Hottentotta buchariensis (Birula, 1897), 2007

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 : 12-14

Hottentotta buchariensis (Birula, 1897) comb. n.

( Figs. 5 , 23–25 )

Buthus alticola buchariensis Birula, 1897: 378 ; Kraepelin, 1899: 21; Birula, 1904: 30.

Buthus alticola forma gamma ( buchariensis ): Birula, 1897: 382.

Buthus (Hottentotta) alticola buchariensis : Birula, 1914: 654; Birula, 1917: 240.

Hottentotta alticola buchariensis : Fet, 1989: 82.

Buthotus alticola buchariensis : Vachon, 1958: 134.

Buthotus buchariensis : Vachon, 1949: 147 (1952: 233); Vachon & Stockmann, 1968: 91; Pérez Minocci, 1974: 21.

Hottentotta (Hottentotta) alticola buchariensis : Kovařík, 1998: 109; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 135.

= Buthotus alticola kabulensis Vachon, 1958: 136 ; Pérez Minocci, 1974: 21; Vachon & Kinzelbach, 1987: 102. Syn. n.

Hottentotta (Hottentotta) alticola kabulensis : Kovařík, 1998: 109; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 135.

Hottentotta alticola : Kovařík, 1993: 201 (in part); Kovařík, 2002: 7.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Regar (now Tursunzoda), Tajikistan ; ZISP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Tajikistan [formerly Buchara], Dushanbe region, Regar (now Tursunzoda), 1887, 1♂ (lectotype hereby designated, Fig. 25 ), leg. Lidski, ZISP No. 210 .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. Afghanistan, Kabul, 1962, 1♂ (im.), FKCP ; prov. Kabul, Poli Charky , 1♂ 1♀, FKCP , 1♂ 1♀ ( Figs. 5 , 23–24 ), MMBC , 25.XI.1966, leg. Šimek; Kabul, 1800 m., collected at night around houses and garages, VII–IX.1977, 4♂ 2♀ 2juvs., collector unknown, CASC ; Kabul, VIII.1987, 1♂, leg. Turtervaldová, FKCP . Pakistan, 1 mi E Saidu Sharif, Swat State , 8.III.1959, 2juvs., leg. S. Minton, CASC .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 65–90 mm. For habitus see Figs. 23–25 and fig. 10 in Vachon (1959: 130). Trichobothrium db on the fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est ( Fig. 1 ). Chelicerae yellow to black, reticulate. Male with longer and narrower metasomal segments, width of pedipalp chela same in both sexes. Pectinal teeth number 29–33 in males, 24–27 in females. Pedipalps and metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Carapace and mesosoma black except seventh tergite that is yellow to brown. Metasoma, legs and pedipalps yellow to yellowish red. Fingers of pedipalps in adults darker than chela. Femur of pedipalp with 5 carinae, patella with 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 granulated carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second and third segments with 8 or 10 carinae; fourth segment with 8 carinae; fifth segment with 5 carinae, 3 ventral (1 median, 2 lateral) and 2 dorsal. Dorsal carinae of metasomal segments bear larger terminal granules. Spaces between carinae of metasomal segments on ventral and lateral surfaces usually smooth, without granules (except ventral surface of fifth metasomal segment). Dorsal surfaces of first through fourth metasomal segments smooth, without granules (see fig. 20 in Vachon, 1958: 137). First and second metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide. Second to fourth metasomal segment width ratio less than 1.2.

COMMENTS. The lectotype is being designated in order to stabilize the nomenclature. It was photographed by Alexander Koval (see Fig. 25 ), and I have compared his photos and remarks with other cited specimens. Unfortunately, I have not been able to see the type of Buthotus alticola kabulensis Vachon, 1958 (type locality and type repository: Afghanistan, Kabul; MNHN) because MNHN would not lend types (see Kovařík, 2004: 27). However, examination of other specimens from the type locality and their comparison with the characters published by Vachon (1959: 136) and Birula (1897: 378) lead me to the conclusion that Buthotus alticola kabulensis Vachon, 1958 is a synonym of H. buchariensis (Birula, 1897) comb. n. The characters of this species are very similar to those of H. penjabensis (Birula, 1897) from Pakistan, in which, however, the metasomal and pedipalp segments of both sexes are markedly longer and narrower.

DISTRIBUTION: Afghanistan (Vachon, 1958: 136), Tajikistan (Birula, 1897: 381), Pakistan (first report).

Figures

Figure 23: Hottentotta buchariensis, dorsal view, male from Afghanistan, prov. Kabul, Poli Charky, FKCP.

Figure 24: Hottentotta buchariensis, dorsal view, female from Afghanistan, prov. Kabul, Poli Charky, FKCP.

Figure 25: Hottentotta buchariensis, ventral view, male lectotype.

Figures 5–8: Carapace and chelicerae. 5. H. buchariensis, female from Afghanistan, prov. Kabul, Poli Charky, FKCP. 6. H. conspersus, male from Angola, Naulila env., FKCP. 7. H. franzwerneri, male lectotype. 8. H. gentili, female from Morocco, Bouizakame, Timoulye, FKCP.

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