Barbaracurus exquisitus ( Lowe, 2000 ) Kovařík & Lowe & Šťáhlavský, 2018

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme & Šťáhlavský, František, 2018, Review of the genus Babycurus Karsch, 1886 (Arachnida, Scorpiones, Buthidae), with descriptions of Barbaracurus gen. n. and two new species from Oman and Yemen, Euscorpius 267, pp. 1-41 : 11

Barbaracurus exquisitus ( Lowe, 2000) comb. n.

( Figures 5 , 25, 33 , 62–65 , 70–71 , 81–82 , 90–100 , 107– 112 , 194–205 , 252–254 , 265 )

Babycurus exquisitus Lowe, 2000: 185–191 , figs. 1–9; Kovařík, 2000: 244, fig. 38, tables 1–3; Soleglad & Fet, 2003a: 5; Soleglad & Fet, 2003b: 7; Fet et al., 2005: 14; Lowe, 2010: 17; Hendrixson, 2006: 109; Kovařík et al., 2015: 23.

TYPE LOCALITY AND HOLOTYPE DEPOSITORY. Oman, Jabal Shams , Jabal Akhdar , Al Hajar Al Gharbi , 23º14. 29'N 57º11.62'E, 1855 m a.s.l., NHMB.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Oman, Jabal Shams , Jabal Akhdar , Al Hajar Al Gharbi ( Fig. 112 ), 23º14.29'N 57º11.62'E, 1855 m a.s.l., 2.X.1994, leg. G. Lowe & M. D. Gallagher, 1♂ (holotype) 1♀ 1juv. (paratypes), NHMB; Jabal Shams , Jabal Akhdar , 23º14.31'N 57º11. 64'E, 1900 m a.s.l., 14.X.1993, leg. G. Lowe & M. D. Gallagher, 1♂ (paratype), NHMB; Jabal Akhdar hotel, Sayq plateau, 23º04'N 57º38'E, 1850 m a.s.l., 21. VI.2002, 1♂, leg. G. R. Feulner, GLPC.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult males 33–34 mm, adult female 39 mm. Coloration pale yellow, chela fingers, metasoma V and telson light orange, chelicerae yellow without reticulation ( Figs. 252–253 ). Pedipalp chela manus much wider in male than female, chela length/width ratio 4.2–4.7 in males and 6.12 in female; proximal margins of pedipalp fingers of female straight ( Figs. 65 , 204 ), of male undulate so as to leave a gap with fingers closed ( Figs. 63 , 201 ); dentate margin of movable finger armed with 7 rows of granules, and a short apical row of 5 denticles ( Fig. 6 ); most proximal granule row with one external accessory granule. Pectines with 21–22 teeth in both sexes. Hemispermatophore basal lobe a strongly raised carina ( Figs. 25, 33 ). No sexual dimorphism in length and width of metasomal segments ( Figs. 70–71 ); metasoma I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae and short, pointed subaculear tubercle ( Figs. 80–82 , 107–109 ); vesicle smooth, elongate, pyriform, telson length/depth ratio 2.70 in male, 2.89 in female; aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

Figures

Figure 265: Map showing the known distribution of genera Barbaracurus gen. n. and Babycurus in the Arabian Peninsula, Horn of Africa, Kenya and partially in Tanzania. The upper photo inset shows the type locality of Barbaracurus winklerorum sp. n.

Figures 1–23: Pedipalp movable finger, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. (1–10) and Babycurus (11–23) species. Figures 1–4: Barbaracurus gen. n., species with 6 non-imbricated almost linear rows of granules. Figure 1. B. ugartei comb. n., female holotype. Figure 2. B. sofomarensis comb. n., male paratype. Figure 3. B. somalicus comb. n., female from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figure 4. B. subpunctatus comb. n., female from Ethiopia, locality 14EI. Figures 5–10: Barbaracurus gen. n., species with 7 non-imbricated almost linear rows of granules. Figure 5. B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype. Figures 6–7, 10. B. zambonellii comb. n., female (6 and 10) and male (7) from Eritrea, locality 15EH. Figure 8. B. winklerorum sp. n., female paratype. Figure 9. B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 12–14: Babycurus, species with 6 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 12. B. ansorgei, female, Congo, Bukama env., FKCP. Figure 13. B. centrurimorphus, female lectotype. Figure 14. B. pictus, female, Congo, Sampwe env., FKCP. Figures 11, 15–21: Babycurus, species with 7–8 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 15. B. buettneri, female, MCSN. Figure 11, 16. B. dunlopi, male paratype. Figure 17. B. jacksoni, male, Tanzania, FKCP, No. 1189. Figure 18. B. kirki, female, Cote d’Ivoire, Comoe, FKCP. Figure 19. Babycurus melanicus, female holotype. Figure 20. B. taramassoi, female, Somalia, Belet Amin, MCSN. Figure 21. Babycurus wituensis, female lectotype. Figures 22–23: Babycurus, species with 9 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 22. B. gigas, female lectotype. Figure 23. B. multisubaculeatus, female holotype. Numbers in red indicate number of granule rows in series of fingers on the left of each number (red arrows).

