Pandinus (Pandinus) ugandaensis Kovařík, 2011

Kovařík, František, 2011, A review of the subgenus Pandinus Thorell, 1876 with descriptions of two new species from Uganda and Ethiopia (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Euscorpius 129 (129), pp. 1-18 : 10-17

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.18590/euscorpius.2011.vol2011.iss129.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:41616D18-D960-44D2-AADB-9CD8DF12FC44
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FB8791-A074-4768-FCA5-D09508F2824E
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pandinus (Pandinus) ugandaensis Kovařík
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pandinus (Pandinus) ugandaensis Kovařík View in CoL , sp. n.

( Figs. 23–34, 38 View Figures 23–28 View Figure 29 View Figures 30–32 View Figures 33–41 , 42 View Figure 42 )

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY . Uganda, Kaabong env.; the authoŕs collection ( FKCP) .

TYPE MATERIAL. Uganda, Kaabong env. ( Fig. 32 View Figures 30–32 ), 2011, 2♂ (holotype and paratype), 2♀ (allotype and paratype), leg. native colector. All types are in the author´s collection ( FKCP).

ETYMOLOGY. Named after country of occurence.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length is 90–110 mm. Color uniformly reddish black, only legs, telson and chela reddish brown.

Chelicerae brown, reticulate, with black fingers and anterior margins. External trichobothria on patella number 16 (5 eb, 3 esb, 2 em, 1 est, 5 et); ventral trichobothria on chela number 8. Carapace lacks carinae and is smooth without granules, with very fine and shallow punctures. Pectinal teeth number 13–14 in males and 10–11 in females. Dorsal carinae on metasomal segments composed of three to seven round teeth of similar size. Spiniform formula of tarsomere II = 3-4/3: 3-4/3: 4/3: 4/3. Tarsomere II legs with 2 spines on inclined anteroventral surface. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute, mainly chela. Granules on dorsal surface of chela not conical and pointed, their summits sometimes confluent. External surface of chela smooth, with several conical granules in anterior part and without carinae. Length to depth ratio of 4th meatsomal segment = 1.6–1.7.

DESCRIPTION. The adults are 90–110 mm long. The habitus is shown in Figs. 23–28 View Figures 23–28 . For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Fig. 29 View Figure 29 . External trichobothria on patella number 16 (5 eb, 3 esb, 2 em, 1 est, 5 et); ventral trichobothria on chela number eight. Sexual dimorphism is minor. Movable fingers of pedipalps and telson do not show any noticeable sexual dimorphism.

COLORATION ( Figs. 23–28 View Figures 23–28 ). The carapace, mesosoma, metasoma and femur and patella of pedipalp are uniformly reddish black. The legs, telson and chela are reddish brown, and fingers of the chela are black. The chelicerae are brown, reticulate, with black fingers and anterior margins of chelicerae.

CARAPACE. The carapace ( Fig. 23 View Figures 23–28 ) lacks carinae but has a deep sagittal furrow with a forked, Y-shaped furrow on each side in the posterior part. The surface is smooth, without granules and with very fine and shallow punctures. The anteromedial margin of the carapace is strongly concave. Present are a pair of median eyes and three lateral eyes with a furrow behind the lateral eyes. The distance ratio of the pair of median eyes from the anterior or the posterior margin of the carapace is, respectively, 0.52 or 0.48.

MESOSOMA. The tergites are smooth and bear an incomplete, smooth sagittal carina and shallow, symmetrical furrows. The sternites are smooth, lack carinae and bear two pronounced furrows that reach neither the anterior nor the posterior margin. The pectinal teeth number 13–14 in males and 10–11 in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and three middle lamellae, both bearing numerous reddish setae. The characteristic fulcra are long and bear numerous white setae.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 33–34 View Figures 33–41 ). The first throught fourth segments bear eight carinae. The ventral and lateral carinae are smooth. The dorsal carinae are composed of three to seven round teeth of similar size. The fifth segment bears five carinae and a short row of granules on the lateral surfaces which may form incomplete carinae. All carinae on the fifth metasomal segment are composed of granules. The surface between the carinae is smooth, with solitary granules. The telson is bulbous, with the aculeus shorter than the vesicle. The surface of the telson is smooth and bears an incomplete carina.

