Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XVII. Revision of Neobuthus, with description of seven new species from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland (Buthidae)
Kovařík, František
Lowe, Graeme
Awale, Ahmed Ibrahim
Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman
Abdi, Ali
Euscorpius
2018
271
1
82
46BZY
Kovařík & Lowe & Awale & Elmi & Abdi, 2018
Kovařík & Lowe & Awale & Elmi & Abdi
2018
[954,1243,444,471]
Arachnida
Buthidae
Neobuthus
Animalia
Scorpiones
18
17
Arthropoda
species
erigavoensis
sp. nov.
( Figs. 71–123, 129–132, 407, 422, 426, 438, Tables 2and 5) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:137A44 D0-45F5-4B62-AEB2-0D29529640FF
TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somaliland, Sanaag Region, Buq villagenear Erigavo, 10°37'25"N 47°10'53"E, 1723 ma.s.l.; FKCP. TYPE MATERIAL. Somaliland, Sanaag Region, Buq villagenear Erigavo, 10°37'25"N 47°10'53"E, 1723 ma.s.l.( Locality No. 18SH, Figs. 131–132), 11♂ 10♀2♀juvs. ( holotypeand paratypes), FKCP, 1♂ 1♀( paratypes), GLPC( Nos.1535, 1536, 1537, 1538), 27.VIII.2018, leg. F. Kovařík( UVdetection); Sanaag Region, 5.5 kmS-SW of Erigavo, 10°34'13"N 47° 19'55"E, 1776 ma.s.l., 1♀( paratype, Table 2), 25. I.2015, leg. T. Mazuch, FKCP.
ETYMOLOGY. Named after the occurrence around Erigavo city.
DIAGNOSIS. Total length 20–25 mm(males), 21–25.5 mm(females); carapace with area between anterior median carinae yellow; tergites with fuscous variable pigmentation; pedipalps of female yellow without black spots developed; pedipalp relatively slender, males with femur L/ W 2.45–2.61, patella L/ W 2.27–2.35, chela L/ W 4.22–4.36; chela movable finger with 5–6 subrows of primary denticles, 4–5 external accessory denticles flanking proximal end of each subrow; trichobothria d 2usually present on femur and absent from patella; dorsoexternal and ventroexternal carinae on pedipalp patella in female absent; posterior margins of tergites without (male) or with 1–2 pairs of macrosetae (female); pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson with moderately short, stout macrosetae in males, and long, fine setae in females; sternites III–VI shagreened to smooth medially in males, females with sternites III–VI smooth; sternite VII finely granulated with 4 weak, granulated carinae in both sexes; metasoma I–III with median lateral carinae present or at least indicated in both sexes; dorsal metasomal II–V carinae absent; lateral surface of metasoma V in males granulated, with granules separated; soles of telotarsi with relatively sparse setation, leg III of adults with 13–17 ventral macrosetae on telotarsus; pectine teeth: 15–18 (males), 12–16 (females).
DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult males 20–25 mm, of adult females 21–25.5 mm; measurements of carapace, telson, segments of metasoma and pedipalps given in Table 2; positions and distribution of trichobothria on pedipalps shown in Figs. 97–100 and 103–104; trichobothrium d 2usually present on pedipalp femur, absent from patella; base color pale yellow with fuscous pigmentation reduced ( Fig. 73 and 74), pedipalps and legs uniformly yellow with sole dark spot on external pedipalp patella; more extensive patterns of dark maculation present mainly on ventral metasoma; chelicerae yellow with dark reticulation on anterior manus, dentition reddish. Sexual dimorphism: strong, adult males clearly smaller, but without differences in shapes of pedipalps, metasoma and telson; pedipalp patella and femur granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossy in females; sternites smooth in females, partly granulated in males; macrosetae on pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson much longer and finer in females than males; other sex differences cited below. Pedipalp( Figs. 96–115). Pedipalp mostly sparsely hirsute; finely granulated in males and smooth in females; femur with three conspicuously granulose carinae, more strongly developed in males; patella and chela with carinae obsolete or only weakly indicated, smooth. Carapace( Figs. 76, 78, 80, 82). Strongly trapezoidal (narrower anteriorly), wider than long (L/ W 0.82–0.93); posterior median postocular area flat, anterior median preocular area gently sloped downwards towards anterior margin; lateral flanks steeply sloped; ocular tubercle broad, prominent, located slightly anterior to middle of carapace; anterior margin straight, finely microdenticulate, with coarser granules overlapping edge, bearing 8 macrosetae; anterior median carinae weak, coarsely granular in males and smooth in females, other carinae indistinct; dense granulation covering most of carapace, more so in males. Figures 78–79: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n., female paratype from type locality, carapace and tergites (78), coxosternal area and sternites (79). UV fluorescence. Scale bar: 1 mm. Chelicera( Figs. 116–118). Fingers with typical buthid dentition ( Vachon, 1963, Lowe & Kovařík, 2016); fixed finger with large distal denticle, 1 subdistal denticle and 2 basal denticles fused into bicusp, single denticle on ventral surface at level of bicusp; dorsal margin of movable finger with 5 denticles: 1 large distal denticle, medium-sized subdistal and medial, and 2 small, partially fused basal denticles; ventral margin with 2 denticles. Mesosoma( Figs. 71–83). Tergites I–VI bear three carinae of which the lateral pair may be less conspicuous mainly on tergites I–IV; tergite VII bears five welldefined carinae (median, submedians and laterals); tergites I–VI granular in males, with coarser granules on posterior lateral areas; tergite VII densely granular; sternites III–VI smooth in females, smooth medially and granulate laterally in males; sternite VII finely granulated with four weak, granulated carinae in both sexes; sternum type1, triangular in shape, smooth, with deep posteromedian invagination; genital opercula smooth; genital papillae present; pectines extending to around a three quarter of sternite IV in both sexes; pectine teeth 15–18 inmales, 12–16 infemales; combs with 3 marginal lamellae and 6–8 middle lamellae; marginal lamellae, middle lamellae and fulcra with dense cover of short dark reddish macrosetae; fulcra with 2–4 setae. Figures 80–87: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n.from type locality. Figures 80and 82. Male holotype, carapace and tergites I–III (80) and coxosternal area and sternites (82). Figures 81, 83–87. Female paratype, carapace and tergites I–III (81), coxosternal area and sternites (83), right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (84–87). Hemispermatophore( Figs. 119–123). Typical of the genus. Legs( Figs. 84–87). Coxa, femora, patella and tibia of all legs bearing variable numbers of short to medium length, straight, dark-reddish macrosetae; tarsi with mix of short and longer, dark-reddish macrosetae; basitarsi I– III slightly compressed with flat retrolateral surfaces, with bristle combs consisting of retrosuperior series of longer macrosetae, plus retroinferior and proinferior series of shorter macrosetae; telotarsi with two rows of short setae on ventral aspect, 13–17 macrosetae on telotarsus III; moderate tibial spurs present on legs III and IV. Figures 88–95: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n.from type locality. Figures 88, 93–95. Male holotype, metasoma V and telson lateral view (88), metasoma and telson lateral (90), ventral (91), and dorsal (92) views. Figures. 