Barbaracurus KovařÍk, Lowe et Šťáhlavský, 2018

Kovařík, František, 2024, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XXXII. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. from Djibouti, Euscorpius 387, pp. 1-12 : 1-6

Barbaracurus KovařÍk, Lowe et Šťáhlavský, 2018

( Figures 1–33 , Table 1)

Babycurus : Kraepelin, 1913: 179–183 (in part); Fet & Lowe, 2000: 76–80 (in part); KovařÍk, 2000: 244–245, 255–256, 260–262, figs. 10, 13, 21–22, 26, 38–40, tables 1–3 (in part); KovařÍk, 2009: 30 (in part); KovařÍk et al., 2015: 1–31 (in part), figs. 46–123.

Barbaracurus KovařÍk, Lowe et Šťáhlavský, 2018b: 4–41 , figs. 1–10, 24–28, 32–36, 50–251, 258–262, tabs. 1–2; KovařÍk et al., 2019: 1–11, figs. 1–46, table 1; KovařÍk et al., 2022: 1–26, figs. 1–107, table 1.

TYPE SPECIES. Babycurus sofomarensis KovařÍk, Lowe, Seiter, PlÍšková et Šťáhlavský, 2015 .

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. Small to medium-sized buthids, adult total length 20–60 mm. Carapace granular, lacking distinct carinae; flat, subrectangular with concave anterior margin. Median eyes on low ocular tubercle located at 1/3 of carapace length from anterior margin. Carapace usually bearing 4, or sometimes 5 pairs of lateral eyes (3 major ocelli, 1–2 minor ocelli). Anterior, central and posterior median furrows distinct, connected by median groove over ocular tubercle. Sternum type 1, triangular in shape. Tergites I– VI granular, with single median carina which may be obsolete on I–II, tergite VII with 5 carinae. Metasoma elongate, segment I with 10 carinae; segments II– IV with 8 carinae, lacking lateral median carina. Metasoma V convex, may be dilated, with carinae either present or obsolete. Telson ellipsoidal, pyriform or slightly bulbous, with a distinct subaculear tooth. Pectinal tooth number 15–28. Pectines with fulcra. Hemispermatophore capsule with 2-lobed sperm hemiduct and oblique carinate or scoop-like basal lobe, which may be obsolete. Chelicerae with typical buthid dentition, fixed finger with two accessory denticles on ventral surface. Pedipalps orthobothriotaxic, type Aβ; femur with ‘trichobothrium’ d 2 internal; patella with trichobothrium d 3 external to dorsomedian carina, esb 2 close to esb 1; chela with trichobothrium Eb 2 distal to Eb 1, db in distal half of fixed finger. Chela manus smooth, with carinae reduced or obsolete; dentate margins of chela movable finger with 6–8 non-imbricated, almost linear or contiguous rows of granules, each row terminated proximally by an enlarged granule flanked by single adjacent internal and external accessory granules. Most proximal granule row without internal accessory denticle, and either with (in species from the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula) or without (in species from Cameroon and Nigeria) a single isolated external accessory granule midway along its length. Chela fixed and movable fingers bearing numerous short macrosetae with blunt, micropapillate tips. Pedipalp chelae sexually dimorphic, males typically with manus dilated and dentate margins of fingers proximally undulate; denticles of undulate subproximal granule rows in males are bicuspid. Tibial spurs absent on leg III, present on leg IV, tibia and tarsus III–IV without bristle combs, ventral surfaces of tarsi equipped with two rows of setae, ungues stout.

SUBORDINATE TAXA. B. exquisitus (Lowe, 2000) ( Oman), B. feti KovařÍk et al., 2019 (Somaliland), B. hofereki sp. n. ( Djibouti), B. kabateki KovařÍk et al., 2022 ( Saudi Arabia), B. prudenti (Lourenço, 2013) ( Cameroon), B. sofomarensis ( KovařÍk et al., 2015) ( Ethiopia), B. somalicus (Hirst, 1907) (Somaliland) , B. subpunctatus (Borelli, 1925) ( Ethiopia, Somalia), B. ugartei (KovařÍk, 2000) ( Nigeria), B. winklerorum KovařÍk et al., 2018 ( Oman), B. yemenensis KovařÍk et al., 2018 ( Saudi Arabia, Yemen), B. zambonellii (Borelli, 1902) ( Eritrea).

Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n.

( Figures 1–33 , Table 1) http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.

org:act: 002A0A35-D9CA-479A-813F-BD8EF6AC5C81

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Djibouti, Tadjoura District, 2km E of Ditilou , 11°46'48.279''N 42°42'25.509''E, 500 m a. s. l. ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Djibouti, Tadjoura District, 2 km E of Ditilou , 18 October 2023, 11°46'48.279''N 42°42'25.509''E, 500 m a. s. l., (Locality No. 23DH, Figs. 32–33 ), 2♀ (holotype and paratype, DNA No. 2639), leg. F. KovařÍk et al .

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet honors David Hoferek ( Czech Republic) for his friendship and help with the scorpion collection and studies.

DIAGNOSIS (♀). Total length of adult female 38 mm, male unknown. Coloration yellowish brown to orange, chelicerae yellow with weak reticulation. Pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 6.07 in female; dentate margin of movable finger armed with 8 rows of granules, and a short subapical row of 3 denticles; most proximal granule row with one external accessory granule. Pectines with 27–28 teeth in females. Metasoma narrow, metasoma V length/ width ratio 2.68 in female; metasoma I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae and a short, spiniform subaculear tubercle; vesicle smooth, elongate, ellipsoidal in lateral profile, telson length/ depth ratio 2.88; aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

DESCRIPTION (♀). Total length of adult female 38.37 mm, male unknown. Base color is pale yellowish brown to orange ( Figs. 1–2 ). Chelicerae are yellow with weak reticulation ( Fig. 3 ).

