Parabuthus mazuchi, Kovařík & Lowe & Elmi & Šťáhlavský, 2019

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman & Šťáhlavský, František, 2019, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida Scorpiones) Part XXI Parabuthus (Buthidae) (Part II), with description of five new species from Somaliland and Ethiopia, Euscorpius 290, pp. 1-63 : 32-37

Parabuthus mazuchi sp. n.

( Figs. 156–160, 163–189, 288–289, 305, Tables 1, 4) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F9A99ACF-

6690-4A72-92A4-E4D649EE4118

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somaliland, Shanshade vill., 08°39‘35“N 45°55‘49“E, 790 m a.s.l. (Locality No. 18SJ, Figs. 163–164) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Somaliland, Shanshade vill., 08°39‘35“N 45°55‘49“E, 790 m a.s.l. (Locality No. 18SJ), 29-31. VIII.2018, 1♂ (holotype, 1554), leg . T. Mazuch and F. KovařÍk ( FKCP; hemispermatophore GLPC).

ETYMOLOGY. The name honors Czech herpetologist and friend TomÁš Mazuch who visited the type locality with us and helped to collect scorpions by hand without any accident.

DIAGNOSIS. Adult male holotype is 63 mm long, female unknown. Base color reddish brown to black, metasoma IV– V and telson black. Pectine teeth number 36 in male. Stridulatory area present on dorsal surface of first and second segments, reduced on third segment. Metasoma densely hirsute. Pedipalp movable finger with 14 rows of granules which include external and internal granules. Manus of pedipalp smooth and very narrow, pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 7.05 in male holotype. Tarsomere I of all legs with bristle-combs .

DESCRIPTION. The adult male holotype is 63 mm long, female is unknown. The habitus is shown in Figs. 165–166. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 173–176, 178–179.

Coloration ( Figs. 165–166, 188–189). The base color is reddish brown to black. The pedipalps and the femora of legs are grey to reddish brown, tarsomeres and patella of legs are grey to white. The metasoma I–II are reddish brown, lighter ventrally, metasoma III is reddish brown to black, metasoma IV–V and telson are black. Carapace and tergites are greyish black with several lighter spots on carapace.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 165–168). The entire carapace is covered with large granules. Carinae are absent. The anterior margin of the carapace is almost straight, medially weakly convex, and bears 10–12 symmetrically distributed short, stout spiniform macrosetae. The tergites are granulated. Tergite VII is pentacarinate, with lateral pairs of carinae strong, serratocrenulate. The pectinal tooth count is 36– 36 in male the holotype. The pectine marginal tips extend to the midpoint of the fourth sternite in the female. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and 10–12 middle lamellae. The lamellae and fulcra bear numerous dark setae. All sternites are smooth.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 169–171). The first to fourth metasomal segments each bear a total of 10 granulated carinae. The fifth segment has five carinae, and its ventral and lateral surfaces are strongly granulated. The strong lateral and ventral granulation present also on metasoma II–IV. Dorsolateral carinae of the third and fourth segments terminate in stronger denticles, of which the posterior-most denticle is enlarged. Two parallel short rows of three pointed denticles present on ventral surface of metasoma V. The stridulatory area is located on the dorsal surface of the first and second segments. On the third segment it is reduced and on fourth and fifth segments the stridulatory area is absent. The entire metasoma and the telson are densely pilose with long hairs. The ventral surface of the telson is strongly granulated. The metasomal segment V length/ width ratio is 1.66 in the male holotype. The telson is rather elongate, with the aculeus approximately the same length as the vesicle.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 172–181). The entire pedipalps are rather sparsely hirsute with long setae. The femur bears five carinae. The chela is smooth without carinae. The patella is finely granulated without carinae. The movable and fixed fingers of pedipalp bear 14 rows of granules, all with external and internal accessory granules. The fingers of pedipalps of with inner side of base smooth, tubercle absent. The pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 7.05 in the male holotype.

Legs ( Figs. 184–187). Legs III and IV bear tibial spurs. Retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs are present on all legs. All legs without distinct carinae, smooth and densely pilose. The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and other macrosetae on the other surfaces. Bristlecombs are present on all legs, although slightly reduced on the fourth leg.

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 156–160). Flagelliform, elongate and slender, trunk ca. 10 times length of capsule region. Flagellum emanating from posterior lobe of capsule; pars recta narrow, hyaline, same length as capsule; pars reflecta thicker, opaque white, ca. 3× length of capsule (damaged in dissection, not illustrated). Capsule region with 3 lobes: broad posterior lobe with angulate apical margin and strong anterior carina; small anterior lobe with narrowed apical tip; and robust basal lobe with sharp pointed tip. Hemispermatophore is similar to that reported for other Parabuthus species ( KovařÍk et al., 2016). Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish P. mazuchi sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. P. mazuchi sp. n. is associated with P. cimrmani and P. eritreaensis , as all three species share characteristically elongated pedipalp fingers ( Figs. 284–289) that are absent in all other known Parabuthus from the Horn of Africa ( Figs. 266–283).

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 18SJ is also the type locality for here described P. kabateki sp. n., see comments under the description of P. kabateki sp. n. above.