Mesobuthus farleyi, Kovařík & Fet & Gantenbein & Graham & Aydin & Yağmur & Šťáhlavský & Nikita & Poverennyi & Novruzov, 2022

Kovařík, František, Fet, Victor, Gantenbein, Benjamin, Graham, Matthew R., Aydin, Ersen, Yağmur, Šťáhlavský, František, Nikita, Poverennyi & Novruzov, Nizami E., 2022, A revision of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon 1950 with a description of 14 new species (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 348, pp. 1-189 : 41-46

Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n.

( Figures 244–285 , 1155, 1157, Table 3) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 77238E6D-

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TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Iran, Mazandaran Province, Alborz Mts., N slopes, Vali Abad Village env., 36°14'N 51°18'E (36.23°N 51.30°E), 1800–2500 m a. s. l. , NMPC.

REFERENCES:

Mesobuthus eupeus philippovitschi: Mirshamsi et al., 2010: 2867 (in part); Mirshamsi et al., 2011a: 8 (in part).

Mesobuthus eupeus: Mirshamsi et al., 2011b: 20 (in part).

Mesobuthus eupeus eupeus: Navidpour et al., 2019: 4–5 , fig. 55 (in part; Alborz and Tehran Provinces).

TYPE MATERIAL ( NMPC). Iran, Alborz Province, Karaj– Baraghan road, 35°54’36.7"N 50°58’22"E (35.90°N 50.97°E), 770 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Al-101), June 2013, 4♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour ; Ateshgah- Baraghan road, 336 m a. s. l., 35°55’52.9"N 50°57’30.6"E (35.92°N 50.95°E) (Locality No. Al-113), June 2013, 1♂ (paratype), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour, NMPC ; Taleghan–Ebrahim Abad , 36°07’21.8"N 50°40’04"E (36.12°N 50.67°E), 2249 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Al-117), June 2013, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour ; Taleghan to Gerdab , 36°09’37.1"N 51°08’35.7"E (36.15°N 51.13°E), 2560 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Al-121), June 2013, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour ; Mazandaran Province, Damavand Polur , 1♀ juv. (paratype), 7 April 1995, leg. M. Kafka, NMPC ; Chalus-Karaj, Marzan Abad (36.45°N 51.28°E), 1 June 1997, 3♀ (paratypes), leg. M. Kafka, NMPC ; 5 km E of Razan , 36°10'N 52°14'E (36.17°N 52.23°E), 14 May 1997, 1000 (1124) m a. s. l., 1♂ (paratype), leg. M. Kaftan ; Reyneh , 35°50'N 52°02'E (35.83°N 52.03°E), 2250 m a. s. l., 15 May 1997, 2♂ ims. 2♀ (paratypes), leg. M. Kaftan ; Alborz Mts. N slopes, Vali Abad Village env., 36°14'N 51°18'E (36.23°N 51.30°E), 1800–2500 m a. s. l., 8–10 May 1996, 3♂ 6♀ 5juvs. (holotype and paratypes, Figs. 244–285 ), leg. D. Král, 4♀ 1juv. (paratypes), leg. V . Šejna ; Semnan Province, 35º26’25.9"N 53º02’48.1"E (35.43°N 53.03°E), 2015, (SE- 91611), 1♂ 3♀ (paratypes), leg. S. Navidpour et al .; Tehran Province, south of Varamin, Hassan Abad road, 35°17’17"N 51°25’18"E (35.28°N 51.42°E), 886 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Teh-119), May 2012, 2♂ 2♀ (paratypes), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour, NMPC ; Tehran-Jajrood road, 35°43’55"N 51°41’17"E (35.72°N 51.68°E), 1591 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Teh-123), May 2012, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour, NMPC .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. Iran, Mazandaran Province, Simili , 12 October 1998, 1♂, leg. M. Kaftan , FKCP; Tehran Province, Firooz Kooh–Sharabad road, 35°47’42"N 52°43’19"E (35.78°N 52.72°E), 2134 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Teh-112), May 2012, 2♂ 1♀, leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour , NMPC; Firooz Kooh–Arjand road, 35°45'07"N 52°39'21"E (35.75°N 52.65°E), 1929 m a. s. l. (Locality No. Teh-110), May 2012, 2♂, leg. Rabiei, Barzegar and Fallahpour , NMPC.

DNA DATA. Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n., in our opinion, was represented among the populations studied by Mirshamsi et al. (2010) in their survey of Iranian Mesobuthus (five DNA sequences from the Mazandaran Province, Kordichal, 36.51ºN, 51.21ºE) ( Table 16).

