Scorpiops zubairi, Kovařík, 2020

Kovařík, František, 2020, Nine new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, Euscorpius 302, pp. 1-43 : 36-40

Scorpiops zubairi sp. n.

( Figures 205–240 , Table 3) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:26E6A285-

856D-4234-92E7-D45765941FBE

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Pakistan, Azad Kashmir , Bagh (35.09°N 71.04°E) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL ( FKCP). Pakistan, Azad Kashmir, Bagh (35.09°N 71.04°E), 1♂ (holotype) 2♀ ims. (paratypes), 12 June 2008, leg. Zubair Ahmed; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Swat District, Ilam (34.62°N 72.31°E), 1♀ ( Table 3)1im. (paratypes), 5 September 2010, leg. Zubair Ahmed; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (formerly North-West Frontier Province), Upper Dir District (35.31°N 71.39°E), 2♀ ims. (paratypes), 13 May 2010, leg. Zubair Ahmed.

ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet is a patronym honoring Zubair Ahmed, the collector of the types of the new species.

DIAGNOSIS (♂ ♀). Total length 37 mm (male) to 40 mm (female). Base color uniformly reddish black to black, telson and tarsomere II of legs reddish black. Pectinal teeth number 6–7 in male, 5 in females, fulcra absent. Marginal lamella I (basal) present or indicated, the remainder of the pectinal surface forming one compact unit. Patella of pedipalp with 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) external and 6–7 ventral trichobothria. Chela of pedipalp with 4 ventral trichobothria located on the ventral surface. Chelal trichobothrium Eb 3 is located in proximal half of external surface between trichobothria Dt and Db. Fingers of pedipalps flexed in male and undulate in female. Chela length to width ratio 2.1–2.2 in both sexes. Pedipalp movable finger with 7–8 larger and 15–18 smaller IAD among them, which form a second row, parallel with MD (ca 45 in number); there are also 4 ID and 8–9 OD present. Tarsomere II of legs with 5–7 stout median ventral spines in a row and two other parallel spines. Metasoma I with 10, and metasoma II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson bulbous and granulate, length to depth ratio 2.12 in male and 2.26 in female; annular ring developed in both sexes.

DESCRIPTION (♂ ♀). Total length 37 mm (male) to 40 mm (female). The habitus is shown in Figs. 205–208 . For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps, see Figs. 219– 224 . Sexual dimorphism minor: adult males have relatively larger pectens and fingers of pedipalps are flexed in male and undulate in female ( Figs. 212 and 220 ).

Coloration ( Figs. 205–208 ). The base color is uniformly reddish black to black, telson and tarsomere II of legs reddish black. Chelicerae are reddish brown.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 205–208 , 225–227 ). The entire carapace is covered with large and minute granules; carinae are absent. The anterior margin of the carapace is markedly depressed, convex in the middle. The carapace bears three lateral eyes. The mesosoma is granulated, with one median carina. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. The sternites are smooth to finely granulated with two parallel furrows except sternite VII, which bears four sparsely granulate carina. Pectinal teeth number 6–7 in male and 5 in females, fulcra are absent. The marginal lamella I (basal) is present or indicated, the remainder of the pectinal surface forming one compact unit.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 232–239 ). The metasoma is sparsely hirsute and granulated, with sparse, relatively large granules. Metasomal segment I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. The median lateral carinae of metasoma V are indicated by isolated granules that may coalesce into carinae. The dorsolateral carinae of segments III and IV posteriorly are not terminated in a pronounced tooth. The telson is bulbous and granulate, with annular ring developed in both sexes, more in male.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 209–224 ). The pedipalps are very sparsely hirsute. The patella bears 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) external and 6–7 ventral trichobothria. The chela bears 4 ventral trichobothria located on ventral surface. The femur and patella are granulated. The femur has 5 granulose carinae, and the patella has 5 carinae with reduced dorsal and ventral patellar spurs. The manus bears rounded reticulate granules of different sizes. The external surface of the chela bears a complete median carina and other parallel carinae in anterior part. The movable fingers with 7–8 larger and 15–18 smaller IAD among them, which form a second row, parallel to MD (ca 45 in number). There are also 4 ID and 8–9 OD present.

Legs ( Figs. 228–231 ). The tibia and tarsomeres of legs with several setae not arranged into bristlecombs on dorsal surfaces but with rows of spines on dorsolateral and ventrolateral surface. Tarsomere II of legs I–IV with 5–7 stout median ventral spines in a row and two other parallel spines. The femur bears 3–4 and patella, 4–5 carinae; both femur and patella are granulated.

Measurements. See Table 3.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish S. zubairi sp. n. from all other species of the genus. The new species is similar to Scorpiops hardwickii . It is possible to differentiate these two species according to the shape of chela, because the chela length/width ratio is 2.1–2.2 in S. zubairi sp. n. and 2.5 in the male holotype of S. hardwickii . The granules on the manus are reticulated and connected in S. zubairi sp. n. versus separated in S. hardwickii . The telson is more bulbous in the male of S. hardwickii with length to depth ratio 2.4 versus 2.12 in the male of S. zubairi sp. n. S. zubairi sp. n. is known from Pakistan ( Fig. 240 ) while the type locality of S. hardwickii is “Himalaya ( Nepal)” ( Gervais, 1844: 66). Also studied were specimens of S. hardwickii from India, Uttarakhand (formerly Uttaranchal) State, ca 30 and 55 km from Bageshwar (29.84°N 79.73°E) relatively near to the India / Nepal border. It is assumed that S. hardwickii occurs only in the area around India / Nepal border and that specimens cited from other localities are misidentifed and need to be revised.

DISTRIBUTION. Pakistan ( Fig. 240 ).

Figures

Figure 240. Map of distribution of nine new species described here and Scorpiops vonwicki Birula, 1913.

Figures 205–210: Scorpiops zubairi sp. n. Figures 205–206. Male holotype in dorsal (205) and ventral (206) views. Figures 207–210. Female paratype in dorsal (207) and ventral (208) views, and movable finger dentition under white light (209) and UV fluorescence (210). Scale bar: 10 mm (205–208).

Figures 211–231: Scorpiops zubairi sp. n., male holotype (211–218, 226) and female paratype (219–225, 227–231). Figures 211–224. Pedipalp segments. Chela dorsal (211, 219), external (212, 220) and ventral (213, 221) views. Patella dorsal (214, 222), external (215, 223) and ventral (216, 224) views. Femur and trochanter ventral (217) and dorsal (218) views. Trichobothrial pattern is indicated by white circles (219–224). Figure 225. Anterior part of carapace. Figures 226–227. Coxosternal areas. Figures 228–231. Left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect.

Figures 232–239: Scorpiops zubairi sp. n., metasoma and telson. Figures 233–236. Female paratype, telson lateral (233), metasoma and telson lateral (234), ventral (235), and dorsal (236) views. Figures 232, 237–239. Male holotype, telson lateral (232), metasoma and telson lateral (237), ventral (238), and dorsal (239) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (234–236, 237–239).