Hottentotta somalicus, Kovařík, 2018

Kovařík, František, 2018, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XIV. Hottentotta somalicus sp. n. (Buthidae) from Somalia, Euscorpius 256 (271), pp. 1-8 : 2-7

Hottentotta somalicus sp. n.

( Figs. 1–8 , 14–24 , Table 1 )

http: //zoobank. org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C9A7E9 D8-E654-4D6B-B7DD-C2935ABBC76B

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somalia, near Mogadishu ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia, near Mogadishu , IX.2011, 1♂ (holotype) 2♀ (paratypes) , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the country of occurence.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 40 (male) to 65 (female) mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp is situated between trichobothria et and est. Sexual dimorphism not pronounced; manus of pedipalp of approximately same width in both sexes, but males have fingers of pedipalps slightly twisted. Pectinal teeth number 23 in males, 19– 21 in females. Chelicerae yellow. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute. Metasoma with only a few hairs. Color uniformly yellowish brown. Femur of pedipalp with 4 or 5 carinae. Patella with 8 carinae, of which some are smooth, without granules and obsolete. Chela lacks carinae but is usually finely granulate. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13–14 rows of granules and 5 or 6 terminal granules. Sternite WII bears 4 well marked granulated carinae. First to third metasomal segments with 10 carinae; fourth with 8 or 10 carinae; fifth with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear larger terminal granules. Metasoma very narrow. All metasomal segment of adults longer than wide. Fourth metasomal segment length/width ratio 1.63–1.77 in both sexes. Telson bulbous. Telson length/depth ratio 2.41– 2.49 in females.

DESCRIPTION. Total length 40 (male) to 65 (female) mm. The habitus is shown in Figs. 1–4 . For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 17– 21, 23 . Note, four internal femoral trichobothria are present but not visible in these figures. Sexual dimorphism minor, there is no difference in length and width of metasomal segments.

Coloration ( Figs. 1–4 ). The base color is uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, dark spots absent or extremely reduced.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 5–8 ). The carapace is carinate and unevenly covered by granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine, but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI bear three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. The pectinal tooth count is 23 in male and 19–21 in females. The pectinal marginal tips extend to about the third quarter of the fourth sternite in males and about a quarter of the fourth sternite in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and eight to nine middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark long setae, each fulcrum with three to five setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. The seventh sternite bears four granulate carinae. The other sternites bear two furrows.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 14–16 ). All metasomal segments are only very sparsely hirsute. All metasomal segments are longer then wide. Segments I–III bear 10 carinae, segment IV bears 8 or 10 carinae and segment V bears five carinae, three or five ventral and two dorsal. All carinae are granulated. The dorsal surface of all segments is smooth to very finely granulated. Other surfaces are granulated. The telson is only sparsely hirsute, bulbous, lumpy and granulated.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 17–24 ). The pedipalps are sparsely hirsute and weakly granulated. The femur bears four or fifth granulated carinae. The patella bears eight granulated carinae. The chela is without carinae. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 13–14 rows of granules and five or six terminal granules.

LEGS. The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces; bristle combs absent. Femur bears only several macrosetae. Femur coarsely granulose, femur and patella with carinae well developed. Tibial spurs present and long on third and fourth legs and absent in the other legs.

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish H. somalicus sp. n. from all other species of the genus. The morphology makes the new species close to H. polystictus. Females of most Hottentotta from the Horn of Africa have telson length/depth ratio 2.06–2.36 and females of H. polystictus and H. somalicus sp. n. usually have telson length/depth ratio 2.41–2.49. These two "sibling" species also have very narrow metasomal segments (1.63–1.73 in both sexes versus 1.31–1.61 in both sexes of other Hottentotta species of Horn of Africa). H. polystictus and H. somalicus sp. n. occur in separate areas (fig. 158 in Kovařík & Mazuch, 2015: 35) and can be differentiated by color. H. somalicus sp. n. is uniformly yellow to yellowish brown with dark spots absent or extremely reduced ( Figs. 1– 8 , 14–16 ) while H. polystictus has dark spots strongly developed ( Figs. 9– 12 ). Because this character might not be stable, it is important that the DNA analysis also indicates divergence between these two species (Šťáhlavský et al., in preparation).

Figures

Figures 1–4: Hottentotta somalicus sp. n. Figures 1–2. Male holotype in dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Figures 3–4: Female paratype in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) aspects. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figures 5–10: Figures 5–8: Hottentotta somalicus sp. n. Figures 5–6. Male holotype, carapace and tergites I–III (5), coxosternal area and sternites (6). Figures 7–8. Female paratype, carapace and tergites I–III (7), coxosternal area and sternites III–IV (8). Figures 9–10: Hottentotta polystictus, female from Ethiopia, NE of Dire Dawa, on road to Djibouti, 09°37'59"N 41°52'43"E, 1124 m a.s.l., chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (9); male from Somaliland, Sheikh, 09°57'25.9"N 45°09'52.2"E, 1492 m a.s.l., coxosternal area and sternites (10).

Figures 11–16: Metasoma and telson lateral (11, 14), ventral (12, 15), and dorsal (13, 16). Figures 11–13: Hottentotta polystictus, male from Somaliland, Sheikh, 09°57'25.9"N 45°09'52.2"E, 1492 m a.s.l. Figures 14–16: Hottentotta somalicus sp. n., male holotype. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 17–24: Figures 17–23: Hottentotta somalicus sp. n., male holotype, pedipalp chela dorsal (17), externodorsal (18) and ventrointernal (19), pedipalp patella dorsal (20), external (21) and ventral (22), and trochanter and femur dorsoexternal (23). Figure 24. Female paratype, pedipalp chela dorsal (24). Trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 17–21 and 23.