Heterometrus gravimanus (Pocock, 1894)

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 : 15-17

Heterometrus gravimanus (Pocock, 1894)

( Fig. 15 )

Scorpio gravimanus Pocock, 1894: 75 .

Pandinus gravimanus : Simon, 1905: 161.

Palamnaeus gravimanus : Pocock, 1900: 90; Henderson, 1919: 381.

Heterometrus gravimanus : Takashima, 1945: 94; Root, 1990: 354.

Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) gravimanus : Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 550; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 446.

Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus indus (in part): Couzijn, 1981: 121.

=? Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus laevitensus Couzijn, 1981: 124 ; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 447. Syn. n.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. India, Ceylon ; BMNH.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, south, Tanjore , 1♂, leg. E. P. Popert, BMNH No. 1896.7.30.121. S ri Lanka , Southern prov., Galle, IV.1994, 1♂, leg. P. Senft, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 80–110 mm long. Color of adults uniformly reddish brown, legs and telson usually lighter colored than body. Pectinal teeth number 12–15 in both sexes. Male has slightly longer femur and patella of pedipalp. Chela lobiform, its length to width ratio between 2.0 and 2.2. Entire manus covered by rounded granules and with five carinae mainly in anterolateral part. Patella of pedipalp smooth, without pronouced internal tubercle. Carapace smooth and glossy. Third and fourth leg spine formula 4:5–6. Telson elongate, vesicle shorter than aculeus.

COMMENTS. This species is based on a male from Sri Lanka, which ought to be at BMNH but cannot be found. It was not seen by the previous revisers (Couzijn, 1981: 121, Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 550) either. Available is only a male from Tanjore, which was assigned to this species by its author ( Pocock, 1900: 91). Couzijn lists Scorpio gravimanus Pocock, 1894 as a synonym of Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus (Geer, 1778) and says the specimen from Tanjore could be Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus laevitensus Couzijn, 1981 (Couzijn, 1981: 125). Tikader & Bastawade (1983: 550–555) examined the specimen from Tanjore and correctly concluded that it is Heterometrus gravimanus , which they considered valid (see also Fet, 2000: 447). Like Pocock, I have had an opportunity to examine the specimen from Tanjore as well as the one from Sri Lanka and am convinced that both populations belong to the same species, which differs from H. indus in smaller size, narrower chela of pedipalp and the presence of five carinae on the manus of pedipalp.

DISTRIBUTION. India: Tamil Nadu. Sri Lanka (Pocock, 1894: 77; Pocock, 1900: 91).

Figures

Figure 15: Heterometrus gravimanus, dorsal view, male from India (BMNH).