Gint gubanensis Kovařík et al., 2018

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Just, Pavel, Awale, Ahmed Ibrahim & Sh, Hassan, 2018, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Part XV Review of the genus Gint Kova ík et al 2013, with description of three new species from Somaliland (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 259, pp. 1-41 : 22-28

Gint gubanensis Kovařík et al. , sp. n.

( Figs. 53–77, 123, 141–142, 175–178, 202, Tables 2, 3) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:589F71

D7-2D23-4167-9D48-70E2DC7CBE2A

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somaliland , Gerissa, N of Borama, 10°36'01"N 43°26'07"E, 245 m a.s.l. ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland , Gerissa, N of Borama, 10°36'01"N 43°26'07"E, 245 m a.s.l. ( Figs. 76– 77, locality No. 17ST), 11.-12.IX.2017, 1♂ ( Figs. 53– 75, 123, 141–142, 175–178, No. 1349), leg. F. Kovařík , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the Guban area (guban in Somali language means "burnt land"). It is the zone of hot and dry land along the sea between Djibouti and Puntland ( Somalia). Gerissa village belongs to the Guban area.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of male 25.68 mm, female unknown; chelicerae yellow without reticulation; carapace densely granulated with only anterior median and partly central/posterior carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight; pectine teeth 25–26 in holotype male; all sternites lacking carinae; sternite VII with four distinct carinae, intercarinal surface weakly granulated; metasomal segment V length/width ratio 2.48 in male; metasomal segment I ventrally smooth; metasomal segment III–IV intercarinal surfaces granulated in male; metasomal segment IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate; metasomal segment V has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae that in posterior halves bear several lobate granules; dorsal surface of this segment smooth and lateral surface weakly granulated; all metasomal segments sparsely setose; metasomal segment V bearing ca. 37 long setae; telson rather elongate, telson length/depth ratio 3.03 in male holotype; aculeus slightly shorter than vesicle; legs I–III with tarsal bristle combs composed of long, thin setae; patellae of legs very finely granulated; movable finger of pedipalp with 8 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules.

DESCRIPTION. Adult male holotype is 25.68 mm long. No other specimens were avaialble. For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 63–70.

COLORATION ( Figs. 53–54). Basic color is yellow to white with weak dark patterning and spots. Dorsal and ventral carinae on the metasoma can be dark. Metasomal segment V is usually darker than the other metasomal segments. The chelicerae are yellow without reticulation; dentition is reddish.

CARAPACE ( Fig. 55). The surface is densely granulated. The anterior margin is straight and bears eight macrosetae. Anterior median and central/posterior median/lateral carinae coarsely granular. There are 5 lateral eyes on each side (3 larger, 2 smaller).

MESOSOMA ( Figs. 53–56). The tergites bear three coarsely granular carinae, of which the lateral pair on tergites I–II are inconspicuous. All tergites with dense coarse and fine granulation. The pectinal tooth count is 25–26 in the male holotype. The marginal tips of the pectines extend to the posterior quarter of sternite V in the male. The pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 8–9 middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, four to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae, their surfaces are smooth except for finely shagreened lateral areas on sternite III covered by the pectines, and paired depressions on sternites IV–VI. Sternite VII has two pairs of poorly indicated carinae, and is weakly granulated in the area outside the lateral carinae. All sternites bear several long macrosetae on their surfaces and margins.

HEMISPERMATOPHORE ( Figs. 175–178). Flagelliform, trunk long and slender, capsule relatively short. Flagellum slightly shorter than trunk, with shorter pars recta bearing a fin-like expansion along proximal anterior margin, and longer, hyaline pars reflecta. Capsule with 3+1 lobe structure typical of ‘ Buthus ’ group (Fet et al., 2005; Kovařík et al., 2016c). Sperm hemiduct separated from flagellum, tripartite with posterior lobe largest, median lobe shortest and apically acuminate, anterior lobe of intermediate size and apically tapered. Posterior margin of median lobe overhanging the posterior lobe, the two lobes fused along a robust carina. Basal lobe weakly developed as a low, narrow scoop ( Figs. 176–178).

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 57–60). Metasoma I bears 8 carinae, the ventromedial pair being obsolete. Metasoma II–III bear 10 carinae. Median lateral carinae are complete or almost complete. Ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae on metasoma II–III are partly granulated, with larger granules posteriorly. Metasoma IV bears 8 carinae that are complete and granulate. Metasoma V has only ventromedial and ventrolateral carinae, which in posterior halves bear several lobate granules. Intercarinal surfaces of segments I–IV are densely granulated, with granules of approximately equal size, except for the ventral aspect of metasoma I which is smooth. The anal arch consists of three or four lobes. All segments are sparsely setose; the fifth segment has ca. 37 long setae. The telson is rather elongate, telson length/depth ratio 3.03 in male holotype. The aculeus is slightly shorter than the vesicle. The surface of the telson is smooth, sparsely hirsute, without a subaculear tubercle.

LEGS ( Figs. 72–75). The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces, which on legs I–III form bristle combs. The macrosetae are thin. The femur and patella may bear obsolete carinae. The femur bears only solitary macrosetae. The patella is very finely granulated.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 63–71). The femur is granulated and bears three to four carinae; the ventroexternal carina is absent, the other carinae are granular. The patella is granular, with seven coarsely granular carinae. The chela is smooth, with only traces of incomplete obsolete carinae. All pedipalp segments including the trochanter are sparsely hirsute, with long, dark macrosetae. The dentate margin of the movable finger has eight rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule, and 5 terminal granules (4 terminal and one proximal terminal). The fixed finger has nine rows of granules, each with one external and one internal granule.

AFFINITIES. G. gubanensis sp. n. is morphologically similar to G. dabakalo . Nevertheless, these two species can be distinguished by several characters, e. g. G. gubanensis sp. n. has developed or indicated dark colored central/posterior median/lateral carinae on the carapace (see Fig. 55 versus fig. 30 in Kovařík & Mazuch, 2015: 8) and very finely granulated leg IV patella. The dark colored carapacial carinae and the granulation of leg IV are absent in G. dabakalo . The basal lobe of the hemispermatophore is longer and lower in profile in G. gubanensis sp. n. ( Figs. 176–178) compared to that of G. dabakalo ( Figs. 164–170). Furthemore, G. gubanensis sp. n. and G. dabakalo have isolated areas of distribution ( Fig. 202), and the DNA analysis indicates a divergence between these two species (Just et al., in preparation).

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 17ST is sandy semi-desert ( Figs. 76–77). The holotype of Gint gubanensis sp. n. was recorded at night during UV collecting together with Buthus berberensis Pocock, 1900 , Compsobuthus somalilandus Kovařík, 2012 , Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896) , Neobuthus sp. , Orthochirus sp. (first record for Somaliland), and Parabuthus granimanus Pocock, 1895 (Buthidae) . The first author arrived at the locality at night on 11th September 2017 at 23.00. In this time, there was temperature 32.7 ºC and humidity 58%. He recorded a minimum temperature 29.9 ºC and humidity 47% on 12th September 2017 early morning.