carinae, and the seventh segment ventrally bears four inconspicuous carinae. The carapace is sparsely granulated, with carinae typical for the genus. Pectinal teeth number 26–28 in females and 31–33 in males.

Metasoma and telson: The first segment bears 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments bear eight carinae (the lateral surface of the second and third segments bears a row of granules that exceeds one-half of the segment‘s length but does not form a complete carina). The fifth metasomal segment has five carinae. The ventrolateral carinae on the fifth segment terminates in two lobes. The ventral carinae on the second and third segments, namely in females, posteriorly bear two or three large granules. The surface between carinae is finely granulated, namely in males, in females it may be smooth. The telson is bulbous, with the aculeus as long as or shorter than the vesicle.

Legs: Tarsomeres of legs I to III have very dense bristlecombs. The legs IV are only hirsute. All legs have tarsomeres, tibia, and patella hirsute also on the ventral surfaces. Tibial spurs of legs III and IV are moderate.

Pedipalps: The movable fingers bear 12 rows of granules that have one internal and one external granule and three distal granules. The chela is smooth, in some males with weakly indicated smooth carinae; the femur and patella bear granulate carinae. The chela is almost equally narrow in both sexes, its length to width ratio is 4.4-4.7.

Affinities. The described features distinguish Buthus dunlopi sp. n. from all other species of the genus. A key to the Tunisian species is presented below. B. dunlopi sp. n. has the same sexual dimorphism as B. tunetanus , but is larger, has a differently colored metasoma and its chela of pedipalp is markedly more robust. The chela length to width ratio in B. tunetanus is always lower than 3.5, whereas in Buthus dunlopi , sp. n. it is 4.4–4.7.

Figures

Figure 7: Buthus dunlopi sp. n., ♂ holotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 8: Buthus dunlopi sp. n., ♀ allotype, dorsal aspect.