Figures 24–39: Hemispermatophore capsules of Barbaracurus gen. n. and Babycurus species, convex and anterior views. In each figure. left image is convex view with capsule compressed to show shape of lobes, right image anterior view to show profile of basal lobe. Figures 24–31. Color images. Figures 24–28: Barbaracurus gen. n. Figure 24. B. winklerorum sp. n., holotype. Figure 25. B. exquisitus comb. n., Oman, Jabal Akhdar hotel, 23º04'N 57º38'E. Figure 26. B. sofomarensis comb. n., paratype from the type locality. Figure 27. B. somalicus comb. n., Somaliland, Borama, locality 17SR. Figure 28. B. zambonellii comb. n., Eritrea, Filfil, locality 15EH. Figures 29–31: Babycurus. Figure 29: B. jacksoni, Tanzania. Figure 30: B. gigas, Tanzania, Usambara Mts. Figure 31: B. buettneri, Cameroon, Mamba vill., 04°07.311'N 10°11.615'E. Scale bars: 200 µm. Small numbered labels indicate specimen numbers (see lists of Material Examined). Figures 32–39. Gray scale images with basal lobes outlined in red. Figures 32–36: Barbaracurus gen. n.: B. winklerorum sp. n. (32), B. exquisitus comb. n. (33), B. sofomarensis comb. n. (34), B. somalicus comb. n. (35) and B. zambonellii comb. n. (36). Figures 37–39: Babycurus: B. jacksoni (37), B. gigas (38) and B. buettneri (39). Solid red curves indicate either the distal margin of a scoop-like basal lobe (32, 34) or a well developed carina (35–37, 39). Dashed red curves indicate either the line of attachment of a scoop-like basal lobe (32, 34) or a weakly developed carina (35–36, 38).

Figures 50–69: Pedipalp chela dorsal and external views, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. species. Figures 50–53: B. sofomarensis comb. n., male (50–51) and female (52–53) paratypes. Figures 54–57: B. somalicus comb. n., male (54–55) and female (56–57) from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figures 58–61: B. zambonellii comb. n., male (58–59) and female (60–61) from Eritrea, locality 15EH. Figures 62–65: B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype (62–63) and female (64–65) paratype. Figures 66– 69: B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype (66–67) and female (68–69) paratype.

Figures 70–80: Metasoma and telson ventral views, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. species. Figures 70–71: B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype (70) and female (71) paratype. Figures 72–73: B. sofomarensis comb. n., male (72) and female (73) paratypes. Figures 74–74: B. somalicus comb. n., male (74) and female (75) from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figures 76–77: B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype (76) and female (77) paratype. Figures 78: B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 79–80. B. zambonellii comb. n., male (79) and female (80) from Eritrea, locality 15EH.

Figures 81–89: Telson, lateral views of both sexes, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. species. Figures 81–82: B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype (81) and female (82) paratype. Figures 83–84: B. somalicus comb. n., male (83) and female (84) from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figures 85–86: B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype (85) and female (86) paratype. Figures 87: B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 88–89. B. zambonellii comb. n., male (88) and female (89) from Eritrea, locality 15EH.

Figures 90–94: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Figures 90–91. Holotype male, dorsal (90) and ventral (91) views. Figures 92–93. Paratype female, dorsal (92) and ventral (93) views. Figure 94. Right hemispermatophore, convex aspect, Oman, Jabal Akhdar hotel. Scale bars: 10 mm (90–93), 1 mm (94).

Figures 95–106: Barbaracurus gen. n. Figures 95–98: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Figures 95, 97. Holotype male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (95) and sternopectinal region (97). Figures 96, 98. Paratype female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (96) and sternopectinal region (98). Figures 99–106: Distal segments of right legs, retrolateral views. Figures 99–100. B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype, legs III (99) and IV (100). Figures 101–102. B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype, legs III (101) and IV (102). Figures 103–106. B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype, legs I–IV.

Figures 107–112: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Figures 107–110. Metasoma V and telson. Dorsal (107). lateral (108) amd ventral (109) views. UV fluorescence. Paratype male, Oman, Jabal Akhdar. Scale bar: 1 mm. Figures 110–111. In vivo habitus, holotype male (110) and topoparatype female (111). Figure 112. Habitat, Oman, Jabal Shams, Jabal Akhdar.

Figures 182–205: Comparative morphology of adults of Barbaracurus winklerorum sp. n. (male holotype 182–190 and female paratype 191–193) and B. exquisitus comb. n. (male holotype 194–202 and female paratype 203–205), under UV fluorescence. Figures 182, 194. Carapace and tergites I–II. Figures 183–184, 195–196. Metasoma and telson lateral. Figures 185, 197. Pedipalp femur dorsal. Figures 186, 198. Pedipalp patella dorsal. Figures 187, 199. Pedipalp patella external. Figures 188, 191, 200, 203. Pedipalp chela dorsal. Figures 189, 192, 201, 204. Pedipalp chela external. Figures 190, 193, 202, 205. Pedipalp chela ventral.

Figures 252–254: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Right chelicera of male, dorsal (252), dorsointernal (253) and ventral (254) views. Paratype male, Jabal Shams, Oman, 14.X.1993. Scale bar: 500 µm.