Heterometrus phipsoni (Pocock, 1893)

Kovařík, František, 2004, A review of the genus Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828, with descriptions of seven new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae), Euscorpius 15 (15), pp. 1-60 : 34

Heterometrus phipsoni (Pocock, 1893)

Scorpio phipsoni Pocock, 1893: 307 ; Pocock, 1894: 73.

Palamnaeus phipsoni : Pocock, 1900: 94.

Heterometrus phipsoni : Kraepelin, 1899: 114; Kraepelin, 1913: 166; Roewer, 1929: 612; Werner, 1936: 186; Roewer, 1943: 228; Takashima, 1945: 92; Pointer, 1991: 24.

Heterometrus (Scorpio) phipsoni : Kraepelin, 1901: 271.

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) phipsoni : Couzijn, 1978: 330; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 646; Kovařík, 1992: 185; Kovařík, 1998: 136; Fet, 2000: 442; Bastawade, 2002: 296.

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) phipsoni phipsoni : Couzijn, 1981: 149 (in part).

= Palamnaeus phipsoni collinus Pocock, 1900: 95 . Syn. n.

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) collinus : Couzijn, 1981: 155; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 625; Kovařík, 1998: 136; Fet, 2000: 441.

Palamnaeus phipsoni carnaticus (lapsus calami): Pocock, 1900: 95.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. India, Madras ; BMNH.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Tamil Nadu, Madras, 1♂ (holotype), Sheverey Hills , 1♀ (paratype), BMNH No. 1979.7.3.2,3; Nilgiri Hills, 2♀ (holotype and paratype of Palamnaeus phipsoni collinus Pocock, 1900 ), leg. W. M. Daly, BMNH No. 1894.8.21.4-7 .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Yercaud , 6.III.1962, 1im.2juvs., leg. E. S. Ross & D. Cavagnaro, CASC ; Adhya Pradesh, 6 mi. W. Palmaner, 725 m., 26.II.1962, 1im. (det.?), CASC ; Podili , 16.I.1967, 1♂ (im.), leg. D. E. Johnson, CASC ; Orissa, 13 mi SE Pottangi , 550 m, 11.IV.1962, 1♂ (im.), leg. E. S. Ross & D. Cavagnaro, CASC ; Maharashtra, Bhiwandi , 15 mi N. Bombay, XII.1964, 2♀ 3ims., leg. F. B. Steiner, CASC ; Bombay , 1965, 2♂ 3♀, FKCP ; Bombay , 6.III.1967, 4♂ 8♀ 12ims.24juvs., leg. S.R. Sane, CASC ; Tamil Nadu, south, Devala , V.1961, 5♂, leg. P. Sushai Nathan, CASC ; Western Gháts, Pandalur env., 1998, 1♂, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 85–130 mm long. Color of adults uniformly reddish brown to black. Pectinal teeth number 12–16 in males and 10–15 in females. Male has longer but not narrower femur and patella of pedipalp and longer, usually narrower chela than female. Chela slightly lobiform and strongly hirsute, its length to width ratio 2.5– 3 in males and 2.2–2.5 in females. Dorsal surface of manus of pedipalp with large, rounded granules of uneven size, which may merge but do not form carinae. Patella of pedipalp without internal tubercle. Carapace smooth and glossy, only anterior part slightly tuberculate and margins occasionally with sparse granules. Telson hirsute, elongate, vesicle as long as or longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. Pocock (1900: 95) distinguished Palamnaeus phipsoni collinus from Palamnaeus phipsoni by its shorter metasoma. The holotype female makes this impression because it was apparently killed shortly after feeding and thus has a relatively larger mesosoma. However, another (paratype) female of the same size (metasoma and pedipalps) has a markedly shorter mesosoma.

Couzijn (1981: 149) incorrectly regarded Palamnaeus barberi Pocock, 1900 as a synonym of Scorpio phipsoni Pocock, 1893 . These two species are very different (see diagnosis and key), as was pointed out by Tikader & Bastawade (1983: 614).

DISTRIBUTION. India: Tamil Nadu ( Pocock, 1900: 95; Pocock, 1893: 307), Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal (Couzijn, 1981: 149; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 646), Orissa (first report) .