Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880)

Kovařík, František, 2007, A revision of the genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908, with descriptions of four new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Euscorpius 58 (58), pp. 1-107 : 61-66

Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880)

( Figs. 17 , 95–99 )

Buthus saulcyi Simon, 1880a: 378 ; Simon, 1880b: 29; Kraepelin, 1899: 18; Kraepelin, 1901: 267; Weidner, 1959: 99.

Buthus (Hottentotta) saulcyi : Birula, 1905: 136; Birula, 1917: 214; Birula, 1918: 30; Vachon, 1940b: 255.

Buthotus saulcyi : Vachon, 1949: 147 (1952: 233); Vachon, 1958: 134; Pringle, 1960: 79; Khalaf, 1962: 2; Khalaf, 1963: 64; Vachon, 1966: 210; Vachon & Stockmann, 1968: 91; Habibi, 1971: 43; Pérez Minocci, 1974: 21; Farzanpay, 1988: 37; El-Hennawy, 1992: 118; Kovařík, 1992: 90; Kovařík, 1992: 183; Dupré, Lambert & Gérard, 1998: 70.

Hottentotta saulcyi : Kovařík, 1997a: 40; Crucitti & Vignoli, 2002: 446; Vignoli, Kovařík & Crucitti, 2003: 4; Karatas, 2003: 315.

Hottentotta (Hottentotta) saulcyi : Kovařík, 1998: 110; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 143.

Buthus hottentotta : Kraepelin, 1891: 185 (in part).

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Iraq, Mosul ; MNHN, ZMUH.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Afghanistan, Djebel us Saraj , 1♂, det.1990, FKCP . Iraq, Bagdad, 1♂, leg. V. Kálalová, NMPC . Iran, 115 km östlich von Bandar Abbas , 3.IV.1972, 1juv., leg. K. Bilek, det. R. Farzanpay, NHMW No. 4707; prov. Fars, Shiraz , 1842, leg. Th. Kotschy, 1♂ ( Fig. 99 ), NHMW , No. 1842 I.33; 1♀, exp. Nat. Mus. Prague, 1977, NMPC ; prov. Hamadán, ca 2000 m, 35 km SE of Hamadán, Gonbad vill. env., 1♀ 2juvs., 7.-8.V.1996, leg. M. Kaftan, FKCP ; prov. Hamadán, Alandže , 1700 m, 34°44'54"N 47°57'52"E, 2♀, 5.-6.X.1998, leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP ; prov. Bachtarán, Bisotul , 1300–1600 m, 34°23'31"N 47°26'05"E, 1♂ 3♀ 1juv., 6.-8.X.1998, leg. P. Kabátek, 1♀ ( Figs. 17 and 98 ), leg. M. Kaftan, FKCP ; prov. Bachtarán, Hasrouabad , 1300 m, 34°10'09"N 46°21'56"E, 2♂ ( Figs. 95–96 ) 1♀ 1im., 17.-18.X.1998, leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP ; prov. Lorestán, Dorůd , 80 km E Horramabad, 33°27'N 49°01'E, 10.VI.1999, 1♂, leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP ; prov. Ilám, 1786 m., 30 km NW Ilám , 33°43'N 46°41'E, 7.VII.2004, 1♀ ( Fig. 97 ), leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 75–120 mm, males usually smaller than females. For habitus see Figs. 95–99 . Trichobothrium db on the fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est ( Fig. 1 ). Male with slightly longer and narrower metasomal segments, width of pedipalp chela same in both sexes. Pectinal teeth number 28–36 in males, 24–29 in females. Nearly entire body hirsute, pedipalps, dorsal surface of mesosoma, legs, lateral and ventral surfaces of metasomal segments, and vesicle densely hirsute. The hairs on patella of pedipalps are long. Chelicerae black, reticulate. Color yellow to yellowish green or brown, except black anterior part of carapace, telson and fifth metasomal segment. Ventral carinae on third and fourth metasomal segments may be also black. Femur of pedipalp with 5 carinae. Patella with 4–8 carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 14–16 rows of granules and 5 or 6 terminal granules. Seventh metasomal segment with 4 well marked ventral carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second and third segments with 8 or 10 carinae; fourth segment with 6–10 carinae; fifth segment with 5 carinae, 3 ventral (1 median, 2 lateral) and 2 dorsal. Carinae of metasomal segments often smooth. All metasomal segments smooth, without granules between carinae. First and second metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide. Second to fourth metasomal segment width ratio less than 1.2.

COMMENTS. This species has movable fingers of pedipalps with 5 or 6 terminal granules. One examined male from Iran has only 4 terminal granules on the right movable finger and 5 on the left movable finger. I have not found 4 terminal granules in any other specimen of Hottentotta and consider the missing granule to be an aberration without any taxonomic value.

Pectinal teeth number 28 in one male from Iraq , 30 and 32 in a male from Afghanistan, and 32–34 in males from Iran.

The oldest examined specimen is an NHMW male from Iran (Shiraz), which has been in alcohol since 1842 and as a result lacks all dark spots ( Fig. 99 ). Also its chelicerae are now yellow, without reticulation, and the dense pubescence characteristic of this species has been lost. These consequences of long preservation in alcohol must be taken into account in study of older specimens.

DISTRIBUTION: Afghanistan ( Kovařík, 1997a: 40), Iraq (Simon, 1880a: 379), Iran (Vachon, 1966: 210), and Turkey (Crucitti & Vignoli, 2002: 446). Record for Syria (Kinzelbach, 1985; El-Hennawy, 1992: 118) must be considered dubious.

Figures

Figure 95: Hottentotta saulcyi, dorsal view, male from Iran, prov. Bachtarán, Hasrouabad, 34°10'09"N 46°21'56"E, FKCP.

Figure 96: Hottentotta saulcyi, ventral view, male from Iran, prov. Bachtarán, Hasrouabad, 34°10'09"N 46°21'56"E, FKCP.

Figure 97: Hottentotta saulcyi, dorsal view, female from Iran, prov. Ilám, 30 km NW Ilám, 33°43'N 46°41'E, FKCP.

Figure 98: Hottentotta saulcyi, sternocoxal area and pectines, female from Iran, prov. Bachtarán, Bisotul, 34°23'31"N 47°26'05"E, FKCP.

Figure 99: Hottentotta saulcyi, dorsal view, male from Iran, prov. Fars, Shiraz, NHMW No. 1842 I.33.

Figures 17–20: Carapace and chelicerae. 17. H. saulcyi, female from Iran, prov. Bachtarán, Bisotul, 34°23'31"N 47°26'05"E, FKCP. 18. H. schach, female from Iran, prov. Fars, 10 km E of Sivand vill., FKCP. 19. H. tamulus, female from India, Maharashtra, Bombay, FKCP. 20. H. trilineatus, male from Tanzania, Arusha distr., Naberera env., FKCP.

Figures 1–4: 1–3. H. zagrosensis, holotype. 1. chela external, 2. femur dorsal, 3. movable finger. 4. H. socotrensis, chela external.