Hottentotta saulcyi: Navidpour et al., 2013: 7

Kovařík, František, Yağmur, Ersen Aydin & Moradi, Mohammed, 2018, Two new Hottentotta species from Iran, with a review of Hottentotta saulcyi (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 265, pp. 1-14 : 2-7

Hottentotta saulcyi: Navidpour et al., 2013: 7 , fig. 2.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Iran, Hormozgan Province, Lengeh , 27°08'N 55°49'E, FKCP .

TYPE MATERIAL. Iran, Hormozgan Province, Lengeh , 27°08'N 55°49'E, 1♂ (holotype, Figs. 1–2 , 5, 7, 9– 12 , 14 , 23–32 , 53 ) 1♀ (paratype, Figs. 3–4 , 6, 8 , 13, 15– 17 , 21–22 , 54 ), leg. Akbari ( Figs. 41–42 , No. 1164), FKCP ; Bandar Abbas to Lengeh Port road, 26°40'N 55°04'E, 1♂ (paratype, Figs. 18–20 , 52 ), leg. Akbari ( Fig. 40 , No. 696), FKCP .

ETYMOLOGY. A patronym in honor of Shahrokh Navidpour, Iran, for his friendship and lifelong dedication to arachnids.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adults 92–105 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est or or may be on level with trichobothrium est. Male with slightly narrower metasomal segments, width of pedipalp chela same in both sexes. Pectinal teeth number 29–35 in males, 23–26 in female. Nearly entire body hirsute, pedipalps, dorsal surface of mesosoma, legs, lateral and ventral surfaces of metasomal segments, and vesicle densely hirsute. Hairs on patella of pedipalps are long. Chelicerae yellow to brown, reticulate. Color yellow to yellowish green or brown, except black triangle of carapace. Telson and fifth metasomal segment can be black or not. Femur of pedipalp with 4 carinae. Patella with 8 carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 15–16 rows of granules and 5 or 6 terminal granules. Seventh sternite with 4 well marked carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second to fouth with 8 carinae; fifth with 5 carinae, 3 ventral (one median, two lateral) and two dorsal. All metasomal segments generally smooth, without granules between carinae. All metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide. Metasomal segment II length/width ratio more than 1.5.

DESCRIPTION. The total length is 92–105 mm. Chelal trichobothrium db usually located between est and et, or may be on level with trichobothrium est. Male has the fingers proximally almost straight and female absolutely steaight, there is not sexual dimorphism in shape of chela of pedipalp. Chelicerae are yellow to brown, with reticulation, the tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. For the position and distribution of trichobothria see Figs. 24–27 and 29–30.

COLORATION ( Figs. 1–8 , 13–15 ). The basic color is yellow to yellowish green or brown, except black triangle of carapace. The telson and fifth metasomal segment can be black or not, similar variability is in color of tergites which can be entirely yellow or yellow with median narrow dark band ( Figs. 5 versus 6). Legs and pedipalp segments are uniformly yellow to yellowish green or brown including chela. The tarsomeres of legs are yellow.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE ( Figs. 5–8 ). The carapace is carinate and unevenly covered by granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine, but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI bear three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. The pectinal tooth count is 29–35 (32 /4/) in males and 23–26 (24.5 /2/) in female. The pectinal marginal tips extend to end of the third sternite in female and end of the fourth sternite in male. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and eight to nine middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark long setae, each fulcrum with two to three setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. The seventh sternite bears four usually granulate carinae. The other sternites bear two furrows.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 21–45 ). The pedipalps are densely hirsute and almost smooth. The femur bears four granulated carinae. The patella bears eight carinae, ventral and external are smooth, without granules and obsolete; dorsal and internal are granulate. The chela is without carinae. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 15–16 rows of granules and five or six terminal granules.

LEGS ( Figs. 9–12 ). The tarsomeres bear two rows of short and strong spiniform setae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces. Pedal spur of legs without setae. Femur and patella with carinae indicated. Tibial spurs present and long on third and fourth legs and absent in the other legs.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 13–20 ). All metasomal segments are densely hirsute. All metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide. The segment I bears 10 carinae; segments II–IV bear 8 carinae; and segment V bears five carinae, three ventral and two dorsal. All carinae are with consistent denticles. The telson is hirsute, bulbous, bumpy and finely granulated, more in female.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish H. navidpouri sp. n. from all other species of the genus. The occurrence and morphology make the new species very close to H. saulcyi , which was misinterpreted by Navidpour et al. (2013). Both H. navidpouri sp. n. and H. sistanensis sp. n. differ from H. saulcyi mainly in shape of chela which is strongly elongated in H. navidpouri sp. n. and H. sistanensis sp. n. and short in H. saulcyi (see Figs. 52–56 versus 46–51).

