Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg, 1829)

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 : 2-3

Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg, 1829)

( Figs. 2 , 5 and 7 )

= Androctonus (Leiurus) thebanus Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828: pl. 1, fig. 4; Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1829: 355; Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1831: 6; Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 324; Braunwalder & Fet, 1998: 32.

Androctonus (Leiurus) macrocentrus Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828: pl. 1, fig. 6; Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1829: 355 (in part); Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1831: 5 (in part); Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 317 (in part); Braunwalder & Fet, 1998: 32 (in part).

Buthus macrocentrus : Karsch, 1879: 9.

Androctonus (Leiurus) leptochelys Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1829: 355 (in part); Ehren-berg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1831: 5 (in part), Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 317 (in part); Braunwalder & Fet, 1998: 33 (in part).

Buthus leptochelys : Kraepelin, 1891: 202 (in part); Pocock, 1895: 299 (in part); Kraepelin, 1901: 266 (in part).

Buthus (Buthacus) leptochelys : Birula, 1908: 139 (in part); Birula, 1910: 155 (in part).

Buthacus leptochelys : Levy et al., 1973: 125 (in part); Levy & Amitai, 1980: 77 (in part); Kovařík, 1998: 105 (in part); Fet & Lowe, 2000: 82 (in part); ICZN, 2000: 7 (in part); Kovařík, 2001: 80; Stathi & Mylonas, 2001: 288; Kovařík, 2002: 5; Lourenco, 2001: 255; Kovařík, 2003: 135; Lourenco, 2003: 877; Lourenço, 2004a: 205; Lourenço, 2004b: 229.

Buthacus leptochelys leptochelys : Levy et al., 1973: 125; Levy & Amitai, 1980: 79; Kinzelbach, 1984: 99; Kovařík, 1997: 49; Kabakibi et al., 1999: 82; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 84.

= Buthacus leptochelys nitzani Levy et al., 1973: 126 ; Vachon, 1979: 38; Levy & Amitai, 1980: 83; Kinzelbach, 1984: 101; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 84.

= Buthacus granosus Borelli, 1929: 297 ; Probst, 1973: 329; Lamoral & Reynders, 1975: 499.

Buthus granosus : Vachon, 1949: 162 (1952: 248).

Buthacus leptochelys granosus : Levy et al., 1973: 125; Vachon, 1979: 38; Levy & Amitai, 1980: 76; El-Hennawy, 1992: 113; Kovařík, 1998: 105; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 84.

Androctonus leptochelys : ICZN, 2000: 7 (in part).

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Egypt, Sinai Peninsula (labeled as Androctonus leptochelys , Syrien, Ehrenberg, No. 152), 2♀, lectotype and paralectotype No. 1, ZMHB; Thebae, now Luxor, 2♂, lectotype and paralectotype of Androctonus (Leiurus) thebanus Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828, ZMHB No. 154; Sinai (labeled as Androctonus macrocentrus , Sinai, No. 153), 1♀, paralectotype of Androctonus (Leiurus) macrocentrus Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828, ZMHB.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. Algeria, Hassi, oasis Touiel , 1♀, 10.IV.1991, leg. R. Nerger, FKCP . Egypt, oasis Bahariye , VI.2000, 1♀, FKCP . Kuwait, 1♀, 1988, FKCP . Libya, Akakus Mts , Sabha province, 25 ° 20’N, 10 ° 31’E, ca. 831 m a.s.l., 10.IV.2003, 1♀ (im.), leg. M. Kaftan, FKCP . Morocco, M. Hamid , 1♀, 7.V.1991, leg. K. Karpf, FKCP ; Merzouga , 25.VI.1993, 1♀, leg. Rejsek, FKCP ; south of Erfourd , V.2003, 1♀, leg. A. Funk, FKCP ; Ar Rachidia prov., Merzouga – Erg Chebbi , 31°08.53’N, 04°01.18’W, 30–31.I. 2005, ( WGS84 ), 1♂ 3juvs., leg. R. & H. Fouquè & S. Bečvář, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS: Total adult length 45–75 mm, color uniformly yellow to yellowish green. Movable fingers of pedipalps bear 9 or 10 rows of granules with one internal and one external granule and 4 distal granules ( Fig. 2 ). Tarsomeres of first to third legs with bristlecombs. Tibial spurs moderate to strong on legs III and strong on legs IV. Pedipalp smooth, several granules present only on dorsal surface of femur. Femur with granulate carinae, patella with obsolete carinae and chela without carinae (obsolete carinae may be indicated in male). Female chela as wide as patella, male chela wider than patella. Base of male fingers slightly twisted. Seventh mesosomal segment ventrally with four obsolete carinae lacking granules. Pectines long, with 23–29 teeth in females and 26–35 in males. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae, second to fourth segments with eight carinae (on lateral surface of second segment rows of granules cover only anterior half and do not form discrete carinae; dorsal carinae of fourth segment may be smooth or altogether absent). Fifth metasomal segment usually devoid of dorsal carinae, with ventromedian carina and two conspicuous ventrolateral carinae composed of unevenly sized granules. Surface between carinae smooth, only venter of fifth segment granulate. Metasoma and telson sparsely hirsute.

COMMENTS. Lectotypes of Androctonus (Leiurus) leptochelys and A. (L.) thebanus are hereby designated in order to stabilize the nomenclature.

The type series of A. (L.) leptochelys consists of three females that belong to two species. The lectotype and paralectotype No. 1 are torsa, one lacking the entire metasoma and the other lacking part of the metasoma and most legs. Despite that one of them has to be designated the lectotype of Buthacus leptochelys ( Fig. 5 ), because the third and only complete syntype (paralectotype No. 2) is a synonym of Buthacus spatzi ( Fig. 6 ).

The type series of A. (L.) thebanus consists of two B. leptochelys males, of which the one illustrated here ( Fig. 7 ) is designated the lectotype.

Ehrenberg described A. (L.) thebanus in 1828 and A. (L.) leptochelys in 1829, which would make Buthacus thebanus (Ehrenberg, 1828) the valid name. However, Kraepelin (1891: 202) considered A. (L.) thebanus a junior synonym of Buthus leptochelys , and since then Buthacus leptochelys has been accepted as valid in more than 25 papers published by more than 10 authors during the past 50 years and over more than 10 years (see Fet & Lowe, 2000: 83 and more recent references above). In accord with ICZN (1999) Article 23.9.1, B. leptochelys thus attains the status of a nomen protectum and has precedence over the older A. (L.) thebanus , which becomes a nomen oblitum.

Figures

Figure 5: Buthacus leptochelys, female lectotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 6: Buthacus spatzi, female paralectotype No. 2 of Androctonus (Leiurus) leptochelys, dorsal aspect.

Figure 7: Buthacus leptochelys, male lectotype of Androctonus (Leiurus) thebanus, dorsal aspect.

Figures 1–2: Movable finger of pedipalp. 1. Buthacus arenicola (Simon, 1885), female from Algeria, FKCP. 2. Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg, 1829), male from Morocco, FKCP.