Euscorpius sulfur, Kovařík & Audy & Sarbu & Fet, 2023

Kovařík, František, Audy, Marek, Sarbu, Serban M. & Fet, Victor, 2023, Euscorpius sulfur sp n (Scorpiones Euscorpiidae) a new cave scorpion from Albania and northwestern Greece, Euscorpius 376, pp. 1-14 : 3-10

Euscorpius sulfur sp. n.

( Figures 1–53 , Table 1) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: 41899163-

DAA2-437A-863E-269E425130D5

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Albania, Sarandaporo Valley , Vromoner Canyon, Sulfur Cave, 40°05'46.06''N 20°40'44.00''E (40.083333°N 20.666667°E) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Albania, Sarandaporo Valley , Vromoner Canyon , Sulfur Cave, 40°05'46.06''N 20°40'44.00''E (40.083333°N 20.666667°E, Figs. 51 and 53 ), 1♂ (holotype) 3♂ 5♀ 1juv. ♀ (paratopotypes) and Turtle Cave, 40°05'53.59''N 20°40'33.86''E, 1juv.♂ 1juv.♀ (paratypes, Figs. 42–49 ), 3– 4 May and 9 June 2023, leg. M. Audy, S. M. Sarbu , T. Brad & M. Kenesz .

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the Sulfur Cave, the type locality, to indicate an exceptional habitat of the new species.

DIAGNOSIS (♂ ♀). Total length 28–35 mm. Color reddish yellow to brown, telson yellow. Pedipalp patella external trichobothria numbers: 4 eb, 4 eb a, 2 esb, 4 em, 4 est, 5–6 et, ventral aspect of patella with 8 trichobothria. Pectinal teeth number 6–8 in males, 6–7 in females. Chelicerae yellow without reticulation. Male with pedipalp finger marginal profile type C (KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020: 2), female with fingers undulate. Dorsal metasomal carinae on segments I– IV irregularly granulated, mainly in male. Ventrolateral carinae on metasomal segments II–IV present and smooth. Metasoma V ventrally with median carina present. Metasoma finely granulated dorsally in male and smooth in female. Chela length/width ratio, 2.38–2.41 in male, 2.60–270 in female. Metasoma IV length/width ratio, 2.0– 2.1 in both sexes. Telson length/depth ratio, 2.3–2.5 in male, 3.3–3.5 in female.

DESCRIPTION (♀ ♂). Total length 28–35 mm in both sexes. The habitus is shown in Figs. 2–6 . For position and distribution of trichobothria on pedipalps, see Figs. 33–38 . For sexual dimorphism, see below in the description. For measurements, see Table 1.

Coloration ( Figs. 2–6 ). Base color uniformly reddish yellow to brown including sternites, telson yellow, pedipalps reddish brown. Chelicerae yellow without reticulation.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 7–10 ). Carapace very finely granulated with several smooth areas; carinae absent. Anterior margin of carapace slightly concave. Carapace with two lateral eyes. Tergites very finely granulated, more so in male, without carinae developed. Tergite VII lacking median and paired lateral carinae. Sternites III–VII smooth and lustrous; VII lacking median and paired lateral carinae. Stigmata small, narrow ellipical. Pectinal teeth number 6–8 (1 x 6, 2 x 7, 9 x 8) in males and 6–7 (9 x 6, 5 x 7) in females, fulcra present. Pectines with 3 marginal lamellae and 5–6 middle lamellae.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 15–22 ). Metasoma sparsely hirsute. Metasoma I–V very finely granulated in male, several fine granules also present on lateral surfaces of metasoma I and V in both sexes. Dorsal carinae on metasomal segments I–V irregularly granulated in both sexes, more in males; dorsolateral carinae absent; ventrolateral carinae present or indicated and smooth on segments I–IV, granulated on segment V. Metasoma V ventrally granulated with median carina present, metasoma I–IV with ventral median carinae absent. Anal arch with small pigmented granules. Telson rather smooth, elongate in female and swollen in male, with annular ring indicated in both sexes. Aculeus short, more curved in male.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 23–49 ). Pedipalps very sparsely hirsute. Patella with 23–24 (4 eb, 4 eb a, 2 esb, 4 em, 4 est, 5–6 et) external and 8 ventral trichobothria.Chela with 4 trichobothria in ventral series, of which V 4 is located external to the ventroexternal carina, on the external surface near Eb 1. Entire femur finely granulated, strongly ventrally and patella fine granulated irregularly. Femur with granulated developed carinae; ventroexternal carina incomplete. Patella with 5 complete carinae including irregular wide externomedian carina. Dorsal patella spur well developed in both sexes. Entire manus with fine, rounded granules, which do not form a median carina; only five chelal carinae developed. Male with pedipalp finger undulation profile type C, female with fingers undulate.