LEGS. The legs are smooth, without carinae and granules, and unevenly hirsute. Tarsomere I is hirsute and with two or three spinae. Tarsomere II has two spines on the inclined anteroventral surface. The spiniform formula of tarsomere II is 3-4/3: 3-4/3: 4/3: 4/3 ( Fig. 38 View Figures 33–41 ).

PEDIPALPS ( Fig. 29 View Figure 29 ). The pedipalps are sparsely hirsute, mainly the chela. The femur and patella are smooth, with several large granules and punctures as fine as on the carapace. The femur bears four carinae composed of several large, round granules, only the externoventral carina is smooth.The patella bears four to five smooth, incomplete carinae without granules. Several granules are only on the external surface of the patella. The chela bears only two smooth ventral carinae. The dorsal surface of the chela bears granules that are neither conical nor pointed and whose summits may be confluent. The external surface of the chela is smooth, with several conical granules in anterior part and without carinae. The chela has a lobe. The dentate margins of the movable and fixed fingers are armed with two parallel rows of denticles extending the entire length of the finger, without external and internal granules but with larger granules which indicate six subrows on the movable finger and five subrows on the fixed finger.

MEASUREMENTS IN MM. Male holotype. Total length 97; carapace length 13.8, width 13.6; metasoma and telson length 48.6; first metasomal segment length 6.0, width 6.6, depth 5.2; second metasomal segment length 6.9, width 6.0, depth 5.0; third metasomal segment length 7.4, width 5.7, depth 4.8; fourth metasomal segment length 8.1, width 5.1, depth 4.8; fifth metasomal segment length 10.0, width 4.4, depth 4.4; telson length 10.2; telson width 4.5; pedipalp femur length 8.5, width 4.9; pedipalp patella length 9.8, width 5.4; chela length 19.9; manus width 12.5; movable finger length 12.4.

Female allotype. Total length 105; carapace length 14.5, width 15.1; metasoma and telson length 47.4; first metasomal segment length 6.2, width 6.7, depth 5.3; second metasomal segment length 6.6, width 6.0, depth 5.1; third metasomal segment length 7.0, width 5.8, depth 5.1; fourth metasomal segment length 8.1, width 5.2, depth 4.9; fifth metasomal segment length 10.0, width 4.5, depth 4.5; telson length 9.5; telson width 4.5; pedipalp femur length 8.5, width 4.9; pedipalp patella length 9.8, width 5.5; chela length 20.1; manus width 12.6; movable finger length 12.2.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Pandinus ugandaensis sp. n. from all other species of the subgenus Pandinus . Among the species of this subgenus, P. ugandaensis sp. n. has the lowest number (8) of ventral trichobothria on the chela (other species have 9 to 15; see affinities of P. mazuchi sp. n.) and the lowest number of pectinal teeth (13–14 in males and 10–11 in females, whereas other species have 16 to 21 in males and at least 15 in females). Other characters are cited in the key below. The most closely related species appears to be P. imperator that may have a identical spiniform formula of tarsomere II (3-4/3: 3-4/3: 4/3: 4/ 3 in P. ugandaensis sp. n. and 4/3: 4/3: 4-5/3: 4-5/ 2-3 in P. imperator ) with two spines on the inclined anteroventral surface, which securely distinguishes these two species from P. gambiensis Pocock, 1899 and P. smithi (three spines on the inclined anteroventral surface of tarsomere II) and from P. phillipsii and P. mazuchi sp. n. (tarsomeres II of fourth legs with spination formula 7- 8/5, Figs. 39 and 40 View Figures 33–41 ). P. ugandaensis sp. n. is best distinguished from P. imperator morphometrically, e.g. in P. imperator the length to depth ratio of the fourth metasomal segment is greater than 2, whereas in P. ugandaensis sp. n. it is 1.6–1.7 ( Figs. 33–34, 36 View Figures 33–41 ).