Pedipalp (Figs. 720). Pedipalp mostly sparsely hirsute, but more densely so on ventral surface of movable finger. Femur dorsally smooth with several solitary granules, with five granulose carinae. Patella smooth with two dorsal granulose carinae developed, other 5 carinae reduced to absent. Chela smooth with traces of carinae visible; fingers long, curved; movable finger with 8 granule rows and a short apical row of 3 denticles on dentate margins, the most proximal row with one external and no internal accessory granule; fixed finger with 9 granule rows. Fixed and movable fingers bearing pale, fluorescent setae of various lengths, as well as short, dark, nonfluorescent macrosetae of almost constant length with blunt tips. Carapace ( Figs. 3 , 5 ). Slightly trapezoidal (narrower anteriorly) and slightly wider than long; anterior margin concave, with some short microsetae. Carinae absent. Median and posterior lateral furrows wide and deep, others vestigial to absent. Tegument densely and coarsely granulose. Median eyes large and raised; five pairs of lateral eyes: three major ocelli aligned along each anterolateral corner, plus two minor ocelli vestigial to absent.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 3–6 ). Tergites I–VI bear a single conspicuous median carina; tergite VII bears five well-defined carinae (median, submedians and laterals); short median carina granulate, submedian and lateral carinae long and granulate. All tergites coarsely granulose, bearing small granules on anterior surfaces and larger granules mainly on posterior surfaces. Sternum type 1, triangular in shape; medial depression large. Pectines extending to around half of sternite IV. Pectinal tooth count 27–28 in females. Pectines with 3 marginal lamellae and 9–10 middle lamellae. Sternites III–VI lacking carinae, surfaces smooth and sparsely setose. Posterior margin of sternite V without smooth median patch, weakly concave. Sternite VII with four well-defined carinae, which are long and serrate to crenulate.

Legs ( Figs. 28–31 ). Tarsomeres bearing two rows of macrosetae on their ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on other surfaces; bristle combs absent. Femur bearing only solitary macrosetae. Femur surface coarsely granulose, femur and patella with carinae developed. Moderate tibial spurs present on leg IV.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 21–27 ). Metasoma I–IV with developed carinae, partly smooth but dorsal and laterodorsal granulated. Dorsal carinae composed of minute, rounded, equal-sized, evenly spaced granules. Metasoma I with a total of 10 carinae, metasoma II–IV with eight carinae, and metasoma V with five smooth to indicated carinae. All metasomal segments smooth, very sparsely granulated and hirsute. Telson smooth with a dense cover of long setae, mainly ventrally. Subaculear tubercle short and spiniform. Vesicle elongate, ellipsoidal, telson length/ depth ratio 2.88. Aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

Measurements. See Table 1.

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 23DH is a rocky mountain area ( Figs. 32–33 ). The types of Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. were recorded at night during UV collecting together with Buthus cf. awashensis KovařÍk, 2011 , Orthochirus afar KovařÍk et Lowe, 2016 , Compsobuthus sp. , Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896) , and Neobuthus ferrugineus (Kraepelin, 1898) . We visited the locality on 18–19 October 2023 and recorded a minimum nighttime temperature of 24ºC (humidity 79%) and maximum daytime temperature of 34ºC (humidity 35%).

AFFINITIES. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. is the only species of the genus with pedipalp movable finger with 8 rows of granules ( Fig. 16 ). Other species have pedipalp movable finger with 6 ( B. feti , B. prudenti , B. sofomarensis , B. somalicus , B. subpunctatus , B. ugartei ) or 7 ( B. exquisitus , B. kabateki , B. winklerorum , B. yemenensis , B. zambonellii ) rows of granules (figs. 1–9 in KovařÍk et al., 2018; fig. 26 in KovařÍk et al., 2019; fig. 16 in KovařÍk et al., 2022).

Females of B. hofereki sp. n. have pectinal tooth count 27–28 which is the highest in the genus Barbaracurus ( B. exquisitus , 21–22 in both sexes; B. feti , 25–27 in both sexes; B. kabateki , 20 in male; B. prudenti , 15–16 in both sexes; B. sofomarensis , 18–20 in both sexes; B. somalicus , 17–20 in both sexes; B. subpunctatus , 16–17 in both sexes; B. ugartei , 15–16 in female; B. winklerorum , 18–20 in both sexes; B. yemenensis , 22–25 in male, 19–23 in female; B. zambonellii , 17–19 in both sexes).

Figures

Figures 1–2. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 3–4. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, carapace and tergites I–V (3) and sternopectinal region and sternites (4) under white light.

Figures 5–6. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, carapace and tergites (5) and sternopectinal region and sternites (6) under UV fluorescence.

Figures 7–17. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, right pedipalp. Chela, dorsal (7), external (8) and ventrointernal (9) views; patella, dorsal (10), external (11), and ventral (12); femur and trochanter, internal (13), dorsal (14) and ventral (15) views. Chela, movable (16) and fixed (17) finger dentate margins. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 8–11, 13–14 (white circles). Scale bar: 10 mm (19–21).

Figures 18–20. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, right pedipalp in dorsal (18), external (19), and ventral (20) views under UV fluorescence.

Figures 21–27. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, telson lateral (21), metasoma and telson, lateral (22, 25), ventral (23, 26) and dorsal (24, 27) views under white light (21–24) and under UV fluorescence (25–27). Scale bar: 10 mm (22–27).

Figures 28–31. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., holotype female, distal segments of left legs I–IV, lateraloventral views.

Figures 32–33. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n., type locality, Djibouti, Tadjoura District, 2km E of Ditilou.