Hemiscorpius sp.

Navidpour, Shahrokh, Fet, Victor, Kovařík, František & Soleglad, Michael E., 2012, Scorpions of Iran (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part VIII. Fars Province, Euscorpius 139, pp. 1-29 : 20

Hemiscorpius sp. (? H. gaillardi (Vachon, 1974))

( Figs. 13–18)

FARS PROVINCE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Iran , Fars Province, near border with Hormozgan Province, Lar , 27°34'N 54°10'E (altered), 674 m a.s.l. (Locality No. Fa- 881), X.2008, 1juv.♂ ( FKCP), leg. Bahrani, Habibzadeh, Masihipour & Hayader.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of juvenile male 25 mm. Color yellow to yellowish brown, pedipalp fingers reddish brown to black, darker than chela. Patella of pedipalp with 15 external (5 eb, 3 esb, 3 em, 1 est, 3 et) and 8 or 9 ventral trichobothria. All metasomal segments longer than wide. Telson bulbous, with aculeus shorter than vesicle. Pectinal teeth number 15–16. Setation formula of tarsomere II of legs: 6/5: 6-7/6: 7/6: 7/6.

MEASUREMENTS IN MM. Total length of juvenile male 25; carapace length 3.5, width 2.95; metasoma and telson length 12.4; first metasomal segment length 1.65, width 1.2; second metasomal segment length 1.85, width 1.05; third metasomal segment length 1.95, width 0.95; fourth metasomal segment length 2.05, width 0.9; fifth metasomal segment length 2.4, width 0.85; telson length 2.5; telson width 1.0; pedipalp femur length 3.25, width 1.05; pedipalp patella length 3.25, width 1.3; chela length 6.15; manus width 1.7; movable finger length 3.65.

COMMENTS. Hemiscorpius gaillardi (Vachon, 1974) is known only from the holotype female from eastern Iran, without precise locality data. The male and juvenile are unknown. This juvenile male has neobothriotaxy similar to H. gaillardi , with the patella of pedipalp having 15 external trichobothria. Similarity is apparent also in the number of ventral trichobothria on the patella, 10 in H. gaillardi and 8 or 9 in the examined juvenile. A similar number of ventral trichobothria on the patella (10-12) is also found in H. enischnochela Monod et Lourenço, 2005 , which however has only 14 external trichobothria and a different shape of the chela. The remaining three species of Hemiscorpius known from Iran, H. Acanthocercus Monod et Lourenço, 2005 , H. lepturus Peters, 1861 and H. persicus Birula, 1903 , have only three ventral trichobothria on the patella of pedipalp. To ascertain whether the population really belongs to H. gaillardi or represents an undescribed species will require the discovery of adult specimens.