Hottentotta niloticus (Birula, 1928)

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 : 48-50

Hottentotta niloticus (Birula, 1928)

( Figs. 14 , 75–76 )

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

Buthotus minax niloticus : Vachon & Stockmann, 1968: 124; Probst, 1973: 329; Lamoral & Reynders, 197 5: 502; El-Hennawy, 1992: 117.

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

Hottentotta niloticus : Kovařík, 2003: 140.

Buthotus minax : Kovařík, 1992: 183.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Sudan, Nile River valley , Kordofan and Sennaar regions ; ZISP.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sudan, south, 1♂, FKCP ; Wad Medani , 2♂, 8.VIII.1982, leg. J. Kotásek, FKCP , 1♂ 2♀, NMPC ; Khartoum, Sunt Forest , 1♂ ( Figs. 14 , 75–76 ), 29.IX.1967, leg. P. Štys, FKCP ; Khartoum, 1♀, 10.VIII.1973, leg. V. Seichert, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 45–70 mm. For habitus see Figs. 75–76 . Trichobothrium db on the fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est, may be level with est. Male manus of pedipalp broader and fingers of pedipalps twisted (straight in female). Pectinal teeth number 22–27. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation, only tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute. Metasoma bears only a few hairs. 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 or 13 rows of granules and 5 terminal granules. Seventh metasomal segment with 4 well marked ventral carinae. First to third metasomal segments with 10 carinae; fourth segment 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 of both sexes usually also wider than long. Second to fourth metasomal segment width ratio less than 1.2.

COMMENTS. H. niloticus is very closely related to H. minax , from which it differs only in being more sexually dimorphic – the male manus of pedipalp in adult H. niloticus is markedly broader than that of the female. In the examined specimens of H. minax the width of the manus is the same in both sexes.

DISTRIBUTION. Sudan (Birula, 1928: 82).

Figures

Figure 75: Hottentotta niloticus, dorsal view, male from Sudan, Khartoum, Sunt Forest, FKCP.

Figure 76: Hottentotta niloticus, ventral view, male from Sudan, Khartoum, Sunt Forest, FKCP.

Figures 13–16: Carapace and chelicerae. 13. H. judaicus, female from Jordan, Zoubia, FKCP. 14. H. niloticus, male from Sudan, Khartoum, Sunt Forest, FKCP. 15. H. pachyurus, female from India, Tamil Nadu, Deccan, FKCP. 16. H. polystictus, female from Kenya, North Horr, FKCP.