Key to species of the subgenus

Pandinus Thorell, 1876 View in CoL

1. Legs yellow ( Figs. 10–13 View Figures 10–13 ). Male has more pronounced tooth on movable finger of pedipalp than female ( Figs. 10 and 12 View Figures 10–13 ) and a relatively larger telson. ........................................................................................ 2 – Legs not yellow, colored approximately as body ( Fig. 1 View Figures 1–5 ). Movable finger of pedipalp and telson without noticeable sexual dimorphism ( Figs. 23 and 27 View Figures 23–28 ). (Sexual dimorphism of P. mazuchi sp. n. is not known, but all type females and juveniles have brown to black legs.) ........................................................................................ 3

2. Granules on manus of pedipalp conical and pointed ( Fig. 21 View Figures 20–22 ). Tarsomere II with 3 spines on inclined anteroventral surface ( Fig. 41 View Figures 33–41 ). …... P. smithi ( Pocock, 1897) – Granules on manus of pedipalp not conical and pointed, their summits may be confluent ( Fig. 10 View Figures 10–13 ). Tarsomere II with 2 spines on inclined anteroventral surface ( Fig. 40 View Figures 33–41 ). .............................. P. phillipsii ( Pocock, 1896)

3. Tarsomere II with 3 spines on inclined anteroventral surface. ............................... P. gambiensis Pocock, 1899 View in CoL – Tarsomere II with 2 spines on inclined anteroventral surface ( Figs. 37–39 View Figures 33–41 )...................................................... 4

4. Spination formula of tarsomere II of 4th leg = 4-5/2-3 ( Figs. 37–38 View Figures 33–41 ) ................................................................. 5 – Spination formula of tarsomere II of 4th leg = 8/5 ( Fig. 39 View Figures 33–41 ) ........................................ P. mazuchi Kovařík , sp. n.

5. Chela with 9–14 ventral trichobothria. Length to depth ratio of 4th metasomal segment greater than 2 ( Fig. 36 View Figures 33–41 ). ...................... P. imperator (C. L. Koch, 1841) View in CoL – Chela with 8 ventral trichobothria ( Fig. 29 View Figure 29 ). Length to depth ratio of 4th metasomal segment = 1.6–1.7 ( Figs. 33–34 View Figures 33–41 ). .......................... P. ugandaensis Kovařík View in CoL , sp. n.

BIOGEOGRAPHY AND ECOLOGY. Ecology of the west African species P. gambiensis View in CoL and P. imperator View in CoL is well known (see Prendini, 2004: 256-257). P. imperator View in CoL constructs burrows which may contain up to 20 individuals. This species is readily available in pet stores in Europe, the USA and Japan, and there is extensive literature on proper maintenance and breeding in captivity ( Kovařík, 2009: 57). The ecology of P. ugandaensis View in CoL sp. n. is probably similar to that of P. imperator View in CoL . The biotopes and habits of the Ethiopian and Somaliland species of Pandinus View in CoL have been to some extent revealed by two recent expeditions (see also Kovařík & Mazuch, 2011 and Kovařík, 2011). Excavation of burrows known for P. imperator View in CoL or Scorpio maurus Linné, 1758 View in CoL (see Kovařík, 2009: 138) has not been observed in any Pandinus View in CoL encountered in these countries, however future fieldwork of longer duration may prove otherwise. P. mazuchi sp. n. was found at the elevation of 2100 m ( Figs. 8–9 View Figures 6–9 ) in relatively cooler and more humid conditions than P. phillipsii and P. smithi ( Figs. 14–22 View Figures 14–16 View Figures 17–19 View Figures 20–22 ). All specimens of P. mazuchi sp. n. (females and juveniles) were collected under rocks during day (females and juveniles) or in rocky taluses at night using UV lamps (immature juvenile). Juveniles of P. phillipsii were encountered at elevations around 1500 m in relatively drier areas and also in finer-grained taluses offering shallow hiding places ( Figs. 14–16 View Figures 14–16 ). An adult female of P. phillipsii ( Figs. 17–18 View Figures 17–19 ) and females of the subgenus Pandinurus View in CoL ( Pandinus magretti Borelli, 1901 and two new species) were found at lower elevations (900–1492 m) under large boulders, whereas all males of P. phillipsii and P. smithi were found under the bark of dry trees up to two meters above the ground ( Figs. 19 View Figures 17–19 and 20 View Figures 20–22 ).