Spelaeolychas, Kovařík, 2019

Kovařík, František, 2019, Taxonomic reassessment of the genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, and Olivierus, with descriptions of four new genera (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 288, pp. 1-27 : 12

Genus Spelaeolychas gen. n.

( Figures 11, 15, 37, 74, 104–127) http://zoobank. org/urn:lsid:zoobank. org:act:B7312D3F-91DA-

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Isometrus: Pocock, 1891: 436–438 , pl XI, fig. 2.

Lychas: Fet & Lowe, 2000: 162 (complete references list until 2000); KovařÍk & Ojanguren Affilastro, 2013: 202, figs. 1499–1508, 1556.

TYPE SPECIES. Isometrus hosei Pocock, 1891 .

ETYMOLOGY. The genus name indicates the ecology of its only species; all specimens were collected at the cave entrances.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 45–70 mm. Carapace granular, lacking distinct carinae, flat, subrectangular with concave anterior margin. Median eyes on ocular tubercle in anterior half of carapace; usually with 4, or sometimes 5 pairs of lateral eyes (3 major ocelli, 1–2 minor ocelli). Sternum type 1, triangular in shape. Tergites I–VI granular, with single median carina, tergite VII with 5 carinae. Metasoma elongate, segment I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson smooth, ellipsoidal in shape, with distinct subaculear tooth. Pectinal tooth counts 18– 24. Pectines with inconspicuous fulcra. Chelicerae with typical buthid dentition, fixed finger armed with single denticle on ventral surface. Pedipalps orthobothriotaxic, type Aβ, femur trichobothrium d 2 internal, patella d 3 external to dorsomedian carina. Dentate margins of chela movable finger armed with 3 terminal (two subterminal and one distal) denticles, apical row composed of 4–6 denticles, and imbricated overlapping six rows of denticles, rows 1–5 terminated proximally flanked by two enlarged outer accessory denticles, and single inner accessory denticle displaced distally. Sixth row with three isolated outer accessory denticles midway along its length, no inner accessory denticles. Moderate tibial spurs present on leg III and leg IV, tibia and tarsus without bristle combs, ventral surfaces of tarsomeres II of legs with 5–7 spiniform setae in each of two rows, ungues stout.

SUBORDINATE TAXA (1 SPECIES).

Spelaeolychas hosei ( Pocock, 1891) , comb. n. ( Malaysia)

= Lychas tweediei Kopstein, 1937

= Lychas hosei cavernicola Lourenço, 2007

COMMENTS. Spelaeolychas hosei comb. n. was originally described as Isometrus by Pocock (1891), and since 1985 (Vachon & Lourenço, 1985) it was placed in genus Lychas by all the recent authors (e. g. Fet & Lowe, 2000; KovařÍk & Ojanguren Affilastro, 2013). Morphological characters cited in the diagnosis above indicate that the placement was incorrect, and this species represent a separate new genus.