Gint amoudensis Kovařík et al., 2018

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Just, Pavel, Awale, Ahmed Ibrahim & Sh, Hassan, 2018, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Part XV Review of the genus Gint Kova ík et al 2013, with description of three new species from Somaliland (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 259, pp. 1-41 : 12-18

Gint amoudensis Kovařík et al. , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–48, 127–128, 129–131, 148–163, 196, 202, Tables 1, 3) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:51A060

CE-A0CA-4B30-94D7-B6861DC5D364

Gint sp. n.: Kovařík et al., 2017b: 18.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somaliland, Borama, Amoud University campus, 09°56'49"N 43°13' 23"E, 1394 m a.s.l. ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland, Borama, Amoud University campus, 09°56'49"N 43°13'23"E, 1394 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 48, Locality No. 17SR =17 SA) , 9- 13.IX.2017, 7♂ 3♀3♀ juvs. 2♂ juvs. (holotype, Figs. 3–4, 11, 13, 17–21, 23–25, 29–38, 128–129, 131, paratypes, Figs. 5–6, 12, 14, 22, 26–28, 39–47, 130, 155–157, No. 1325), leg. F. Kovařík; Laas Gel , 50 km NE Hargeisa, 09°46'47"N 44°26'43"E, 1043 m a.s.l. (Locality No. 17SF), 28.-30.VIII.2017, 22♂ 1♀ 2juvs. (paratypes, Figs. 1–2, 7–10, 127, 148–154, 158–163, 196, Nos. 1291, 1292, 1293, 1327), leg. F. Kovařík et P. Just. All types are in FKCP collections.

ETYMOLOGY. A patronym in honor of Amoud University of Republic of Somaliland.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 21mm (male) to 38 mm (female); chelicerae yellow with reticulation in anterior part or uniformly yellow; carapace densely granulated with only anterior median carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight; pectine teeth 20–22 in females and 21–25 in males; all sternites lacking carinae; sternite VII with four weakly indicated carinae, intercarinal surface weakly granulated (mainly in males); metasomal segment V length/width ratio 2.06– 2.33 in male; metasomal segment II–IV intercarinal surfaces granulated in both sexes; metasomal segment IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate in both sexes; metasomal segment V of both sexes has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae that in posterior halves bear several lobate granules; dorsal surface of segment V smooth and lateral surface may be weakly granulated (more so in males); all metasomal segments sparsely setose; metasomal segment V bearing ca. 48 long setae in both sexes; telson rather elongate without sexual dimorphism, aculeus slightly shorter than vesicle in both sexes; legs I–III with tarsal bristle combs composed of 5 to 9 long, thin setae; movable finger of pedipalp with 8 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules.

DESCRIPTION. Adult males are 21–29 mm long and the adult females are 27–38 mm long. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 29– 36. Sexual dimorphism is noticeable. Males are substantially smaller, but there are no differences in the shape of the telson. Pedipalp patella and femur are granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossy in females.

COLORATION ( Figs. 1–16, 46). Basic color is yellow to orange with strong dark patterning and spots (population from type locality), but expression of colors is quite variable. The dark spots can also occur on the legs, mainly on the femur. The carinae on the metasoma can be dark. Metasomal segment V is darker than the other metasomal segments. The chelicerae are yellow with reticulation in the anterior part (population from type locality) or uniformly yellow (population from Laas Gel ); dentition is reddish .

CARAPACE ( Figs. 11–12, 15–16). The surface is densely granulated. The anterior margin is straight and bears six to eight macrosetae. Anterior median carinae are coarsely granular. There are 5 lateral eyes on each side (3 larger, 2 smaller).

MESOSOMA ( Figs. 11–16). The tergites bear three coarsely granular carinae, of which the lateral pair on tergites I–II are inconspicuous. All tergites with dense coarse and fine granulation. The pectinal tooth count is 21–25 (22.879) (±0.860) [58] in males and 20–22 (21.000) (±0.633) [16] in females. The marginal tips of the pectines extend from the third quarter to the end of sternite IV in females, and from the end of sternite IV to the first quarter of sternite V in males. The pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 8–10 middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, three to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae, their surfaces are smooth except for finely shagreened lateral areas on sternite III covered by the pectines. Sternite VII has two pairs of poorly indicated carinae and is weakly granulated in the area outside the lateral carinae, more so in males. All sternites bear many long macrosetae on their surfaces and margins.

