Hottentotta haudensis, Kovařík & Lowe, 2021

Kovařík, František & Lowe, Graeme, 2021, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXVI. Records of Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896), with descriptions of H. haudensis sp. n. and H. nigrimontanus sp. n. (Buthidae) from Somaliland, Euscorpius 330, pp. 1-28 : 9-16

Hottentotta haudensis sp. n.

( Figures 46–90 , 136 , 138 , 144–146 , Table 1) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6B1B184E-

FD98-4CF9-A056-9303A990AC5A

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somaliland , Shanshade Village, 08°39'35"N 45°55'49"E, 790 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 18SJ) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL ( FKCP). Somaliland, Shanshade Village , 08°39'35"N 45°55'49"E, 790 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 18SJ, Fig. 89 ), 29-31.VIII.2018, 1♂ (holotype) 4♂ 1♀1♀ juv. (paratypes), leg. F. KovařÍk ; N of Burao, Togdheer, surrounding of Egal Hotel , 09°33'24"N 45°31'58"E, 1014 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 17SH), 30.-31.VIII.2017, 1♂ 3♀ (paratypes), leg. F. KovařÍk ; Burao , airport, 09°31'51"N 45°33'15"E, 1040 m a. s. l (Locality No. 17SC), 6.II.2017, 1♀ 1♂1♂ juv. (paratypes, 1198, 1202), leg. F. KovařÍk.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the Haud area, a region of thornbush and grasslands in the Horn of Africa characterized by red sands, see Fig. 136 .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of males 27–31 mm, of females 31–33.5 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria et and est. Sexual dimorphism not pronounced; manus of pedipalp about the same width in both sexes. Pectine teeth number 16–19 in males, 14–16 in females. Chelicerae yellow, anterior manus reticulated. Pedipalps sparsely hirsute. Metasoma with only a few setae. Base color yellowish to orange brown. Dorsal surfaces of pedipalps and ventral surfaces of metasoma with numerous dark spots. Mesosoma yellowish to reddish brown, with black spots. Femur of pedipalp with 5 carinae that may be incomplete. Patella with 8 granulated carinae. Chela lacks carinae except dorsal carinae which are present or indicated, surfaces usually granulate. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 10–11 rows of denticles and 4 terminal and one basal terminal denticles. Sternite VII bears 4 well marked carinae, usually granulated. Metasoma I–IV with 10 carinae; metasoma V with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear larger posterior terminal granules. Metasoma narrow; metasomal segment I of adults usually longer than wide or as long as wide; metasomal segment II always longer than wide; metasomal segment IV length/width ratio 1.5–1.7 in both sexes. Telson vesicle bulbous, telson length/depth ratio 2.28 in female.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult males 27–31 mm, females 31–33.5 mm. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp is situated between trichobothria et and est. Pedipalp fingers proximally rather straight in both sexes. Female has more bulbous telson vesicle than male. Chelicerae yellow, anterior manus reticulated. For the position and distribution of trichobothria see Figs. 69–73, 75–76 .

Coloration ( Figs. 19–24 ). Whole body yellowish or orange brown; carapace, tergites, metasoma, telson, dorsal surfaces of pedipalps and legs with black spots; tarsomeres of legs yellow without spots.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 46–53 ). Carapace 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. Pectinal tooth count is 16–19 (1x16, 1x17, 4x18, 4x19) in males and 14–16 (2x14, 2x16) in females. Pectinal marginal tips extend to the posterior end of sternite III in males and to the proximal ¾ of sternite III in females. Pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 7–9 middle lamellae. Lamellae bear numerous dark long setae, each fulcrum with 3–5 setae. All sternites sparsely hirsute and finely granulated with smooth parts mainly in medial area. Sternite VII with four granulate carinae, other sternites have two furrows.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 60–67 ). All metasomal segments only very sparsely hirsute. Metasoma I–IV with 10 carinae, metasoma V with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated, dorsal carinae bear larger posterior terminal granules. First metasomal segment of adults usually longer than wide or as long as wide, second metasomal segment always longer than wide. Telson vesicle bulbous and sparsely granulated. Telson length/depth ratio 2.28 in female.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 68–88 ). Pedipalps sparsely hirsute and granulated. Femur with five granulate carinae, patella with eight granulate carinae and chela with dorsal carinae present or indicated, other carinae absent. Movable fingers of pedipalps bear 10–11 rows of denticles and 4 terminal and one basal terminal denticles.

Legs ( Figs. 54–57 ). Tarsomeres have two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces; bristle combs absent. Femur coarsely granulose with only several macrosetae, femur and patella with carinae well developed. Moderate tibial spurs present on legs III–IV and absent on other legs.

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 144–146 ). Flagelliform; flagellum folded into pars recta and pars reflecta. Pars recta shorter, with fin-like expansion of anterior margin; pars reflecta about twice as long as pars recta, narrow, hyaline. Trunk long, narrow, basally widened with attached pedicel. Capsule short, sperm hemiduct divided into 3 laminate lobes: posterior lobe longest, with rounded apex; median lobe shortest, tapered, apically acuminate, concave side connected to posterior lobe along proximal half of midline rib or median lobe carina; anterior lobe of intermediate length, distal portion narrower but not tapered, with blunt apex. Basal lobe short, strong, hook-like, located at base of median lobe. Morphology was similar in both left and right hemispermatophores examined from paratype 1198. Measurements of left hemispermatophore (mm): trunk L, 3.76; capsule L 0.33; flagellum pars recta L 0.90, pars reflecta L 2.04, total L 2.94.

