Kochius kovariki Soleglad et Fet, 2008

Soleglad, Michael E. & Fet, Victor, 2008, Contributions to scorpion systematics. III. Subfamilies Smeringurinae and Syntropinae (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Euscorpius 71 (71), pp. 1-115 : 105-109

Kochius kovariki Soleglad et Fet , sp. nov.

( Figs. 208–218 , Table 11)

Holotype. Female , Durango, Durango, Mexico, November 1965 (collector unknown) ( MES).

Diagnosis. Medium sized species for its genus, reaching 50 mm in adult females. Overall coloration a pale yellow lacking patterns, chelal fingers not pigmented. Pectinal tooth counts 15 in females, males unknown. Chelal carinae well developed and conspicuous but smooth, showing no granulation. Basal outer (OD) denticle missing, 4 and 5 OD s present on fixed and movable fingers, respectively. Ventromedian carinae of metasoma obsolete on segments I–II and weak to smooth on III. Ventromedian carina of segment V serrate with distal aspect narrowly bifurcated.

K. kovariki can be differentiated from its closest relative K. crassimanus as follows (based solely on redescription of Williams, 1971a): All chelal carinae in K. kovariki are smooth, exhibiting no granulation and the ventromedian carinae of metasomal segments I–III are obsolete in I–II and obsolete to smooth in III. In K. crassimanus the chelal carinae exhibit some granulation and the ventromedian carinae of segment I–III are smooth to crenulate on I and crenulate to serrate on IIIII. The chelae and movable finger in K. kovariki are shorter than in K. crassimanus exhibiting the following morphometric ratio percentage (%) differences on the following structures: “ structure” / chela length|movable finger length: carapace length = 13.6|12.6 %; metasomal segment III length = 10.7|9.7 %; metasomal segment V length = 11.3|10.3 %; telson width = 18.3|17.2 %; pedipalp femur length = 12.2|11.2 %; pedipalp patella length = 16.9|15.8 %. The chelal fingers of K. kovariki are yellow, the same color as the palm, whereas in K. crassimanus they are reddish.

Distribution. Only known from type locality, Durango, Durango, Mexico.

Etymology. Named after our colleague and friend František Kovařík (Prague, Czech Republic), who has contributed considerably to the knowledge of scorpion systematics.

FEMALE. Description based on holotype female. Locality of holotype is Durango, Durango, Mexico. Metasoma is detached at segment I. Measurements of holotype specimen is presented in Table 11. See Figure 208 for a dorsal view of the female holotype .

COLORATION. Basic color dark yellow. No patterns visible, chelal fingers same color as palm. Eyes and eye tubercles black. Telson aculeus and articulation condyles of legs dark reddish brown.

CARAPACE ( Fig. 212 ). Anterior edge with emargination along its entirety, with narrow median indentation; interocular area covered with medium sized granules, bisected by a well developed indentation; posterior lateral aspects covered with medium to large granules. Posterior portion with deep medial groove, forming two conspicuous lateral posterior convexed lobes. Lateral eyes number three, decreasing in size posteriorly. Median eye tubercle positioned anteriorly of middle with the following length and width formulas: 255|665 (anterior edge to medium tubercle middle| carapace length) and 85| 465 (width of median tubercle including eyes| width of carapace at that point).

MESOSOMA ( Fig. 213 ). Tergites I–VI rough at 10x, extreme posterior edges with minute granules; tergite VII rough with two pairs of delicately crenulate carinae. Sternites smooth and lustrous; one pair of weak ventral lateral carinae present on segment V, rough to crenulate; median pair absent. Stigmata ( Fig. 213 ) are long and slitlike.

M ETASOMA ( Figs. 210, 216 ). Segments II–IV longer than wide, segment I slightly wider than long. Segments I–IV: dorsal and dorsolateral carinae serrate, dorsal (I– IV) and dorsolateral (I–III) carinae terminate with enlarged spine; lateral carinae crenulate on I, crenulate on proximal 25 % of II–III, and obsolete on IV; ventrolateral weakly granulate on I–II and crenulate on III–IV; and ventromedian carinae obsolete on I–II, weak to smooth on III, and granulate on IV. Dorsolateral carinae of segment IV terminus conspicuously flared, not terminating at articulation condyle. Segment V: dorsolateral carinae rounded and granulate; lateral carinae irregularly granulated for 50% of anterior aspect; ventrolateral and ventromedian carinae serrate, ventromedian carina narrowly bifurcated on distal one-fifth ( Fig. 210 ). Anal arch (ventral aspect) lined with minute granules. Intercarinal areas smooth. Ventral setal formulae (I–IV): 3|4|4|4.