HEMISPERMATOPHORE ( Figs. 148–163, 196). Flagelliform, trunk long and slender, capsule relatively short. Flagellum approximately as long as trunk, with shorter pars recta bearing a fin-like expansion along proximal anterior margin, and longer, hyaline pars reflecta. Capsule with 3+1 lobe structure typical of ‘ Buthus ’ group (Fet et al., 2005; Kovařík et al., 2016c). Sperm hemiduct separated from flagellum, tripartite with posterior lobe largest, median lobe shortest and apically acuminate, anterior lobe of intermediate size and apically tapered. Posterior margin of median lobe overhanging the posterior lobe, the two lobes fused along a robust carina. Basal lobe well developed as a low, rounded scoop of variable size ( Figs. 149–163, 196). Morphology was consistent across 10 hemispermatophores extracted from 5 males.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 21–28, 127–128). Metasoma I–III bear 10 carinae, the ventromedial carinae on metasoma I are present but smooth. Median lateral carinae are complete or almost complete on I–III. Ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae on metasoma II– III are granulated, with larger granules posteriorly, and strong granulation in females. Metasoma IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate in both sexes. Metasoma V of both sexes has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae, which in posterior halves bear several lobate granules. Intercarinal surfaces of segments II–IV are partly granulated in both sexes, with granules of approximately equal size. The ventral aspect of metasoma I is smooth in both sexes. Dorsal and lateral surfaces of this segment are granulated in both sexes. The anal arch consists of three lobes in both sexes. All segments are sparsely setose; the fifth segment has ca. 48 long setae in both sexes. The telson is rather elongate without sexual dimorphism. The aculeus is slightly shorter than the vesicle in both sexes. The surface of the telson is smooth, sparsely hirsute, without a subaculear tubercle.

LEGS ( Figs. 17–20). The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces, which on legs I–III form bristle combs with 5–9 bristles. The macrosetae are thin in both sexes. The femur and patella may bear four to six carinae. The femur bears only solitary macrosetae.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 29–45). The femur and patella are matte and granulated in males, and smooth and glossy in females. The femur bears three to four carinae; the ventroexternal carina is absent, the other carinae are granular. The patella bears seven coarsely granular carinae. The chela is smooth in both sexes, with only traces of incomplete obsolete carinae. All pedipalp segments including the trochanter are sparsely hirsute, with long, dark macrosetae in both sexes. The dentate margin of the movable finger has eight rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule, and 5 terminal granules (4 terminal and one proximal terminal). The fixed finger has eight or nine rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule.

AFFINITIES. G. amoudensis sp. n. is morphologically similar to G. gaitako . The DNA analysis of cox1 and 16S gene fragments (Just et al., in preparation) indicates that these populations represent separate lineages with separate areas of distribution ( Fig. 202). They can be also differentiated by morphology according to different metasomal granulation (see morphological key below) and according to the different chromosome numbers, which are 2n=35, 36 in G. amoudensis sp. n. and 2n= 30 in G. gaitako ( Figs. 150–151, see also figs. 62–63 in Kovařík et al., 2013: 16). We described G. amoudensis sp. n. based on 40 specimens from two separate localities, 15 specimens from Borama (type locality) and 25 specimens from Laas Gel. We noticed some variability between these two populations, with noticeable differences in coloration ( Figs. 1–2 vs. 46), e.g. all species from the type locality are dark with partially fuscous chelicerae ( Figs. 11–12) while all specimens from Laas Gel are yellow with yellow chelicerae ( Fig. 15–16). Other differences are listed in Tables 1 and 3. However, the DNA analysis (Just et al., in preparation) confirmed that these two populations form a monophyletic lineage and can be thus considered a single species.

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 17SR is a riverbed of an occasional river

( Fig. 47 and figs. 45–48 in Kovařík et al., 2017: 18). The locality lies in the grounds of Amoud University Campus and is a study site for detailed research. G. amoudensis sp. n. was recorded at night during ultraviolet (UV) light collecting together with Neobuthus sp. , Parabuthus abyssinicus Pocock, 1901 (Buthidae) , and Pandinops pugilator (Pocock, 1900) (Scorpionidae) . At this locality, the first author recorded maximum daytime temperatures of 29.1 ºC (10th September 2017) and 31.8 ºC (12th September 2017), and a minimum nighttime temperature of 19.6 ºC. The recorded humidity was between 31% (minimum at night) and 79% (maximum at day).

The second locality 17SF ( Fig. 48, Laas Gel), is in rocky semi-desert terrain with the riverbed of an occasional river in the center. G. amoudensis sp. n. was recorded at night during UV light collecting together with Neobuthus sp. , Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896) , Parabuthus heterurus Pocock, 1897 (Buthidae) , and Pandiborellius somalilandus (Kovařík, 2012) (Scorpionidae) . At this locality, the first author recorded maximum daytime temperatures of 33.8 ºC (28th August 2017) and 34.7 ºC (29th August 2017), and a minimum nighttime temperature of 22.8 ºC (29th August 2017) and 23.2 ºC (30th August 2017). The recorded humidity was between 26% (minimum at night) and 54% (maximum at day).