Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872

Kovařík, František, 2004, A review of the genus Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828, with descriptions of seven new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae), Euscorpius 15 (15), pp. 1-60 : 42-44

Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872

( Fig. 28)

Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872: 56 ; Kraepelin, 1899: 112; Werner, 1902: 601; Kraepelin, 1913: 166; Borelli, 1915: 463; Lampe, 1918: 198; Roewer, 1929: 612; Werner, 1934: 278; Werner, 1936: 186; Roewer, 1943: 228; Takashima, 1945: 91; Minnocci, 1974: 38; Hjelle, 1990: 49; Root, 1990: 367; Warburg & Polis, 1990: 229.

Heterometrus swammerdammi : Pointer, 1991: 24.

Scorpio swammerdami : Simon, 1885: 39; Pocock, 1890: 237; Kraepelin, 1895: 42; Pocock, 1893: 304; Lönnberg, 1897: 186.

Heterometrus (Scorpio) swammerdami : Kraepelin, 1901: 271.

Pandinus swammerdami : Thorell, 1893: 379; Simon, 1905: 161.

Pandinus (Heterometrus) swammerdami : Karsch, 1879: 127.

Palamnaeus swammerdami : Pocock, 1900: 86; Tikader, 1987: 37.

Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) swammerdami : Couzijn, 1978: 330; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 562; Sissom, 1990: 131; Kovařík, 1992: 185; Kovařík, 1997: 183; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 443; Prendini, 2000: 44; Bastawade, 2002: 295; Kovařík, 2002: 17; Lourenço & Huber, 2002: 273.

Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) swammerdami swammerdami : Couzijn, 1981: 162; Fet, 2000: 444.

= Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) swammerdami titanicus Couzijn, 1981: 165 ; Vachon, 1982: 79; Kovařík, 1997: 183; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 444. Syn. n.

Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) titanicus Lourenço & Huber, 2002: 273 .

Buthus ceylonicus (non Herbst, 1800): C. L. Koch, 1841: 9, fig. 698 (Kraepelin, 1895: 42).

Buthus ceylanicus : C. L. Koch, 1850: 88.

= Pandinus asper Thorell, 1876b: 199 (syn. by Pocock, 1890: 237).

= Pandinus kochii Karsch, 1879: 127 ; Karsch, 1887: 68; Karsch, 1892: 307; Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 316 (syn. by Pocock, 1890: 237).

= Scorpio lucidipes Simon, 1885: 38 (syn. by Pocock, 1890: 237).

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. East Indies ; MNHN.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Karnataka, Malabar, Puddapoddy, 1♀, leg. O. Lotichius, SMFD No. 5333; Malabar-Küste , 1♂ 1♀, SMFD No. 8885/227; Lanooli , 1911, 1♀ 1juv., leg. Low-Beck, SMFD No. 5320; Madhya Pradesh, Muki Balagath , 27.VIII.1957, 1♀, Deutsche Indien-Expedition 1955–57, ZMUH No. 688; Mysore , Shimoga dist. , Agumbe ghat, 2000 ft., T.R. S.N. coll., V. 2001, 1♀, FKCP; Orissa, Daitari, Jaypur- Keonýahr District , 3.XII,1967, 1♀, leg. G. Topál, HNHM No. 1011; Pondichery, Karaikal, III.1962, 1juv., IV.1962, 1♂ 2ims., VI,1962, 4juvs., VII,1963, 1juv., leg. P. Sushai Nathan, CASC; Karaikal, T.R.S.N. coll., 2001, 5♂ 6♀, 2002, 2♂ 3♀ 6ims., 2003, 1♂ 1♀, X.2003 – V.2004, 2ims., FKCP. Tamil Nadu, Madras, 1889, 1♂, leg. Th. Kolb, SMFD No. 5334; Madras, 2.II.1993, 1♀, leg. M. Veselý, FKCP; Podhigai Hills, Papanasam, Tirunelveli Dist. , 2000 ft., T.R. S.N. coll., V.2004, 1im., FKCP. Sri Lanka, 1♂ 2ims., leg. Nonfried, NMPC; Kala Werva, 1896, 1im., leg. Madarász G. HNHM; Ceylon, Paradenya, 2juvs., No. SMFD 8853 /195; Ceylon, Estata Beriturdi, 24.I.1914, 1juv., leg. J. Mastbaum, SMFD No. 5304; North Western prov., Puttalam, IV.1994, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv. after 4th ecdysis, FKCP.?: 1♂, MZUF; Anuradhapura, I. 1889, 1juv., leg. Friasted, MZUF; Ceylon, Kandy, 1♂, SMFD No. 6703/110 ;

Specimens born and reared in captivity (Locality Sri Lanka, North Western prov., Puttalam ), 1juv. after 3rd ecdysis, 1juv. after 4th ecdysis, 1juv. after 5th ecdysis, 1im. after 6th ecdysis, 1♂ after 7th ecdysis, reared by F. Kovařík, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 130–176 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish brown to reddish black. Juveniles may be red with yellow telson. Pectinal teeth number 16–20. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps not noticeable. Chela strongly lobiform, its length to width ratio 1.6– 1.8 in both sexes. Entire manus covered by large, rounded granulae that do not form true carinae. Patella of pedipalp without pronouced internal tubercle. Carapace with disc smooth, margins and posterior portion granulate, and anterior portion granulate and tuberculate; occasionally entire surface sparsely granulate. Fifth segment of metasoma longer than femur of pedipalp, fourth segment of metasoma approximately as long as femur of pedipalp. Telson bulbous, vesicle as long as or longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. This species occurs in much of India and in Sri Lanka. Couzijn (1981: 165) described the Sri Lankan population as H. s. titanicus , and Lourenço & Huber (2002: 273) elevated this subspecies to species on geographic grounds, without any morphological justification. Examination of vast numbers of specimens from both India and Sri Lanka convinces me that they all are H. swammerdami .

DISTRIBUTION. Sri Lanka; India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Pondichery, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (Karsch, 1892: 307, Pocock, 1900: 87, Couzijn, 1981: 162; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 567, Fet, 2000: 444), Orissa (Kovařík, 1997: 183), and Mysore (first report).