Androctonus robustus Kovařík et Ahmed, 2013

Kovařík, František & Ahmed, Zubair, 2013, A review of Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897), with description of two new species from Pakistan and India (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Euscorpius 168, pp. 1-10 : 4-5

Androctonus robustus Kovařík et Ahmed , sp. n.

( Figs. 5–8, 17–21, 25–27, 31) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6E6B26

41-BB77-4B83-80C1-83EC11216A4F

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY . PAKISTAN, Sindh Province, Jamshoro District, Tori Phatak Village near Lakhra Khanot , 25°42'46"N 68°08'01"E; the first author´s collection ( FKCP) .

TYPE MATERIAL. PAKISTAN, Sindh Province, Jamshoro District, Tori Phatak Village near Lakhra Khanot , 25°42'46"N 68°08'01"E, 20 May 2009, 2♂ 3♀ 1♀ im. (holotype ♂ and paratypes), leg. Z. Ahmed ( FKCP).

ETYMOLOGY. Named for markedly wide and robust metasoma, namely in males.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 66–86 mm. Base color yellow to yellowish brown. Pedipalps including trochanter and legs always yellow. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation. Fifth metasomal segment and vesicle greenish black, darker pigment may spread to sides and lower surface of fourth segment that is never entirely black. Carapace densely granulated, with anterior and posterior median carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight. Pectinal teeth number 24–30 in males, 22–25 in females. Sternites without carinae; sternite VII can be finely granulated and always bears four carinae. First and third metasomal segments of male wider than long, other segments longer than wide. Third metasomal segment of male deeper than long or as deep as long. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae, second to fourth segments with eight carinae, and fifth segment with five carinae. Missing lateral carinae on second and third metasomal segments replaced by three or four large granules on posterior margin. Dorsal carinae on first throught fourth metasomal segments terminate in a larger tooth. Metasomal segment V with four setae on lateral surface. Anal arch with two or three lobes. Dorsal surface of metasoma smooth. Tarsomeres of legs densely hirsute with bristlecombs dense on first to third legs but present also on fourth leg. Pedipalp chela without carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13–15 rows of granules and external and internal granules. Male with fingers proximally weakly twisted with little gap.

DESCRIPTION. Adult males 66–70 mm long, adult females 70–86 mm long. For habitus see Figs. 5–6 (male) and Figs. 7–8 (female). For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 18–21. Trichobothrium d 2 of the pedipalp femur is present on the dorsal surface. Sexual dimorphism is manifested in wider male metasoma and slightly wider male chela. The male has fingers proximally weakly twisted with little gap.

COLORATION. The base color is yellow to yellowish brown. Pedipalps including the trochanter and legs are always yellow. The fifth metasomal segment and the vesicle are greenish black, darker pigment may spread to sides and the lower surface of the fourth segment, which is never entirely black; other metasomal segments are yellow to yellowish brown, ventral carinae may be black. The chelicerae are yellow, without reticulation. The mesosoma is yellowish brown, darker than legs.

CARAPACE. The surface is densely granulated. Carinae are inconspicuous, only the anterior and posterior median carinae are well developed. The anterior carapace margin is straight, with six to eight long macrosetae.

MESOSOMA. With three carinae. The pectinal tooth count in males is 24–30: 24 (1), 27 (1), 30 (2) [n= 4], and in females, 22–25: 22 (1), 23 (3), 25 (2) [n= 6]. Marginal tips of pectines extend to the proximal quarter of sternite V in males and to the end of sternite III or proximal half of sternite IV in females. The pectines bear three marginal lamellae and eight or nine middle lamellae. Each lamella bears numerous dark setae, three to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae. Sternite VII may be finely granulated and always bears four carinae.

METASOMA AND TELSON. The first metasomal segment bears 10 carinae, the second to fourth segments bear eight carinae, and the fifth segment bears five carinae. Missing lateral carinae on the second and third segments are replaced by three to four large granules on the posterior margin. All carinae are composed of distinct granules. Dorsal carinae on the first throught fourth segments terminate in a larger tooth. All segments are setose only sparsely. The telson is elongate in both sexes, but more so in males. The surface of the telson is bumpy, sparsely hirsute, and without a subaculear tubercle. The first and the third metasomal segments of the male are wider than long, other segments are longer than wide. The third metasomal segment of the male is deeper than long or as deep as long. Metasomal segment V bears four setae on the lateral surface. The anal arch has two or three lobes. The dorsal surface of the metasoma is smooth.

LEGS. The tarsomeres of legs are densely hirsute, with bristlecombs dense on legs I–III, but present also on the fourth legs. The femur and patella may bear four to six carinae, which however may be obsolete. The femur bears only solitary setae.

PEDIPALPS. The femur is granulated and bears three to five carinae; the ventroexternal carina is incomplete or absent, the other carinae are granular. The patella is granular, with seven coarsely granular carinae. The chela is smooth, without carinae. All pedipalps including the trochanter are only very sparsely hirsute. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 13–15 rows of granules and external and internal granules; the fixed fingers bear 11– 13 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules and three distal granules.

MEASUREMENTS IN MM. Male holotype. Total length 70; carapace length 8.5, width 9; metasoma and telson length 44; first metasomal segment length 5.7, width 6, depth 5.1; second metasomal segment length 6.7, width 6.6, depth 5.4; third metasomal segment length 6.8, width 7.5, depth 6.9; fourth metasomal segment length 8.2, width 7.6, depth 7; fifth metasomal segment length 8.9, width 7.2, depth 4.8; telson length ca 7.5; telson width 3.4; pedipalp femur length 7.1, width 2.3; pedipalp patella length 8.5, width 3.5; chela length 14.1; manus width 4.3; movable finger length 9.7.

Male paratype. Total length 66; carapace length 7.5, width 8.3; metasoma and telson length 41; first metasomal segment length 5, width 5.5, depth 4.8; second metasomal segment length 6.3, width 5.8, depth 4.9; third metasomal segment length 5.5, width 6.2, depth 5.6; fourth metasomal segment length 8, width 6.2, depth 5.8; fifth metasomal segment length 8.3, width 5.9, depth 4.3; telson length 7.7; telson width 3.2; pedipalp femur length 6, width 2.3; pedipalp patella length 7.4, width 3.3; chela length 11.8; manus width 4; movable finger length 7.6.

Female paratype. Total length 84; carapace length 9.6, width 10; metasoma and telson length 50.5; first metasomal segment length 6.4, width 6.4, depth 5.4; second metasomal segment length 7.7, width 6.3, depth 5.6; third metasomal segment length 7.9, width 6.7, depth 6.3; fourth metasomal segment length 9.4, width 6.7, depth 6.5; fifth metasomal segment length 9.7, width 6, depth 4.8; telson length 9.4; telson width 3.9; pedipalp femur length 6.9, width 2.4; pedipalp patella length 8.7, width 3.5; chela length 13.9; manus width 4.2; movable finger length 9.9.