Hottentotta niloticus ( Birula, 1928 )

Kovařík, František, Yağmur, Ersen Aydin & Fet, Victor, 2019, Review of Hottentotta described by A. A. Birula, with descriptions of two new species and comments on Birula’s collection (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 282, pp. 1-30 : 6-10

Hottentotta niloticus ( Birula, 1928)

( Figs. 23–49, Table 1)

Buthus (Hottentotta) minax niloticus Birula, 1928: 82 .

Hottentotta (Hottentotta) minax niloticus: Kovařík, 1998: 110 ; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 142.

Hottentotta niloticus: Kovařík, 2003: 140 ; Kovařík, 2007: 48 ; Kovařík & Ojanguren, 2013: 170, figs. 1093–1094.

TYPELOCALITYANDTYPEREPOSITORY. Sudan: Kordofan,Kaducli (now South Kordofan, Kaduqli); ZISP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sudan: Kordofan, Kaducli (now South Kordofan, Kaduqli ), 28-29.III.1914, 1♂ (lectotype hereby designated, Figs. 23–24, 30–32, 35–44, 46, 48–49) 1♀ (paralectotype, Figs. 25–29, 33–34, 45, 47), leg. F. Werner, ZISP No. 564 .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 45–70 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est, may be on level with est. Manus of pedipalp usually of same width in both sexes, but males have fingers twisted whereas females have them straight. Pectinal teeth number 19–28. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation, only tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute. Metasoma bears only a few setae. Color usually uniformly yellowish brown, only ventral carinae of metasoma black; mesosoma and carapace may be black in some specimens. Femur of pedipalps with 5 carinae that may be incomplete. Patella with 8 carinae, of which some are smooth, without granules and obsolete. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 12–13 rows of granules and 5 terminal granules. Seventh sternite with 4 well marked carinae. First to third metasomal segments with 10 carinae; fourth with 8 or 10 carinae; fifth segment with 5 carinae. Lateral carinae may not be discernible in some males. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear larger terminal granules. Metasoma strongly granulated, accessoric rows of granules present on dorsal surfaces of segments as well as on ventral surface of fifth segment. First metasomal segment of adults always wider than long; second metasomal segment usually also wider than long but may be longer than wide. Second to fourth metasomal segment width ratio less than 1.2.

COMMENTS. Kovařík in Kovařík & Ojanguren (2013: 168) assumed that H. niloticus could be a valid species different from H. minax and that studying the types can solve the problem. Studying the types of H. minax (male lectotype from Egypt) and types of H. niloticus (lectotype and paralectotypes from Sudan) show agreement in the following key characters: trichobothrial pattern, pedipalp finger dentation, pectinal tooth count and lamellar structure, proportions, setation, carination and sculpture of pedipalps, carapace, tergites, sternites, and metasoma, shape of the telson, as well as armature of chelicerae and pedipalp fingers. The logical conclusion is that Buthus (Hottentotta) minax niloticus Birula, 1928 is a junior synonym of Buthus minax L. Koch, 1875 , syn. n.