The Fars Province of Iran creates the southern boundary of H. saulcyi range in Iran (fig. 8 in Navidpour et al., 2012), while H. navidpouri sp. n. was found only in Hormozgan Province (fig. 2 in Navidpour et al., 2013), and H. sistanensis sp. n. in Sistan and Baluchestan Province near to the Pakistan border. The fact that the range of H. navidpouri sp. n. lies between the ranges of H. saulcyi and H. sistanensis sp. n. also confirms morphology which show that H. navidpouri sp. n. is more similar to H. saulcyi than H. sistanensis sp. n. is. These two species are more densely hirsute than H. sistanensis sp. n. and have uniformly colored all pedipalp segments while H. sistanensis sp. n. has darker chela than other pedipalp segments ( Figs. 33–43 ).

It is possible to differentiate H. navidpouri sp. n. and H. sistanensis sp. n. except of these above mentioned differences and separate distribution ranges also by morphometry because H. navidpouri sp. n. has narrower and longer segments of pedipalps. Pedipalp patella length/width ratio is 3.7 in male and 3.4 in female of H. navidpouri sp. n. versus 3.4 in male and 3.1 in female of H. sistanensis sp. n. Movable fingers of pedipalps are longer in H. sistanensis sp. n. (chela length/MF length ratio is 1.31–1.36) than in H. navidpouri sp. n. (chela length/MF length ratio is 1.42– 1.44).

Figures

Figures 1–4: Hottentotta navidpouri sp. n. Figures 1–2. Holotype male, dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Figures 3–4. Paratype female, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figures 5–12: Hottentotta navidpouri sp. n. Figures 5, 7, 9–12. Holotype male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–IV (5), sternopectinal region and sternites III–VII (7), and distal segments of legs I–IV (9–12), retrolateral view. Figures 6 and 8. Paratype female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (6), sternopectinal region and sternite III (8).

Figures 13–20: Hottentotta navidpouri sp. n. Figures 13, 15–17. Paratype female, telson lateral (13), metasoma and telson, lateral (15), ventral (16), and dorsal (17) views. Figure 14. Holotype male, telson lateral. Figures 18–20. Paratype male, metasoma and telson, lateral (18), ventral (19), and dorsal (20) views. Scale bar = 10 mm (15–20).

Figures 21–45: Pedipalp segments. Figures 21–32: Hottentotta navidpouri sp. n. Figures 21–22. Paratype female, pedipalp chela, dorsal (21) and external (22) views. Figures 23–32. Holotype male. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (23), external (24), and ventral (25) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (26), external (27), and ventral (28) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, internal (29), dorsal (30), and ventral (31) views. Pedipalp movable fingers (32). Figures 33–45: Hottentotta sistanensis sp. n. Figures 33–34. Paratype female, pedipalp chela, dorsal (33) and external (34) views. Figures 35–45. Holotype male. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (35), external (36), and ventral (37) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (38), external (39), and ventral (40) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, internal (41), dorsal (42), and ventral (43) views. Pedipalp movable (44) and fixed (45) fingers. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 24–27, 29–30, 36–39, and 41–42.

Figures 46–56: Hottentotta saulcyi (46–51), H. navidpouri sp. n. (52–54), and H. sistanensis sp. n. (55–56), pedipalp chela dorsal. Figure 46–47. H. saulcyi, male (46) and female (47) from Turkey, Şirnak Province, Kagrik Village, 37°25'39"N 42°14'13.4"E. Figure 48. H. saulcyi, female from Iraq, Dohuk Province, 17 km E of Zakho City, 37°11'12"N 42°54'55"E. Figure 49. H. saulcyi, female from Iran, Ilam Province, 30 km NW Ilam, 33°43'N 46°41'E. Figure 50. H. saulcyi, female from Iran, Lorestan Province, Aligudarz, Shoolabad Village, 33°11'44"N 49°11'31"E. Figure 51. H. saulcyi, female from Iran, Bachtaran Province, Bisotul, 34°23'31"N 47°26'05"E. Figure 52. H. navidpouri sp. n. male paratype from Iran, Hormozgan Province, Bandar Abbas to Lengeh Port road, 26°40'N 55°04'E. Figure 53–54. H. navidpouri sp. n. male holotype (53) and female paratype (54) from Iran, Hormozgan Province, Lengeh, 27°08'N 55°49'E. Figure 55–56. H. sistanensis sp. n. male holotype (55) and female paratype from type locality (56).