Revision and taxonomic position of genera Afghanorthochirus Lourenço & Vachon, Baloorthochirus Kova ík, Butheolus Simon, Nanobuthus Pocock, Orthochiroides Kova ík, Pakistanorthochirus Lourenço, and Asian Orthochirus Karsch, with descriptions of twelve new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae)
Author
Kovařík, Baloorthochirus becvari
Author
1996
text
Euscorpius
2004
16
1
33
journal article
1536-9307
4D38E32B-A445-4707-ABEE-3C6D3BFA4A2E
Butheolus
Simon, 1882
Butheolus
Simon, 1882: 248
;
Karsch, 1886: 76
; Werner, 1934: 270; Vachon, 1980: 253; Sissom, 1990: 101;
Kovařík, 1996: 177
; Kovařík, 1998: 117; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 88; Lourenço, 2001: 176, 179.
Butheolus
(in part): Kraepelin, 1899: 34; Kraepelin, 1903: 564.
=
Nanobuthus
Pocock, 1895: 314
, TS:
Nanobuthus andersoni
Pocock, 1895
=
Butheolus andersoni
(Pocock, 1895)
,
comb. n.
; Kraepelin, 1899: 38; Kraepelin, 1903: 564; Kraepelin, 1905: 337; Werner, 1934: 270; Perez, 1974: 27; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 186; Lourenço, 2001: 179.
Syn. n.
Butheolus
(
Nanobuthus
)
: Vachon, 1975: 1598.
=
Neobuthus
Hirst, 1911: 462
; Werner, 1934: 270; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 186; Lourenço, 2001: 179 (syn. by Kovařík, 2003: 137).
Butheolus
(
Neobuthus
)
: Vachon, 1975: 1598.
TYPE
SPECIES:
Butheolus thalassinus
Simon, 1882
.
DIAGNOSIS: Patella of pedipalp without ventral trichobothria. Dorsal trichobothria of femur arranged in beta-configuration. Trichobothrium
d
2
of pedipalp femur present on dorsal surface but often smaller than other trichobothria. Tibial spurs present on third and fourth legs. Pectines with fulcra and densely hirsute. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 6–10 rows of granules and 3–5 distal granules. Carapace, in lateral view, distinctly inclined downward from median eyes to anterior margin. Mesosoma with three carinae, of which two may be less conspicuous. Metasomal segments ventrally smooth or granulated. Telson bulbous, aculeus shorter or as long as vesicle. Total length under
60 mm
.
COMMENTS. Although the genus
Nanobuthus
is accepted in recent papers (Lourenço, 2001: 179; Kovařík, 2003: 142) as valid, after examination of most species of
Butheolus
and related genera I come to the conclusion that
Nanobuthus andersoni
Pocock, 1895
does not differ enough, namely from the similar
Butheolus anthracinus
(Pocock, 1895)
, to warrant placement in a separate genus. Opinions on what characters should be regarded as generic vary. In the species concerned the primary difference is in the width of the metasoma; however, this character cannot be deemed generic, as is clear from examples of other genera (
Babycurus
,
Uroplectes
,
Hottentotta
,
Parabuthus
, and others).