Compsobuthus afghanus, Kovařík & Ahmed, 2007

Kovařík, František & Ahmed, Zubair, 2007, Two new species of the genus Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 from Afghanistan and Pakistan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 53 (53), pp. 1-6 : 1

Compsobuthus afghanus sp. n.

( Figs. 1–3 , Table 1 )

Type material. Afghanistan, Henğān env., 35°52'N 68°09'E, 1962, 1♀ (holotype) 1 im. (paratype), collector unknown. The types are deposited in the first author‘s collection ( FKCP) .

Etymology: Named after the country of occurrence.

Diagnosis: Total length 49.3 mm. Base color yellow to yellowish brown, only anterior part of fifth metasomal segment black. Movable finger of pedipalp bears 14 rows of granules, with external, very small granules present at all rows (werneri group). Internal granules present at all rows and larger than external granules. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae, second to fourth with 8 carinae. Intermediate carinae on second metasomal segment replaced by less than 10 minute, isolated granules situated mainly in posterior half; third segment bears only 2–3 posteriorly situated granules; fourth segment with lateral surface smooth, devoid of granules. Pectinal teeth number 29–31.

Description: The holotype (adult female) is 49.3 mm long. For habitus see Figs. 2 and 3 . Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1 .

Coloration: The base colour is yellow to yellowish brown, only anterior part of the fifth metasomal segment is black ( Figs. 2 and 3 ).

Carapace and Mesosoma: Tergites I–VI bear denticulate lateral carinae. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. Carapace and mesosoma are smooth, only sparsely granulated. The pectinal tooth count is 29–31. The seventh segment is smooth and bears four ventral crenulate carinae. The other sternites are smooth, and the sixth segment bears four smooth carinae without granules.

Metasoma and telson: The first segment has a total of 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments have eight carinae, and the fifth segment has five carinae. Intermediate carinae of the second segment are replaced by less than 10 minute and isolated granules situated mainly in the posterior half; the third segment bears only two or three posteriorly situated granules; and the fourth segment has the lateral surface smooth, entirely devoid of granules. The segments bear only a few bristles each, which are absent between ventral carinae. The telson is elongate, with the vesicle longer than the aculeus. Its surface is generally smooth and bears a few granules.

Pedipalps: The femur has four granulose to crenulate carinae and the patella has seven partly crenulate carinae. The chela has smooth carinae, which are difficult to see. For the position and distribution of trichobothria on the chela see Fig. 1 . The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 14 rows of granules, with external, very small granules present at all rows. Internal granules are also present at all rows and are larger than the external granules.

Affinities. The described features distinguish C. afghanus sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. This species is characterized by numerous rows of granules on the movable finger of pedipalp (14 rows) and a high number of pectinal teeth (29–31).

Figures

Figure 1: Compsobuthus afghanus sp. n., female holotype, chela of pedipalp.

Figure 2: Compsobuthus afghanus sp. n., female holotype, dorsal aspect.

Figure 3: Compsobuthus afghanus sp. n., female holotype, ventral aspect.