Compsobuthus levyi Kovařík, 2012

Kovařík, František, 2012, Three new species of Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 from Yemen, Jordan, Israel, and Somaliland (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 150, pp. 1-10 : 5-7

Compsobuthus levyi Kovařík , sp. n.

( Figs. 20–36)

Compsobuthus werneri werneri: Levy et al., 1973: 114 ; Levy & Amitai, 1980: 63; Kabakibi et al., 1999: 82.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Jordan, near Qasr Burqu ; author‘s collection ( FKCP).

TYPE MATERIAL. Jordan, near Qasr Burqu , 1♂ 6♀ (holotype, allotype and paratypes), 9. –12.IV.1996, leg. D. Modrý. Israel, south part of Negev Desert , wadi near Sede Boqer (Haluqim Ridge), XI.-XII.2004, 1♀ (paratype), leg. J. Král.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the Israeli arachnologist Gershom Levy (1937–2009), who in 1973 and 1980 published important works on Compsobuthus from Israel, Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula. Since no specimens of C. werneri from the type locality ( Sudan) were available to him, he mistook C. levyi sp. n. for C. werneri werneri .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 28–38.4 mm. Movable finger of pedipalp bears 10–11 rows of granules, with external and internal granules ( werneri group). Sexual dimorphism minor, there is no difference between males and females in length of pedipalps and metasomal segments. Male with fingers of pedipalps slightly flexed proximally. Chela slender and elongated. Pedipalp chela length/width ratio 4.9–5.8 in females and 4.8 in males. Trochanter of pedipalp with numerous setae. First metasomal segment bears 10 carinae; second to fourth bear 8 carinae. Intermediate carinae of the second to fourth metasomal segments replaced by 15–20 isolated granules. All metasomal segments of both sexes slender and longer than wide. Fifth metasomal segment length/width ratio 2.4– 2.6. Pectinal teeth number 18–23. Seventh sternite bears 4 crenulate carinae. Telson elongate, with aculeus approximately as long as vesicle; subaculear tubercle distinct, very small.

DESCRIPTION. Total length 28–38.4 mm. The habitus is shown in Figs. 20–26. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 33–36. Sexual dimorphism minor, adult males have fingers of pedipalps slightly flexed proximally.

COLORATION. The base color is uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, without spots.

CARAPACE AND MESOSOMA. The entire carapace is covered by large granules. The carinae are moderately to strongly developed and granular. The anterior margin of the carapace is straight, medially weakly concave, and bears six short, symmetrically distributed macrosetae. The tergites are granulated. Tergites I–VI bear very strong, denticulate lateral carinae. Each carina terminates in a spiniform process that extends well past the posterior margin of the tergite. Tergite VII is pentacarinate, with lateral pairs strong, serratocrenulate and the median carina moderate, crenulate and present only in the proximal half. The pectinal tooth count is 22–23 in the male holotype, 19 in the male paratype, and 18–22 in the females. The pectinal marginal tips extend to anterior third of the fifth sternite in males and to midlength of the fourth sternite in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and seven to nine middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, each fulcrum with two dark setae. All sternites are smooth. The sixth and seventh segments bear four ventral crenulate carinae, which are more strongly developed on the seventh segment. The other sternites bear two carinae.

METASOMA AND TELSON. The first segment bears 10 carinae; the second to fourth segments bear eight carinae and the fifth segment bears five carinae. Intermediate carinae of the second to fourth segments are replaced by 15 to 20 isolated granules. All segments are setose, mainly on ventral surface, and granulated. Accessoric rows of granules are present on dorsal surfaces of segments as well as on the ventral surface of the fifth segment. The telson is elongate, with the aculeus aproximately as long as the vesicle. A subaculear tubercle is present but is very small.

PEDIPALPS. The pedipalps are granulated and hirsute. The femur bears five carinae. The patella bears seven granular carinae. The chela bears five carinae. The movable finger bears 10 or 11 rows of granules, with small external and larger internal granules. The fixed finger bears 10 or 11 rows of granules, with external and internal granules. The trochanter of pedipalps bears numerous setae.

LEGS. The legs III and IV bear tibial spurs. Retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs are present on all legs. The prolateral pedal spurs are basally bifurcate. The tarsomeres bear two rows of long macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces. Bristle combs are absent. The femur bears four carinae and the patella bears four to six carinae. The femur and patella bear only solitary macrosetae and are densely granulated except for external lateral surfaces which are smooth.

MEASUREMENTS IN MM. Total length of male holotype 30; carapace length 3.7, width 3.4; metasoma and telson length 19; first metasomal segment length 2.6, width 1.7; second metasomal segment length 3.0, width 1.5; third metasomal segment length 3.2, width 1.4; fourth metasomal segment length 3.5, width 1.4; fifth metasomal segment length 3.6, width 1.4; telson length 3.0; pedipalp femur length 3.3, width 0.8; pedipalp patella length 4.0, width 1.2; chela length 6.3; manus width 1.3; movable finger length 4.2.

Total length of female allotype 38.4; carapace length 4.5, width 4.5; metasoma and telson length 23.8; first metasomal segment length 3.2, width 2.2; second metasomal segment length 3.7, width 2.0; third metasomal segment length 3.9, width 1.9; fourth metasomal segment length 4.1, width 1.9; fifth metasomal segment length 4.7, width 1.9; telson length 4.2; pedipalp femur length 4.5, width 1.1; pedipalp patella length 5.2, width 1.6; chela length 8.4; manus width 1.5; movable finger length 6.1.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish C. levyi sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key. From C. werneri from Sudan and other related species from Israel, Jordan, and Syria, with which it has hitherto been confused, it differs primarily by slender and elongated metasomal segments.