Scorpiops petersii Pocock, 1893

Di, Zhiyong, Xu, Xiaobo, Cao, Zhijian, Wu, Yingliang & Li, Wenxin, 2013, Notes on the scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) from Xizang with the redescription of Scorpiops jendeki Kovarik, 2000 (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) from Yunnan (China), ZooKeys 301, pp. 51-99 : 66

Scorpiops petersii Pocock, 1893 Table 2

Scorpiops petersii : Kovařík, 2000b: 192-194, figs 35, 42, tabs 1-3; Fet, 2000d: 494.

Distribution.

Xizang (China); Bhutan; (Assam, Himachal, Uttar, Kashmir, Meghalaya, Sikkim) India; Pakistan.

Comments.

Scorpiops petersii Pocock, 1893 has a simple original description. Kishida (1939: 45) recorded this species distributed in Xizang and Xikang (western Sichuan and eastern Tibet of China). Kovařík (2000b) examined the lectotype and many specimens but thought it is necessary to re-evaluate the characters used in distinguishing this species from others in the genus scorpiops ( Kovařík, 2000b: 193). We cannot distinguish Scorpiops petersii with Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” by the diagnostic characters provided by Kovařík (2000b: 193): total length is up to 75mm; male has finger of pedipalps strongly flexed; 17 external (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) and 7, or rarely 6 or 8 ventral trichobothria on the patella; pectinal teeth number 4-9. We checked Scorpiops sp (1 adult and 1 immature females and 1 immature male and 1 juvenile, Lhasa, 4/7/2008, Zhiyong DI leg, kept in MHBU), its adult female: body length 80.1mm (Figs 85-101; Table 2), very strong; ventral trichobothria on patella number 7 (with other: rarely 6 or 8); pectinal teeth number 4-9; a swollen telson. Except the unusual body length can let us conjecture the specimens from Lhasa maybe Scorpiops petersii , all of other features shared by Scorpiops hardwickii and Scorpiops petersii . We noticed body length is an important character but it like the pectinal teeth number and patella ventral trichobothria number, all of them are some ranges and few exceptions are normal. We can’t confirm any of these characters in one species if checked just few specimens. Here, we add it to Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” group. We checked an immature female (locality is Uttaranchal, India; identified as Scorpiops petersii by Kovařík). And confirm the diagnosis of Scorpiops petersii as follows: (1) male chela length to width ratio about 2.6, and about 2.5 in female (see Kovařík, 2000b: tab. 1); (2) male has finger of pedipalps strongly flexed; (3) 17 external (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) and 7, or rarely 6 or 8 ventral trichobothria on the patella; (4) pectinal teeth number 4-9; (5) total length above 65mm. The first character is the key difference between Scorpiops petersii and Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) “complex” group.