Mesobuthus brutus, Fet & Kovařík & Gantenbein & Kaiser & Stewart & Graham, 2018

Fet, Victor, Kovařík, František, Gantenbein, Benjamin, Kaiser, Ronald C., Stewart, Alexander K. & Graham, Matthew R., 2018, Revision of the Mesobuthus caucasicus complex from Central Asia with descriptions of six new species (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 255, pp. 1-77 : 7-9

Mesobuthus brutus sp. n.

( Figs. 1–20, 183–188, 265, 274, 285–286, 304, Tables 1, 4–6) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 7F438C9

8-0865-4542-B792-E23CB2D8A337

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Iran, Qazvin Province, Alamut ( FKCP).

TYPE MATERIAL. Iran, Qazvin Province, Alamut , 36.44°N 50.59°E, 8 June 2012 , 3♂ (holotype, Figs. 1–2, 5, 7, 9–11, 15–17, 183, 185–188, 265, 274, 285 and paratypes, Fig. 304) 2♂ juvs. (paratypes) ( FKCP); Zanjan Province, Tarom , 36.95°N 48.9°E, 10 June 2012 , 2♀ (paratypes, Figs. 3–4, 6, 8, 12–14, 18–20, 184, 286) ( FKCP) .

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named in honor of Brutus, the famous Czech rock musical group.

DISTRIBUTION. Iran ( Figs. 328, A 1).

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult males 50–61 mm, 60– 62 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male with fingers proximally more twisted than female. Pedipalp chela length/width ratio 3.13–3.15 in males and 3.58–3.65 in females. Pectinal teeth number 25–28 in males, 20–22 in females. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation. Pedipalps and metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Carapace and tergites yellowish brown, black pigmented; metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs yellowish brown, only anterior part of metasomal segment V black. Femur of pedipalp with 4–5 granulate carinae. Patella with 8 granulate or smooth carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13 cutting rows of denticles and 5 terminal denticles. Seventh sternite bears 4 well marked granulate carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second to fourth with 8 carinae, other two carinae are indicated by incomplete row of denticles on metasomal segments II and III; fourth with 8 carinae; fifth with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated. Length to width ratio of fourth metasomal segment 1.53–1.57 in males, 1.48–1.62 in females. Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Pedal spur of legs with solitary setae only.

DESCRIPTION. The total length of adult males 50–61 mm, 60– 62 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp is situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male has the fingers proximally a little more twisted than female. Female has longer and slightly narrower chela of pedipalps. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation, the tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. For measurements see tables 1 and 4–5.

COLORATION ( Figs. 1–4). The carapace and tergites are yellowish brown, strongly black pigmented. The metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs are yellowish brown. The metasoma ventral, mainly segment V black pigmented.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE ( Figs. 5–8). The carapace is carinate and unevenly covered by granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine, but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI bear three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. The pectinal tooth count is 25–28 in males, 20–25 in females. The pectinal marginal tips extend to about end of the sixth sternite in males and third of the sixth sternite in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and sixth to eight middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous long setae, each fulcrum with three to five setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. The seventh sternite bears four well marked granulate carinae. The other sternites bear two furrows.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 9–14). The pedipalps are sparsely hirsute and smooth. The femur bears four to five granulated carinae, the middle carina on internal surface could be incomplete indicated by several strong denticles. The patella bears eight carinae from which internal in both sexes and dorsal in females are granulated. The chela is without carinae. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 13 cutting rows of denticles, every with external and internal denticles present, and five terminal denticles.

LEGS ( Figs. 185–188). The tarsomeres bear two rows of short and strong spiniform setae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces. Pedal spur of legs with solitary setae only. Femur bears only several macrosetae. Femur and patella with carinae well developed. Tibial spurs present and long on third and fourth legs and absent in the other legs.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 15–20, 183–184). All metasomal segments are only very sparsely hirsute. The metasomal segment I with 10 carinae, II–III with 8 carinae but other two latero median carinae are indicated by incomplete row of denticles, IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. All carinae with consistent denticles, larger denticles are present in ventral carinae on segment I–III. The dorsal surface of all segments is smooth in the middle and bumpy on margins. Other surfaces are bumpy or smooth with several solitary granules. Ventrolateral carinae of metasomal segment V posteriorly with several large lobated denticles. The telson is only sparsely hirsute, rather elongate, bumpy and smooth.

NOTES.

Mesobuthus brutus sp. n. is the only species studied by us for which no DNA data are yet available, therefore we cannot place it into our phylogeny. The species is currently known only from the Elburz Mountains of the northern Iran, south from the Caspian Sea, a biogeographic transition zone between the Caucasus to the west (where M. caucasicus s.str is found) and the Kopetdagh Mts. to the east.