89–92. Female paratype, metasoma V and telson lateral view (89), metasoma and telson lateral (93), ventral (94), and dorsal (95) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (90–92 and 93–95). Figures 96–115: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n.from type locality. Figures 96–105. Male holotype, pedipalp chela, dorsal (96), external (97), and ventral (98) views, pedipalp patella, dorsal (99), external (100) and ventral (101) views, pedipalp femur and trochanter ventral (102), internal (103) and dorsal (104) views, pedipalp movable finger dentate margin (105). Figures 106–115. Female paratype, pedipalp chela, dorsal (106), external (107), and ventral (108) views, pedipalp patella, dorsal (109), external (110) and ventral (111) views, pedipalp femur and trochanter ventral (112), internal (113) and dorsal (114) views, pedipalp movable finger dentate margin (115). The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 97–100 and 103–104 (white circles). Figures 116–128: Figures 116–123: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n.from type locality. Figures 116–118. Female paratype, right chelicera, dorsal (116) and ventral (117) views, and ventral view under UV fluorescence (118). Scale bar: 400 µm. Figures 119–123. Male paratype (No. 1536), left hemispermatophore (mirror image), capsule region in posterior (119), convex compressed (120), convex (121) and anterior (122) views, hemispermatophore, convex view (123). Scale bars: 200 µm, 500 µm. Figures 124–128: Neobuthus factorio sp. n.Male holotype (No. 1323) left hemispermatophore, convex view (124) (mirror image). Male paratype (No. 1546) from type locality, right hemispermatophore capsule region in posterior (125), convex compressed (126), convex (127) and anterior (128) views. Scale bars: 500 µm (124), 200 µm (125–128). Figures 129–130: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n., paratypes from type locality, in vivo habitus. Male (129) and female (130). Metasoma and telson( Figs. 88–95). Metasoma and telson sparsely hirsute, macrosetae moderately short in male and longer in female, straight and reddish; metasomal segments I–III with 6–10 carinae, IV with 4 carinae, V with 2 carinae; segments I–III with dorsolateral carinae at least indicated and dorsal carinae present in males but absent in females, other carinae relatively well developed; segment IV with only ventral carinae developed; segment V with strong, granulate to dentate-lobate ventrolateral carinae;. segments I–IV with dense granulation on intercarinal surfaces except dorsal surfaces which are smooth; segment V granular on lateral and ventral surfaces, more coarsely so on ventral surface, granules not arranged along any traces of carinae; telson smooth, ventral surface sparsely, weakly granular; vesicle slightly elongated; aculeus stout, shorter than vesicle, tip of aculeus almost vertically directed. Figures 131–132: Neobuthus erigavoensis sp. n., type locality, Somaliland, Sanaag Region, Buq village near Erigavo, 10°37'25"N 47°10'53"E, 1723 m a.s.l. AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish N. erigavoensis sp. n.from all other species of the genus. According to the distribution (see Fig. 438) the typelocality of N. erigavoensis sp. n.is near to the typelocality of N. montanus sp. n.. These two species have missing dorsal metasomal carinae in females, a unique character which differentiates them both from other Neobuthusspeciesfrom Somaliland. The characters which unequivocally separate these two species are presented in the key below.
COMMENTS ON LOCALITY AND LIFE STRATEGY. The typelocality 18SH( Figs. 131–132) is in rocky semi-desert terrain. Thefirst author visited the locality in the dry season and collected all specimens directly around the school ( Fig. 132) at night with a UVlight. Theschool is situated on the margin of Buq village. Atthis locality, the first author recorded a maximum daytime temperature of 27 ºC, and a minimum nighttime temperature of 17 ºC. Therecorded humidity was between 37% (minimum at day) and 69% (maximum at night).
[830,1068,631,654]
LOCALITY, AND
18
17
1
holotype
DEPOSITORY
Somaliland
1723
10.623611
Erigavo
21
47.18139
Buq village
18
17
1
Sanaag
holotype
TYPE, MATERIAL
Locality No.
Somaliland
1723
10.623611
Erigavo
21
47.18139
Buq village
18
17
23
12
11
Sanaag
holotype
FKCP
18
17
2
1
1
Sanaag
paratype
2015-01-25
2018-08-27
2015-01-25
GLPC, UV
F. Kovarik
1776
10.570278
Erigavo
21
47.331944
Nos.
18
17
1
1
Sanaag
paratype
[959,1077,999,1022]
T
Mazuch
18
17
1
Sanaag
paratype
LOCALITY, AND, LIFE, STRATEGY, UV
The
The
At
28
27
1