Babycurus ornatus Werner, 1936

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme & Šťáhlavský, František, 2018, Review of the genus Babycurus Karsch, 1886 (Arachnida, Scorpiones, Buthidae), with descriptions of Barbaracurus gen. n. and two new species from Oman and Yemen, Euscorpius 267, pp. 1-41 : 4

Taxonomic position of Babycurus ornatus Werner, 1936

Babycurus ornatus was described by Werner in 1936 from Mozambique and has been accepted as valid by other authors ( Vachon, 1940: 179; Weidner, 1959: 98; Lamoral & Reynders, 1975: 498; Kovařík, 1998: 104; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 79; Kovařík, 2000: 252). The first author (F.K.) recently studied the types ( Figs. 40– 49 ) and found that legs III and IV both bear tibial spurs ( Figs. 46–47 ). This character is diagnostic for the genus Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845 , whereas in genera Babycurus and Barbaracurus gen. n., leg III lacks tibial spurs (only present on leg IV) (e.g. Figs. 99–106 ). Moreover, it was found that the types of Babycurus ornatus and Lychas burdoi are precisely matched in the following key characters: trichobothrial pattern, pedipalp finger dentation ( Figs. 44–45 ), pectinal tooth count and pectine lamellar structure, body and appendage proportions, setation, carination and sculpture of pedipalps, carapace, tergites, sternites, form of metasoma and telson ( Figs. 40–49 ), as well as armature of chelicerae and pedipalp fingers. The inevitable conclusion is that Babycurus ornatus Werner, 1936 is a junior synonym of Lychas burdoi (Simon, 1882) syn. n.

Figures

Figures 40–49: Lychas burdoi (Simon, 1882) Figures 40, 42, 44, 48. Male paralectotype of Babycurus ornatus Werner, 1936, dorsal (40) and ventral (42) views, pedipalp chela dorsal (44), metasoma IV–V and telson lateral (48). Figures 41, 43, 45–47, 49. Female lectotype of Babycurus ornatus Werner, 1936, dorsal (41) and ventral (43) views, pedipalp chela dorsal (45), Distal segments of right legs III (46) and IV (47) retrolateral views, and metasoma IV and telson lateral (49). Scale bar: 10 mm (40–43).

Figures 95–106: Barbaracurus gen. n. Figures 95–98: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Figures 95, 97. Holotype male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (95) and sternopectinal region (97). Figures 96, 98. Paratype female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (96) and sternopectinal region (98). Figures 99–106: Distal segments of right legs, retrolateral views. Figures 99–100. B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype, legs III (99) and IV (100). Figures 101–102. B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype, legs III (101) and IV (102). Figures 103–106. B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype, legs I–IV.