Buthacus ehrenbergi, Kovařík, 2005

Kovařík, František, 2005, Taxonomic position of species of the genus Buthacus Birula, 1908 described by Ehrenberg and Lourenço, and description of a new species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 28 (28), pp. 1-13 : 3-5

Buthacus ehrenbergi sp. n.

( Figs. 3 and 4 , Table 1)

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Mauritania, Chinguetti env., (20°26’N, 12°26’W); the author’s collection ( FKCP) .

TYPE MATERIAL. Mauritania, Chinguetti env., (20°26’N, 12°26’W), X.1999, 1♂ (holotype), leg. R. Demis, FKCP . No other material .

ETYMOLOGY: Named after C. G. Ehrenberg (1795– 1876), who described the first species of the genus Buthacus .

DIAGNOSIS: Total length of male holotype 49.3 mm, color uniformy yellow to yellowish green. Movable

Buthacus ehrenbergi

sp. n. male holotype

Total length 49.3

Carapace length 5.6

width 5.4

Metasoma and telson length 31.8

segment I length 4.3

width 3.2

segment II length 5.0

width 3.0

segment III length 5.1

width 2.9

segment IV length 5.6

width 2.4

segment V length 6.4

width 2.4

telson length 5.4

Pedipalp femur length 4.6

width 1.3

patella length 5.7

width 2.0

chela length 8.2

width 2.4

finger mov. length 4.7

Pectinal teeth 24:25

fingers of pedipalps bear nine rows of granules that have one internal and one external granule ( Buthacus leptochelys complex) and four distal granules. Male chela wide, base of male fingers very slightly twisted (nearly straight). Tarsomeres of first to third legs with bristlecombs. Tibial spurs moderate on legs IV, extremely reduced on legs III. Seventh mesosomal segment ventrally with four obsolete carinae lacking granules. Pectines long, with 24 and 25 teeth. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae, second to fourth segments with eight carinae (on lateral surface of second segment rows of granules cover less than anterior half and do not form discrete carinae). Much of metasoma between carinae smooth, granules present only on ventral and lateral surfaces of fifth segment. Metasoma and telson sparsely hirsute.

DESCRIPTION: The holotype and only known specimen is an adult male 49.3 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. For habitus see Figs. 3 and 4 . Most likely the male has a much wider manus of pedipalp ( Fig. 3 ). The female is not known, nevertheless the obvious male characters and knowledge of sexual dimorphism within the genus justify this assumption. The base color is yellow to yellowish green.

CARAPACE AND MESOSOMA: The carapace bears dense granules of variable size and shape, which do not form carinae. Tergites I–VI are granulated and bear three carinae, each with two to four denticles in the posterior part. Tergite VII is pentacarinate, with lateral pairs strong, serratocrenulate and the median carina moderate, crenulate and present only in the anterior half. The pectines are long, with 24 and 25 teeth. The seventh mesosomal segment bears four obsolete ventral carinae without granules. The other sternites are smooth, with two to four poorly discernible obsolete carinae.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The first metasomal segment bears 10 carinae and the second to fourth segments bear eight carinae (on the lateral surface of the second segment rows of granules cover less than the anterior half and do not form discrete carinae). Dorsal carinae on the fourth segment are smooth and inconspicuous. The fifth segment lacks dorsal carinae but bears a ventromedian carina and two conspicuous ventrolateral carinae composed of unevenly sized granules. Much of the metasoma between carinae is smooth, granules are present only on the ventral and lateral surfaces of the fifth segment. The metasoma and telson are sparsely hirsute.

LEGS: Tarsomeres of the first to third legs have very dense bristlecombs. The fourth legs are only sparsely hirsute. Tibial spurs are moderate on legs IV and extremely reduced on legs III.

PEDIPALPS: The movable fingers bear nine rows of granules that have one internal and one external granule ( Buthacus leptochelys complex) and four distal granules. The pedipalp is smooth, with a few granules present only on the dorsal surface of the femur. Carinae are granulose on the femur, obsolete on the patella and absent on the chela. The chela is wide and the base of the fingers is very slightly twisted (nearly straight).

AFFINITIES: Buthacus ehrenbergi sp. n. is distinguished from all other species of the genus in the key below. Two other species, B. huberi and B. occidentalis , have been recorded from Mauritania. According to the original description, in B. huberi Lourenço, 2001 tibial spurs are reduced on legs III as well as on legs IV ( B. ehrenbergi has them extremely reduced on legs III and moderate on legs IV) and the pectines bear 27 and 28 teeth ( B. ehrenbergi has 23 and 24 pectinal teeth). B. occidentalis Vachon, 1953 has the same number of pectinal teeth as B. ehrenbergi , but its tibial spurs of legs III and IV are moderate to strong ( B. ehrenbergi has the tibial spurs of legs III extremely reduced).

Figures

Figure 3: Buthacus ehrenbergi sp. n., male holotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 4: Buthacus ehrenbergi sp. n., male holotype, ventral aspect.