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish H. haudensis sp. n. from all other species of the genus. It is the smallest species of the genus. Certain morphological features (characteristic spots and narrow metasoma) are shared with H. polystictus , suggesting a close affinity with this species. These two species can be differentiated by: 1) total length 27–31 (males), 31–33.5 (females) mm in H. haudensis sp. n., vs. total length 35–45 (males), 40–55 (females) mm in H. polystictus ; 2) pectinal tooth counts of 16–19 in males, 14– 16 in females of H. haudensis sp. n., vs. counts of 22–24 in males, 18–20 in females of H. polystictus , with pectines being distinctly shorter in H. haudensis sp. n.; 3) movable fingers of pedipalps with 10–11 rows of denticles in H. haudensis sp. n., vs. 12–14 rows of denticles in H. polystictus .

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality of Hottentotta haudensis sp. n., (Somaliland, Shanshade Village, 08°39'35"N 45°55'49"E, 790 m a. s. l., 18SJ), in a red sandy semidesert ( Fig. 136 and figs. 60–61 in KovařÍk & Lowe, 2019), is also the type locality of three other buthid scorpions, Gint banfasae KovařÍk & Lowe, 2019 (the numerically dominant scorpion species at this locality), Parabuthus kabateki KovařÍk et al., 2019 , and Parabuthus mazuchi KovařÍk et al., 2019 . All scorpions were recorded at night during UV collecting together with another rare buthid, Lanzatus somalilandus KovařÍk & Lowe, 2016 . We visited this locality on 29–31 August 2018 and recorded a maximum daytime temperature of 40 ºC, and a minimum nighttime temperature of 23 ºC. The recorded humidity was between 24% (minimum at day) and 65% (maximum at night).

DISTRIBUTION. Somaliland ( Fig. 138 ).

Figures

Figures 46–49: Hottentotta haudensis sp. n. Figures 46–47. Male holotype, dorsal (46) and ventral (47) views. Figures 48–49. Female paratype, dorsal (48) and ventral (49) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 50–59: Hottentotta haudensis sp. n. Figures 50, 52, 54–59. Male holotype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (50), sternopectinal region and sternites III–IV (52), left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (54–57), and right chelicera dorsal (58) and ventral (59) views. Figures 51, 53, Female paratype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (51), and sternopectinal region and sternites III–IV (53).

Figures 60–67: Hottentotta haudensis sp. n. Figures 60, 62–64. Male holotype, telson lateral (60), and metasoma and telson lateral (62), ventral (63), and dorsal (64). Figures 61, 65–67. Female paratype, telson lateral (61), and metasoma and telson lateral (65), ventral (66), and dorsal (67). Scale bar: 10 mm (62–67).

Figures 68–88: Hottentotta haudensis sp. n. Figures 68–78. Male holotype, pedipalp chela dorsal (68), external (69) and ventral (70) views, patella dorsal (71), external (72) and ventral (73) views, femur and trochanter ventral (74), internal (75), and dorsal (76) views, movable (77) and fixed (78) fingers dentition. Figures 79–88. Female paratype, pedipalp chela dorsal (79), external (80) and ventral (81) views, patella dorsal (82), external (83) and ventral (84) views, femur and trochanter ventral (85), internal (86), and dorsal (87) views, movable finger dentition (88). Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 68–72 and 75–76 by white circles.

Figures 89–90: Hottentotta haudensis sp. n., male (89) and female (90) paratypes from locality 17SC in vivo habitus.

Figures 136–137: Collection localities. Figure 136. Hottentotta haudensis sp. n., type locality. Figure 137. H. polystictus, locality 11SH.

Figures 138–139: Figure 138. Map showing the distribution of Hottentotta in Somaliland checked during 2011–2019 expeditions, including records of H. polystictus from Djibouti and Ethiopia. Figure 139. Hottentotta nigrimontanus sp. n., type locality (18SD).

Figures 140–146: Hemispermatophores. Figures 140–143: Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896), male from locality 17ST (1335). Figure 140. Whole right hemispermatophore, convex view. Figures 141–143. Capsule region of right hemispermatophore, anterior (141), convex compressed (142) and posterior (143) views. Scale bars: 1 mm (140), 200 μm (141–143). Figures 144–146: H. haudensis sp. n., paratype male (1198). Figures 144–145. Capsule regions of right (144) and left (145) hemispermatophores, convex views. Right capsule was fractured, split off lobes were positioned for display. Capsules compressed to separate the lobes. Figure 146. Whole left hemispermatophore, convex view. Trunk was fractured, pieces were positioned for display. Scale bars: 200 μm (144–145), 1 mm (146).

Figures 15–22: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 15, 20–22. Male, telson lateral (15), and metasoma and telson lateral (20), dorsal (21), and ventral (22). Figures 16–19. Female, telson lateral (16), and metasoma and telson lateral (17), dorsal (18), and ventral (19). Scale bars: 10 mm (17–19, 20–22).

Figures 23–43: Hottentotta polystictus, topotypes, Somaliland, Hamas, between Hargeisa and Berbera, 10°02.267'N 44°47.299'E. Figures 23–33. Male, pedipalp chela dorsal (23), external (24) and ventral (25) views, patella dorsal (26), external (27) and ventral (28) views, femur and trochanter ventral (29), internal (30), and dorsal (31) views, movable (32) and fixed (33) fingers dentition. Figures 34–43. Female, pedipalp chela dorsal (34), external (35) and ventral (36) views, patella dorsal (37), external (38) and ventral (39) views, femur and trochanter ventral (40), internal (41), and dorsal (42) views, movable finger dentition (43). Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 34–38 and 41–42 by white circles.