Orthochirus birulai, Kovařík & Fet & Yağmur, 2020

Kovařík, FrantIšek, Fet, Victor & Yağmur, Ersen Aydın, 2020, Further review of Orthochirus Karsch, 1892 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Asia: taxonomic position of O. melanurus, O. persa, O. scrobiculosus, and description of six new species, Euscorpius 318, pp. 1-73 : 4-9

Orthochirus birulai sp. n.

( Figures 3–28 , 343 , Table 1) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 69F9834E -

471E -413A -B8B6-92D49DDA5648

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (former North-West Frontier) Province, Upper Dir District , [35.31°N 71.39°E] ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (former North-West Frontier) Province, Upper Dir District , [35.31°N 71.39°E], 16 September 2009, 1♀ (holotype), leg. Z. Ahmed , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Alexei Andreevich Byalynitskii-Birulya (or A. A. Birula) (1864–1937), a renowned Russian zoologist and arachnologist who specialized in scorpions and solpugids.

DIAGNOSIS (♀). Total length 40.5 mm of female holotype. Trichobothrium d 2 on dorsal surface of pedipalp femur present. Pectinal teeth number 22 in female. Movable finger of pedipalps with 9 rows of denticles, 10 ID and 9–10 OD. Dorsal carinae on pedipalp patella developed and smooth. Pedipalp femur dorsal granulated. Metasoma V dorsal surface mesially with several fine granules only. Metasoma I –II with 10 carinae, metasoma III with 8 carinae, metasoma IV – V with 2 dorsolateral carinae; incomplete ventrolateral carinae present on metasoma V. Ventral carinae of metasoma I– III consist of small granules irregularly in wide row. Metasoma IV – V ventrally and laterally with fine punctation developed, spaces among punctae smooth ventral and granulated lateral; metasoma I– III ventrally and laterally granulated and bumpy with punctation reduced. Tergites roughly to finely granulated. Sternite VII densely granulated, with four granulated carinae present. Pedipalp, metasoma and telson glabrous. Moderate to strong tibial spurs present on legs III and IV. Tarsomere I of legs I– III with 8–10 long setae in female. Ratio length/ width of metasoma V 1.17 in female holotype . Pedipalp femur length/width ratio 2.97 in female holotype.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult female 40.5 mm. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps are given in Table 1. For habitus, see Figs. 3–4 .

Coloration ( Figs. 3–4 ). Carapace, tergites, and metasoma black. Femur and patella of pedipalps reddish black to black, chela of pedipalps yellowish to reddish brown. Femur and patella of legs reddish black, other segments of legs yellowish brown. Sternite VII black, other sternites reddish black with yellow median area in posterior margin of sternites III–V, mainly on sternite V. Telson reddish brown.

Mesosoma and carapace ( Figs. 15–16 , 21–22 ). Tergites with a median carina and is roughly to finely granulated.Seventh sternite densely granulated and with four granulated carinae, the other sternites partly granulated but smooth in middle and posteriorly. Pectinal teeth number 22 in female holotype.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 23–28 ). Metasoma I–II with 10 granulated carinae. Metasoma III–IV lacks lateral and ventromedian carinae. Ventrolateral carinae are developed on metasoma I–III and indicated on metasoma IV–V, dorsolateral carinae are present on all metasomal segments. Ventral carinae of metasoma I–III consist of small granules irregularly in wide row. Metasoma I–IV and partly metasoma V are granulated laterally, metasoma III–V laterally punctate; granulation absent on dorsal surfaces of all metasomal segments mesially except several fine granules on metasoma; several large granules are present on metasoma I–IV rather laterally, metasoma I with ca. 10 of these granules. Fine punctation on metasoma IV–V ventrally developed, spaces among punctae smooth. Entire metasoma and telson glabrous. Telson without punctation and granulation.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 5–14 ). Trichobothrium d 2 on dorsal surface of pedipalp femur present; trichobothrium e 1 is situated at level with d 4. Femur of pedipalps with five granulated carinae and is dorsally granulated. Patella has seven smooth carinae, and the chela has smooth carinae which may be discernible throughout the length of the fixed finger. The entire pedipalps are glabrous, with several setae only. Movable fingers with 9 rows of denticles, 10 ID and 9–10 OD.

Legs ( Figs. 17–20 ). Moderate to strong tibial spurs present on legs III and IV. Femur with four partly granulated carinae; patella with five rather smooth carinae; tibia smooth. Patella with only a few setae. Tibia with setae on the outer side of legs I–II. Tarsomere I of legs I–III with 8–10 long setae, legs IV with 0–2 setae. Tarsomeres I–II of all legs internal with two rather irregular rows of setae.

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. The combination of six characters (metasoma V dorsal mesially with several fine granules only; entire metasoma glabrous; punctation on the ventral surfaces of metasoma IV–V developed; lateral surfaces of metasoma I–V granulated; sternite VII densely granulated; and pedipalp movable finger with 9–10 ID and OD) is unique in the entire genus Orthochirus .

DISTRIBUTION. Pakistan ( Fig. 343 ).

Figures

Figure 343. Geographic distribution of the Orthochirus spp. found from Turkey to India. An approximate area where the lectotype of O. melanurus was collected is marked by red ellipse.

Figures 3–4. Orthochirus birulai sp. n., holotype female, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 5–20: Orthochirus birulai sp. n., holotype female. Figures 5–14. Segments of pedipalps. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (5), external (6), and ventral (7) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (8), external (9), and ventral (10) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, dorsal (11), internal (12), and ventral (13) views. Pedipalp chela, movable finger (14) dentate margins. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 6–9, 11–12 (white circles). Figures 15–16. Carapace and tergites I–IV (15), and sternopectinal region and sternites (16). Figures 17–20. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect.

Figures 21–22. Orthochirus birulai sp. n., holotype female, carapace and tergites (21), and sternopectinal region and sternites (22) under UV light.

Figures 23–28. Orthochirus birulai sp. n., holotype female, metasoma and telson, lateral (23, 26), dorsal (24, 27) and ventral (25, 28), under white light (23–25) and UV light (26–28). Scale bar: 10 mm.