Femtobuthus shutuae, Lowe, 2010

Lowe, Graeme, 2010, New picobuthoid scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Oman, Euscorpius 93 (93), pp. 1-53 : 17

Femtobuthus shutuae , sp. nov.

Figs. 42–62 , 111 , 114 , 121–124 , 163–168

Figures

Figure 114: Distribution of new picobuthoid scorpions in Oman. Black circles, Microbuthus gardneri, sp. nov. Green circles, Microbuthus kristensenorum, sp. nov. Gray circles, Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov. Orange circles, Picobuthus wahibaensis, sp. nov. Yellow circles, Picobuthus dundoni, sp. nov.

Figures 42–45: Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov., holotype male. Habitus viewed under reflected white light (42, 43) and UV fluorescence (44, 45). 42, 44. Dorsal aspect. 43, 45. Ventral aspect. Scale bar: 2 mm.

Figures 46–52: Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov., holotype male. 46. Carapace, dorsal aspect. 47. Right pedipalp femur, dorsal aspect. 48. Right pedipalp patella, dorsal aspect. 49. Right pedipalp patella, external aspect. 50. Right pedipalp chela, dorsoexternal aspect. 51–52, metasoma and telson. 51. Right lateral aspect. 52. Ventral aspect. Scale bar: 46: 1 mm; 47, 48, 49, 50: 0.70 mm; 51, 52: 1.37 mm.

Figures 53–62: Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov. 53–54, 58–59, paratype male from type locality; 55–57, 60–62, holotype male. 53–54, right chelicera. 53. Dorsal aspect. 54. Ventral aspect. 55. Right basitarsus and telotarsus III, retrolateral aspect. 56. Right telotarsus III, ventral aspect. 57. Left pectine, ventral aspect. 58–59, right hemispermatophore, lobes at base of flagellum. 58. Convex aspect. 59. Outer aspect. 60–61, right pedipalp chela movable finger terminus. 60. Dorsal aspect. 61. External aspect. 62. Right pedipalp chela, ventral aspect. Scale bar: 53, 54, 58, 59: 0.357 mm; 57: 0.76 mm; 55, 56, 60, 61, 62: 0.5 mm.

Figures 110–113: Habitus of new picobuthoid scorpions in vivo. 110. Microbuthus gardneri, sp. nov., female (Jabal Bani Jabir). 111. Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov., paratype female (Wadi Shuwaymiyah). 112. Picobuthus dundoni, sp. nov., paratype female (Wadi Qitbit). 113. Picobuthus wahibaensis, sp. nov., paratype male (East Wahiba Sands). Figs. 111–113 from Alex Winkler.

Figures 121–124: Morphometric variation of picobuthoid scorpions in Oman (data from adults). 121. Variation in characters correlated with substratum specialization: slenderness of legs (bar plots show range of variation of leg III patella L/D), and development of basitarsal bristle combs and tibial spurs. Psammophilous species (Picobuthus spp.) have more slender legs with bristle combs, without tibial spurs; lapidicolous species (Microbuthus gardneri, M. kristensenorum) have more slender legs without bristle combs, with tibial spurs; the fossorial Femtobuthus shutuae has stout legs with bristle combs, and reduced tibial spurs. 122. Scatter plot of variation in slenderness of legs and metasoma V (leg III patella L/D vs. metasoma V L/D). Metasoma V is more slender in the psammophilous Picobuthus, and more stout in the lapidicolous Microbuthus, reflecting development of a heavily sclerotized telson sheath. 123. Scatter plot of variation in telson L/D and carapace L/W. The telson is deeper in M. gardneri and Femtobuthus, and longer in M. kristensenorum and Picobuthus, the carapace more elongated in Picobuthus, and more trapezoidal in Microbuthus and Femtobuthus. 124. Scatter plot of variation in slenderness of anterior metasoma and pedipalp (metasoma II L/W vs. pedipalp patella L/W). The anterior metasoma is more stout in Microbuthus and Femtobuthus, and more slender in Picobuthus, the pedipalp relatively more stout in Femtobuthus and Picobuthus, and more slender in Microbuthus. Data points in scatter plots represent individuals, with species membership color coded according to inset of Fig. 122.

Figures 163–168: Trichobothrial map of Femtobuthus shutuae, sp. nov., holotype male. 163. Base of femur, internal aspect. 164. Femur, dorsal aspect. 165. Patella, dorsal aspect. 166. Patella, external aspect. 167. Chela, external aspect. 168. Chela, ventral aspect. Trichobothrial nomenclature after Vachon (1974), except for revised nomenclature in Figs. 126– 127.