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is named in honor of our esteemed colleague Roger D. Farley (Riverside, California, USA) for his great contributions to scorpion biology over many decades, including his mentoring of PhD studies of both Gary Polis and Philip Brownell.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adults 35 mm (male) to 50 mm (female). Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est or in level with est. Male with fingers proximally slightly more twisted than female. Pedipalp chela length/width ratio 3.2–3.6 in both sexes. Pectinal teeth number 22–26 in male, 18–21 in female. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation. Pedipalps and metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Carapace and tergites yellowish brown, strongly black pigmented; metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs yellowish brown, only part of metasomal segment V black. Femur of pedipalp with 4–5 granulated carinae. Patella with 8 usually smooth carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 11–12 cutting rows of denticles and 5 terminal denticles. Central lateral and posterior lateral carinae of carapace not joined to form a continuous linear series of granules to posterior margin. Sternite VII smooth, with 4 well marked granulated carinae. Metasomal segment I with 10 carinae; segments II to IV with 8 carinae, other two carinae are indicated by incomplete row of granules on metasomal segments II and III; segment V with 5 carinae. Metasoma IV with lateromedian carinae smooth or granulated in female and granulated in male, all other carinae granulated. Intercarinal surfaces on metasoma I laterally smooth or finely granulated in male. Length to depth ratio of metasoma III 1.18–1.47 in male, 1.2–1.3 in female; metasoma IV 1.45–1.70 in both sexes. Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Tarsi hirsute, in adults with 7–9 retroinferior macrosetae on basitarsus III. Telson elongated. Anal lobe divided into three parts.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult males 35–45 mm, females 45–50 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est or in level with est. Male has the fingers proximally slightly more twisted than female. Female has longer and very slightly narrower chela of pedipalps. For measurements, see Table 3.

Coloration ( Figs. 244–247 ). Carapace and tergites are yellowish brown, strongly black pigmented. Metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs are yellowish brown. Metasoma ventral, mainly segment V black pigmented. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation, the tips of denticles on cheliceral fingers are black.

Mesosoma and carapace ( Figs. 278–281 ). Carapace carinate, unevenly covered by granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI with three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. Pectinal tooth count is 22–26 in males, 18–21 in females. Pectinal marginal tips extend to about end of sternite IV in males and half of sternite IV in females. Pectines have three marginal lamellae and sixth to eight middle lamellae. Lamellae with numerous long setae, each fulcrum with three to five dark setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. Sternite VII with four well marked, usually granulated carinae. Other sternites have two furrows.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 256–277 ). Pedipalps sparsely hirsute and smooth, only femur is sparsely granulated. Femur has four to five granulated carinae, the middle carina on internal surface consists of strong irregular granules. Patella with eight carinae, of which internal are always and dorsal are usually granulated. Chela without carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps have 11– 12 cutting rows of denticles, each with external and internal denticles present, and five terminal denticles.

Legs ( Figs. 282–285 ). Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Tarsi hirsute, in adults with 7–9 retroinferior macrosetae on basitarsus III. Femur with only several macrosetae. Femur and patella with carinae well developed. Tibial spurs present and moderate on legs III and IV and absent on the other legs.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 248–252 ). All metasomal segments only very sparsely hirsute. Metasomal segment I with 10 carinae, II–III with 8 carinae but other two lateromedian carinae are indicated by incomplete row of granules, IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. Metasoma IV with lateromedian carinae smooth or granulated in female and granulated in male, all other carinae granulated. All other carinae with consistent granules. Intercarinal surfaces on metasoma laterally smooth or finely granulated in male. Ventrolateral carinae of metasoma V posteriorly with several large lobate denticles. Telson is only sparsely hirsute, elongate, bumpy and smooth. Anal lobe divided into three parts.

COMMENTS. Species M. farleyi sp. n., M. eupeus , M. iranus , and M. persicus are morphologically very similar, cryptic taxa and their validity is corfirmed mainly by DNA analysis. Characters used in the key below could show intraspecific variability.

DISTRIBUTION. Iran (Alborz, Mazandaran, Semnan, and Tehran Provinces) (Figs. 1155, 1157).

Figures

Figures 244–247: Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n. Figures 244–245. Male holotype, dorsal (244) and ventral (245) views. Figures 246–247. Female paratopotype, dorsal (246) and ventral (247) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 248–255: Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n. Figures 248, 250–252. Male holotype, telson lateral (248), metasoma and telson, lateral (250), dorsal (251), and ventral (252) views. Figures 249, 253–255. Female paratopotype, telson lateral (249), metasoma and telson, lateral (253), dorsal (254), and ventral (255) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (250–252, 253–255).

Figures 256–277: Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n., pedipalp. Figures 256–266. Male holotype, chela, dorsal (256), external (257), and ventral (258) views. Patella, dorsal (259), external (260) and ventral (261) views. Femur and trochanter, internal (262), dorsal (263), and ventral (264) views. Movable (265) and fixed (266) fingers. Figures 267–277. Female paratopotype, chela, dorsal (267), external (268), and ventral (269) views. Patella, dorsal (270), external (271) and ventral (272) views. Femur and trochanter, internal (273), dorsal (274), and ventral (275) views. Movable (276) and fixed (277) fingers. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 256–260, 262–263.

Figures 278–285: Mesobuthus farleyi sp. n. Figures 278, 281–285. Male holotype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–IV (278), sternopectinal region and sternites (281), and left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (282–285). Figures 279–280. Female paratopotype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–IV (279), sternopectinal region and sternites (280).t