Scorpiops pakistanus Kovařík et Ahmed, 2009

Kovařík, František & Ahmed, Zubair, 2009, Three new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) from Pakistan, Euscorpius 88 (88), pp. 1-11 : 1-3

Scorpiops pakistanus Kovařík et Ahmed , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–12 , Table 1)

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Pakistan, North-West Frontier Province, Upper Dir ; authorś collection ( FKCP).

TYPE MATERIAL. Pakistan, North-West Frontier Province, Upper Dir , 10 August 2009, 1♂ (holotype) , 3♂, 1♀, 2 juvs. (paratypes), leg. Yasin, 16 September 2009, 1♂, 1♀, 2♀ imm. (paratypes).

ETYMOLOGY: Named after the country of occurrence.

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 55–72 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish brown, fingers black, legs and telson yellowish brown. Pectinal teeth number 6–8. External trichobothria on patella number 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et); ventral trichobothria on patella number 9 or 10. Male manus of pedipalp in adults broader than in female. Male has fingers of pedipalps strongly flexed ( Fig. 9 ), whereas female has them flexed only slightly ( Fig. 12 ).

DESCRIPTION: The adults are 55–72 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. The base color is uniformly reddish brown, fingers are black, legs and telson are yellowish brown. For habitus see Figs. 7–12.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma bears several pointed (male) or rounded (female) granules; the seventh segment is ventrally smooth, with four obsolete carinae. The entire carapace bears sparse minute granules and lacks carinae. There is a pronounced central depression in the anterior margin of the carapace. Pectinal teeth number 6–8.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The metasoma is dorsally nearly smooth, with only sparse granules. Granules are more numerous on lateral and ventral surfaces between carinae. The first segment bears 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments bear eight carinae, and the fifth segment bears seven carinae, all composed of granules some of which are pointed. The ventral carina of the fifth segment posteriorly forks to form the letter Y. The dorsolateral carinae of the third and fourth segments posteriorly terminate in a pronounced denticle. The telson is elongate, smooth, with minute granules.

PEDIPALPS: For position and distribution of trichobothria on the chela and patella of pedipalps see Figs. 1–6 . External trichobothria on the patella number 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) ( Fig. 5 ), and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 10 ( Fig. 6 ) or 9. The femur is granulated, has six granulose carinae, and the patella has five carinae with pronounced internal double tubercles. The entire manus dorsally bears rounded granules, which in the central part are minute and form a longitudinal carina. The movable fingers bear straight double rows of granules with internal and external granules. The male has fingers of pedipalps strongly flexed, whereas in the female they are flexed only slightly ( Figs. 9 and 12 ).

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Scorpiops pakistanus sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below.

Scorpiops pakistanus sp. n. is most similar to S. petersii , from which it differs chiefly by the higher number (9–10) of ventral trichobothria on the patella of pedipalps, marked sexual dimorphism in the shape of pedipalp chela, and lighter color of the legs.

Figures

Figures 1–6: Scorpiops pakistanus Kovařík et Ahmed, sp. n., male paratype. 1. Chela dorsal. 2. Chela external. 3. Manus ventral. 4. Patella dorsal. 5. Patella external. 6. Patella ventral. The first capital letters denote trichobothria situated on the manus, and the first lower-case letters denote those situated on the fixed finger of pedipalp. Figs. 4 to 6 show the distribution of trichobothria on the patella of pedipalp. First letters: D, dorsal, E, external, I, internal, V, ventral. Second or second plus third letters: b, basal, sb, suprabasal, m, medial, st, subterminal, t, terminal, v, ventral. Numerals distinguish individual trichobothria of the same classification. Designation and description of trichobothria after Vachon (1974). Morphological terminology after Stahnke (1970).

Figures 7–12: Scorpiops pakistanus Kovařík et Ahmed, sp. n. 7–9. Male holotype, dorsal and ventral view and chela external. 10–12. Female paratype, dorsal and ventral view and chela external.