Ananteris kalina, Ythier, Eric, 2018

Ythier, Eric, 2018, A synopsis of the scorpion fauna of French Guiana, with description of four new species, ZooKeys 764, pp. 27-90 : 29-31

Ananteris kalina sp. n. Figs 4, 5

Type material.

French Guiana, Mana, path of the Forêt des Sables Blancs, one male (holotype), deposited in the MNHN, J. Chevalier coll., 13/I/2018. French Guiana, Mana, path of the Forêt des Sables Blancs, one male (paratype), deposited in the EYPC, EY0107, J. Chevalier & B. Tan coll., 08/VII/2017.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the ethnic group Kali’na, living in the area where the new species was found.

Diagnosis.

Total length 18.9 mm for male holotype (see morphometric values after the description). General coloration dark yellow, intensely marked with brownish variegated spots. Chelicerae pale yellow with variegated dark brown spots over the entire surface. Fingers with six rows of granules. Pectines of males holotype and paratype rather long with 16-17 and 17-17 teeth, respectively; female unknown. Telson with a fusiform shape and strong and spinoid subaculear tubercle. Carinae and granulation moderately to strongly marked. Metasomal segments with 10-8-8-8-5 weakly crenulate carina. Trichobothriotaxy, type A–β.

Description based on male holotype.

Coloration. Generally dark yellow with brown to dark brown variegated pigmented zones on the carapace, the tergites, and the appendages. Carapace dark yellow with dark brown spots on anterior, lateral and posterior edges; eyes surrounded by black pigment. Mesosoma dark yellow with confluent brown to dark brown zones forming three longitudinal stripes, one brownish surrounded by two reddish yellow ones. Venter yellow to pale yellow; coxapophysis and sternites with light brown zones on lateral edges. Metasomal segments I to V dark yellow with brown to dark brown variegated pigmented zones. Vesicle reddish yellow marbled with light brown zones; base of aculeus yellow, tip reddish. Chelicerae pale yellow with variegated dark brown spots over the entire surface; fingers yellowish with dark brown spots; teeth reddish yellow. Pedipalps yellowish, all segments almost entirely covered with brownish spots, dark brown on dorsal side and light brown on ventral side; tip of fingers pale yellow. Legs yellowish, intensely marked with brown to dark brown spots.

Morphology.

Carapace with moderately to strongly marked granulation; anterior margin almost straight, with a small median concavity; anterior median superciliary and posterior median carinae weak or absent; all furrows moderate to weak; median ocular tubercle distinctly anterior to the center of carapace; median eyes separated by approximately half of one ocular diameter; three pairs of reduced lateral eyes. Tergites with moderately to strongly marked granulation, similar to that of carapace; median carina moderately to weakly marked on all tergites, better marked posteriorly; tergite VII pentacarinate. Sternum subpentagonal. Pectines rather longs; pectinal tooth count 16-17 in male holotype (17-17 in male paratype); basal middle lamellae of pectines not dilated; fulcra absent. Sternites almost smooth, only VI and VII slightly granular; spiracles rather short, semi-oval; setation moderate; sternite VII with vestigial carinae; genital operculum divided longitudinally, each plate more or less suboval in shape. Metasomal segments with 10-8-8-8-5 weakly crenulate carinae; intercarinal spaces moderately to weakly granular; segment V slightly rounded and smooth. Telson with a fusiform shape, smooth; aculeus moderately long and weakly curved; subaculear tooth strong and spinoid. Pedipalp femur pentacarinate; patella and chela with weak to vestigial carinae, internal face of patella with some vestigial spinoid granules, all faces weakly granular, almost smooth; fixed and movable fingers with six rows of granules, two small external and one internal accessory granule present at the base of each row, three granules at the extremity of the fingers. Leg tarsus with very numerous, fine, median setae ventrally; tibial spurs strongly developed on legs III and IV. Cheliceral dentition characteristic of family Buthidae (Vachon, 1963); fixed finger with two strong basal teeth; movable finger with two vestigial basal teeth; ventral surface of both finger and manus with long, dense setae. Trichobothriotaxy of type A–β (Vachon, 1974). Morphometric values (in mm) of the male holotype. Total length including telson, 18.9. Carapace: length, 2.2; anterior width, 1.1; posterior width, 2.1. Mesosoma length, 5.1. Metasomal segments. I: length, 1.0; width, 1.2; II: length, 1.3; width, 1.1; III: length, 1.2; width, 1.1; IV: length, 1.8; width, 1.1; V: length, 3.1; width, 1.3; depth, 1.1. Telson: length, 3.2; width, 0.5; depth, 0.5. Pedipalp: femur length, 2.1, width, 0.4; patella length, 2.2, width, 0.5; chela length, 2.9, width, 0.3, depth, 0.3; movable finger length, 1.9.

Relationships.

Ananteris kalina sp. n. can be readily distinguished from other species of the genus Ananteris and, in particular, from the three species occurring in the northern part of French Guiana, by the following main features:

- A. guyanensis Lourenço & Monod, 1999 (described from Saint-Eugène (Petit-Saut) and also found in Saut Sabbat (Mana)): (i) different pigmentation pattern on pedipalps and legs, (ii) chelicerae with variegated dark brown spots over the entire surface (uniformly yellow in A. guyanensis ), (iii) metasomal segments with 10-8-8-8-5 carinae (10-10-10-8-5 in A. guyanensis ).

- A. intermedia Lourenço, 2012 (described from Saint Jean du Maroni): (i) larger size (9.3 mm in total length for A. intermedia ), (ii) subaculear tooth strong and spinoid (extremely reduced to vestigial in A. intermedia ), (iii) metasomal segments with 10-8-8-8-5 carinae (10-10-8-8-5 in A. intermedia ).

- A. elisabethae Lourenço, 2012 (described from Kourou): (i) darker general coloration (no spots or pigmented zones in A. elisabethae ), (ii) chelicerae with variegated dark brown spots over the entire surface (uniformly yellow in A. elisabethae ).

- The biotope where the new species occurs (coastal white-sand dry forest) is also different from biotope where other species of the genus are found in French Guiana (moist rainforest). The new species may be a possible endemic element of the white-sand coastal dry forest of Mana, French Guiana.