TELSON ( Fig. 216–217 ). Somewhat elongated, with average sized aculeus, with 4/4 denticles in the laterobasal aculear serrations (LAS; Fet et al., 2006b). Ventral vesicle surface smooth, with scattered elongated setae on distal half; basal dorsal aspect with vesicular “tabs” terminating in two small hooked spines.

PECTINES ( Fig. 215 ). Moderately developed exhibiting length| width formula 391|170 (length taken at anterior lamellae|width at widest point including teeth). Sclerite construction complex, three anterior lamellae and 11/12 bead-like middle lamellae; fulcra of medium development. Teeth number 15/15 (note right pecten missing distal tooth, but its presence is indicated by fulcrum). Sensory areas developed along most of tooth inner length on all teeth, including basal tooth. Basal piece large, with deep indentation along anterior one-third, length|width formula 125|165.

GENITAL OPERCULUM. Sclerites connected for entire length, operating as a single unit, connection to body at extreme anterior edge.

STERNUM. Type 2, posterior emargination present, welldefined convex lateral lobes, apex visible but not conspicuous; slightly wider than long, length|width formula 155|175; sclerite tapers anteriorly.

CHELICERAE ( Fig. 214 ). Movable finger dorsal edge with two subdistal (sd) denticles; ventral edge smooth; with weak to medium developed serrula with 18 short contiguous tines, terminating just before distal tip. Ventral distal denticle (vd) longer than dorsal (dd) counterpart. Fixed finger with four denticles, median (m)

and basal (b) denticles conjoined on common trunk; no ventral accessory denticles present.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 211 , 218 ). Medium to heavy chelate species, no scalloping on chelal fingers. Movable finger shorter than carapace, telson and metasomal segment V. Femur: Dorsointernal, dorsoexternal and ventrointerior carinae serrate, ventroexternal rounded to obsolete. Dorsal and ventral surfaces smooth, internal and external surfaces with line of large granules. Patella: Dorsointernal and ventrointernal serrate, dorsoexternal, and ventroexternal carinae irregularly granulate; Dorsal Patellar Spur (DPSc) carina present with line of about 6– 7 granules; exteromedian carina obsolete. All surfaces smooth; internal surface with remnants of a DPS and Ventral Patellar Spur (VPS), each represented by a small solitary granule accompanied by a seta. Chelal carinae: all nine carinae well developed and smooth; subdigital (D2) carina rounded but in profile. Chelal finger dentition ( Fig. 211 ): median denticle (MD) row groups aligned in straight line, numbering 5 and 6 (counting the distal single MD denticle as a group on the movable finger); 6/6 and 7/7 internal denticles (ID) and 4/4 and 5/5 outer denticles (OD) on fixed and movable fingers, respectively. No accessory denticles present. Number of MD denticles on movable finger is 54. Distal tips of both fingers lacking conspicuous “whitish” patch. Trichobothrial patterns ( Fig. 218 ): Type C, orthobothriotaxic. Femur: trichobothrium d located next to dorsoexternal carina and proximal to i. Patella: ventral trichobothrium v 3 located on external surface, proximal of trichobothrium et 3. Chela: trichobothrium Dt located at palm midpoint and Db positioned dorsal of D1 carina; ib–it situated adjacent to the sixth inner denticle (ID-6) of fixed finger, ib proximal of and it adjacent to ID-6; spacing between trichobothria V 1 and V 2 approximately same as V 2 and V 3; trichobothrium dst adjacent to est.

LEGS ( Fig. 209 ). Both pedal spurs present, tibial spur absent. Tarsus with single median row of spinules on ventral surface, terminating distally with four spinule pairs.

Specimens examined: Adult female holotype, Durango, Durango, Mexico, November 1965 (collector unknown), ( MES) .

Figures

Figure 208: Kochius kovariki, sp. nov., female holotype, dorsal view. Metasoma is detached.

Figures 209–217: Kochius kovariki, sp. nov., female holotype. 209. Leg III tarsus, ventral view, showing median spinule row and four pairs of distal spinules. 210. Metasomal segment V, ventral view, showing narrowly bifurcated ventromedian carina. 211. Chelal movable fingers showing dentition pattern and position of trichobothria ib–it, fixed finger left and movable finger right. 212. Carapace with close-up of lateral eyes. 213. Stigma. 214. Chelicerae, ventral, external, and dorsal views. 215. Pecten. 216. Metasomal segments IV–V and telson, lateral view. 217. Telson, ventral view.

Figure 218: Trichobothrial pattern of Kochius kovariki, sp. nov., female holotype, Durango, Durango, Mexico.