Legs ( Figs. 11–14 ). Both pedal spurs present on all legs, lacking spinelets; tibial spurs absent. Tarsus with single row of spinules on ventral surface, terminating distally with two essentially adjacent spinules.

AFFINITIES. Euscorpius sulfur sp. n. is morphologically most similar to E. candiota Birula, 1903 from Greece (Crete), which differs by having ventral aspect of pedipalp patella with 9–10 trichobothria (8 in E. sulfur sp. n.).

Geographically the closest cave species, E. biokovensis Tropea & Ozimec, 2020 described from caves from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina differs by having metasoma V ventral with median carina obsolete to absent and male with pedipalp finger marginal profile type B (type C in E. sulfur sp. n., see KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020: 2).

Some other species described recently from the region differ in having 5–6 trichobothria in eb series on pedipalp patella external ( E. bonacinai KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020 from Albania or E. kabateki KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020 from Greece). E. janstai KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020 from North Macedonia differs by darker colored telson and legs and male with pedipalp finger marginal profile type A (type C in E. sulfur sp. n., see KovařÍk & ŠťÁhlavský, 2020: 2).

DISTRIBUTION. Sulfidic caves in the Vromoner Canyon, Sarandaporo Valley, on the border between Albania and Greece ( Figs. 50–53 ). The majority of specimens were observed within the Albanian territory; the entrance to the Sulfur Cave lies on the Greek side of the border.

Figures

Figures 1–2: Euscorpius sulfur sp. n., females paratopotypes in vivo habitus under UV (1, photograph by Ruxandra Nitescu) and white (2, photograph by Traian Brad) light.

Figures 3–6: Euscorpius sulfur sp. n. Figures 3–4. Male holotype in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Figures 5–6. Female paratopotype in dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views. Scale bars: 10 mm.

Figures 7–14: E. sulfur sp. n. Figures 7, 9, 11–14. Male holotype, carapace and tergites I–III (7), coxosternal area and sternites (9), left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (11–14 respectively). Figures 8, 10. Female paratopotype, carapace and tergites I–III (8), coxosternal area and sternites III–IV (10).

Figures 15–22: E. sulfur sp. n. Figures 15. Male paratype, telson lateral. Figures 17–19. Male holotype, metasoma and telson lateral (17), dorsal (18), and ventral with sternite VII (19) views. Figures 16, 20–22. Female paratopotype, telson lateral (16), metasoma and telson lateral (20), dorsal (21), and ventral (22) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (17–22).

Figures 23–32. E. sulfur sp. n., male holotype, pedipalp segments. Chela dorsal (23), external (24) and ventral (25) views. Patella dorsal (26), external (27) and ventral (28) views. Trochanter and femur dorsal (29) and ventral (30) views. Movable (31) and fixed (32) finger dentition.

Figures 33–41. E. sulfur sp. n., female paratopotype, pedipalp segments. Chela dorsal (33), external (34) and ventral (35) views. Patella dorsal (36), external (37) and ventral (38) views. Trochanter and femur dorsal (39) and ventral (40) views. Movable finger dentition (41) Trichobothrial pattern is indicated by white circles (33–39).

Figures 42–49. E. sulfur sp. n., female juvenile paratype from Turtle Cave, pedipalp segments.Chela dorsal (42), external (43) and ventral (44) views. Patella dorsal (45), external (46) and ventral (47) views. Trochanter and femur dorsal (48) and ventral (49) views.

Figures 50–51. Figure 50. Map of distribution of E. sulfur sp. n. Figure 51. A map of Sulfur Cave. Surveyes by M. Audy, R. Bouda, drawn by M. Audy (Czech Speleological S ociety 2021).

Figures 52–53. Figure 52. The Sarandaporo Valley at the border between Albania and Greece. The massive Vromoner hypogene sinkhole, visible on the limestone hill in the foreground, communicates through vertical chimneys with Sulfur Cave. Photograph by M. Audy. Figure 53. The spacious VesmÍr (Universe) Dome, situated under the sinkhole (in Figure 51). Several hydrogene sulfide-rich thermal springs (26°C) are located on the passage floor under the dome. The gypsum accumulations are covered with sulfur. Photograph by M. Audy & R. Bouda.