Gint Kovařík, Lowe, Plíšková et Šťáhlavský, 2013

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 : 2-12

Gint Kovařík, Lowe, Plíšková et Šťáhlavský, 2013

( Figs. 1–202, Tables 1–3)

Buthus (Buthacus) (in part): Birula, 1917: 21.

Buthacus (in part): Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973: 125; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 81; Kovařík, 2005: 1.

Gint Kovařík et al., 2013: 1–18 , figs. 1–4, 6–71; Kovařík & Mazuch, 2015: 1–23, figs. 1–89;? Rossi, 2015: 53–63, figs. 1–10.

TYPE SPECIES. Gint gaitako Kovařík et al., 2013 .

ETYMOLOGY. Gint (masculine) means scorpion in Amharian, the official language of Ethiopia.

DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 202). Ethiopia, Somalia, Somaliland.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length up to 24.5 mm (male) or 48.2 mm (female); carapace trapezoidal, in lateral view preocular area not distinctly inclined towards anterior margin, level with or higher than postocular area; surface of carapace densely granular, with only anterior median carinae developed; ventral aspect of cheliceral fixed finger with two denticles; tergites densely granular, with three carinae of which lateral pair on I and II are inconspicuous; sternites III–VI with finely microdenticulate posterior margins, lacking larger noncontiguous denticles; pectinal tooth number 19–31; pectines with fulcra, hirsute; hemispermatophore with flagellum separated from a 3-lobed sperm hemiduct, and with a projecting, scoop- or hook-like basal lobe; metasomal segments I–III with 8–10 carinae; metasoma I ventrally smooth, lacking ventromedial carinae; metasoma V with enlarged ‘lobate’ dentition on ventrolateral carinae which may be reduced (in Gint puntlandus ); telson rather elongate (except for G. maidensis sp. n.), vesicle with moderate posterior slope, not sharply inclined or truncated, lacking subaculear tubercle, aculeus shorter than vesicle; all segments of metasoma and pedipalps sparsely hirsute, with long setae in both sexes, dentate margin of movable finger of pedipalp with 8–10 rows of granules, each with one external and one internal accessory granule, 5–6 terminal granules (4–5 terminal and one proximal terminal); trichobothrial pattern orthobothriotaxic type A; dorsal trichobothria of femur arranged in β- configuration; pedipalp patella with 7 external trichobothria; patella trichobothrium d 3 internal to dorsomedian carina; tibial spurs present on legs III–IV.

KARYOTYPES. In this study, we investigated nine males of Gint spp. belonging to three species: one specimen of G. dabakalo , five of G. amoudensis sp. n. and three of G. maidensis sp. n. All of the studied species possess holocentric chromosomes, an attribute of buthid scorpions (e.g. Mattos et al., 2013) that was also described in G. gaitako (2n=30) ( Kovařík et al., 2013). Chromosomes gradually decreased in size in all observed nuclei of all analyzed species. The diploid numbers of chromosomes were 2n= 23 in G. dabakalo (locality 17SH, No. 1305, Fig. 198), 2n= 35 in G. amoudensis sp. n. from locality 17SF (Nos. 1291, 1292, 1293, 1297, Fig. 199), 2n= 36 in G. amoudensis sp. n. from locality 17SR (No. 1325 Fig. 200), and 2n= 34 in G. maidensis sp. n. (locality 17SN, Nos. 1321, 1324, 1336, Fig. 201). The intraspecific variability in G. amoudensis sp. n. may be explained by balanced chromosomal rearrangements, a situation known from other buthid scorpions ( Schneider et al., 2009). However, meiotic phases will need to be examined and some more advanced cytogenetic methods need to be applied to resolve the complex chromosomal rearrangements of Gint spp.

HEMISPERMATOPHORES. We have examined 29 hemispermatophores extracted from 15 males of the genus Gint , representing 5 different species, and found their overall morphologies to be similar. However, we observed one consistent difference that we propose as a diagnostic character. The basal lobe was larger, taller, subtriangular and hook-like in G. maidensis sp. n. ( Figs. 180–182, 189–194, 197), in contrast to the smal-ler, lower, rounded, scoop-like basal lobes of G. amoudensis sp. n., G. dabakalo , G. gaitako and G. gubanensis sp. n.. At the species level, a similar distinction in basal lobe shape was utilized to separate Mesobuthus cyprius Gantenbein et Kropf, 2000 (with a pointed lobe), from M. gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (with a blunt lobe) (Gantenbein et al., 2000). At the generic level, we note that the hook- or scoop-shaped basal lobes found in Gint clearly differ from those of Buthacus spp. , which are small, rounded knobs ( Kovařík et al., 2016d; Levy et al., 1973; Levy & Amitai, 1980; Vachon, 1949, 1952). This provides additional morphological justifi-

cation for our original decision to separate these two genera ( Kovařík et al., 2013).

SUBORDINATE TAXA. Gint amoudensis sp. n.; Gint calviceps (Pocock, 1900) ; Gint dabakalo Kovařík et

Mazuch, 2015; Gint gaitako Kovařík et al., 2013 ; Gint gubanensis sp. n.; Gint maidensis sp. n.; Gint puntlandus Kovařík et Mazuch, 2015 .

Rossi (2015) proposed that Buthus insolitus Borelli, 1925 from Somalia, which was previously regarded as nomen dubium by Kovařík (2003: 152), is in reality Gint insolitus (Borelli, 1925) . Unfortunately, Rossi’s paper fails to meet the minimum standards of scientific publication. Rossi neither discussed nor justified the morphological basis for including Buthus insolitus in the genus Gint . In the same paper, he described two other species, Gint marialuisae Rossi, 2015 and Gint monicae Rossi, 2015 from Somalia, each based upon a single, old type specimen. The descriptions are vague, poorly illustrated, and lack sufficient information about specific taxonomic characters that we consider here to be important both for differentiating between species within Gint , and for unequivocally establishing membership in the genus according to our revised diagnosis. Rossi studied three specimens collected in 1909, 1934 and 1936 from unclear localities (see Kovařík et al., 2016b: 55) and unclear sex/ maturity, and assigned each specimen to a different species in the genus Gint . In his key, he separated these species on the basis of pectinal tooth count: G. monicae 18–19 vs. 20–23 in the other two species; and body length/ tergite granulation: G. marialuisae 28 mm / densely granulated vs. G. insolitus 33 mm / incompletely granulated. As these characters can exhibit significant intraspecific variation, it is not possible to identify Rossi’s species with any confidence. We therefore have no choice but to regard his taxa as nomina dubia until standard scientific descriptions are published.