Barbaracurus yemenensis, Kovařík & Lowe & Šťáhlavský, 2018

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme & Šťáhlavský, František, 2018, Review of the genus Babycurus Karsch, 1886 (Arachnida, Scorpiones, Buthidae), with descriptions of Barbaracurus gen. n. and two new species from Oman and Yemen, Euscorpius 267, pp. 1-41 : 30-33

Barbaracurus yemenensis sp. n.

( Figures 9 , 78 , 87 , 103–106 , 206–218 , 245–247 , 265 , Table 2 )

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FBEDE C29-0D9D-40C4-A2EE-84AC7FAA257E

Babycurus zambonellii (in part, Yemen): Sissom, 1994: 5–6, figs. 1–7; Kovařík, 1998: 104; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 80; Kovařík, 2000: 260–261, figs. 13, 26; Lowe, 2000: 18 5–1 91; Kovařík & Whitman, 2005: 106; Hendrixson, 2006: 109.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Yemen, Wadi Dawan NW Al Mukalla, 15°09'N 48°26'E, 946 m a.s.l.; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Yemen, Wadi Dawan NW Al Mukalla, 15°09'N 48°26'E, 946 m a.s.l., 3.IV.2007, 1♀ (holotype), leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP; Jabal Bura NEE Al Hudaydah, 14°53'N 43°26'E, 557 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 146 ), 19.-21.III.2007, 1♀ (paratype), leg. P. Kabátek, FKCP; Hajjah gov., 2.–3. XI.2007, Halhal vill. env., NE Hajjah by road, 15°43'42"N 43°37'25"E, 998 m a.s.l., (locality No. 14), 1juv. (paratype), leg. D. Král, FKCP .

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the country of occurence.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult females 40–42 mm, males unknown. Coloration pale yellow to light orange, chelicerae yellow without reticulation. Pedipalp chela length/width ratio 3.4–4.2 in females; pedipalp fingers of females straight ( Fig. 211 ); dentate margin of movable finger armed with 7 rows of granules, and a short apical row of 4 denticles ( Fig. 9 ); most proximal granule row with one external accessory granule. Pectines with 19– 21 teeth. Metasoma very narrow, metasoma V length/ width ratio is 2.30–2.46 in females ( Figs. 79 ); metasoma I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae and short, pointed subaculear tubercle; vesicle smooth, ellipsoidal, slightly bulbous, telson length/depth ratio 2.78–2.88; aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult females 40–42 mm, males unknown. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps are given in Table 2 . Base color base is pale yellow to light orange ( Figs. 206–218 ). Chelicerae are yellow without reticulation. ( Fig. 208 ). Sexual dimorphism unknown.

PEDIPALP ( Figs. 210–217 ). Pedipalp mostly very sparsely hirsute, more densely so on ventral surface of movable finger. Femur granulated, with five granulose carinae. Patella almost smooth with seven granulose carinae. Chela smooth with traces of carinae visible; fingers long, curved, with 7 granule rows and short apical row of 4 denticles on dentate margins; the most proximal row with one external and no internal granule. Pedipalp fingers straight in females.

CARAPACE ( Figs. 206 , 208 ). Slightly trapezoidal (narrower anteriorly) and slightly longer than wide, or as long as wide; anterior margin convex, with some short microsetae. Carination absent. Median and posterior lateral furrows wide and deep, others vestigial to absent. Tegument densely and coarsely granulose. Median eyes large and raised; four or five pairs of lateral eyes: three major ocelli aligned along each anterolateral corner, plus two minor ocelli that are vestigial to absent.

MESOSOMA ( Figs. 206–209 ). Tergites I–VI bear a single conspicuous median carina; tergite VII bears five well defined carinae (median, submedians and laterals), which are long and serrate to crenulate. All tergites densely and coarsely granulose mainly on posterior parts. Sternum type 1, triangular in shape; medial depression large. Pectines extending to around end of sternite III in females. Tooth count 19–21 (mean 20, 6 ♀ combs). Pectines with 3 marginal lamellae and 7 middle lamellae. Sternites lack carinae, surfaces smooth and sparsely setose. Posterior margin of sternite V without smooth median patch in both sexes. Sternite VII with four well defined carinae.

LEGS ( Figs. 103–106 ). The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on their ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on other surfaces; bristle combs absent. Femur bears only solitary macrosetae. Femur coarsely granulose, femur and patella with carinae developed. Moderate tibial spurs present on leg IV.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 78 , 87 , 245–247 ). All segments with granulate, completely developed carinae. The carinae are composed of minute, rounded, equalsized, and evenly spaced granules. The first metasomal segment has a total of 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments have eight carinae, and the fifth segment has five carinae. All metasomal segments are very sparsely granulated. Metasoma is very sparsely hirsute. Telson smooth with only a weak trace of a ventral carina and a dense cover of long setae mainly on the ventral surface. Subaculear tubercle short and pointed. Vesicle elongate, ellipsoidal, telson length/depth ratio 2.78–2.88 in females. Aculeus curved, shorter than vesicle.

Figures

Figure 265: Map showing the known distribution of genera Barbaracurus gen. n. and Babycurus in the Arabian Peninsula, Horn of Africa, Kenya and partially in Tanzania. The upper photo inset shows the type locality of Barbaracurus winklerorum sp. n.

Figures 1–23: Pedipalp movable finger, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. (1–10) and Babycurus (11–23) species. Figures 1–4: Barbaracurus gen. n., species with 6 non-imbricated almost linear rows of granules. Figure 1. B. ugartei comb. n., female holotype. Figure 2. B. sofomarensis comb. n., male paratype. Figure 3. B. somalicus comb. n., female from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figure 4. B. subpunctatus comb. n., female from Ethiopia, locality 14EI. Figures 5–10: Barbaracurus gen. n., species with 7 non-imbricated almost linear rows of granules. Figure 5. B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype. Figures 6–7, 10. B. zambonellii comb. n., female (6 and 10) and male (7) from Eritrea, locality 15EH. Figure 8. B. winklerorum sp. n., female paratype. Figure 9. B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 12–14: Babycurus, species with 6 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 12. B. ansorgei, female, Congo, Bukama env., FKCP. Figure 13. B. centrurimorphus, female lectotype. Figure 14. B. pictus, female, Congo, Sampwe env., FKCP. Figures 11, 15–21: Babycurus, species with 7–8 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 15. B. buettneri, female, MCSN. Figure 11, 16. B. dunlopi, male paratype. Figure 17. B. jacksoni, male, Tanzania, FKCP, No. 1189. Figure 18. B. kirki, female, Cote d’Ivoire, Comoe, FKCP. Figure 19. Babycurus melanicus, female holotype. Figure 20. B. taramassoi, female, Somalia, Belet Amin, MCSN. Figure 21. Babycurus wituensis, female lectotype. Figures 22–23: Babycurus, species with 9 imbricated rows of movable fingers. Figure 22. B. gigas, female lectotype. Figure 23. B. multisubaculeatus, female holotype. Numbers in red indicate number of granule rows in series of fingers on the left of each number (red arrows).

Figures 70–80: Metasoma and telson ventral views, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. species. Figures 70–71: B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype (70) and female (71) paratype. Figures 72–73: B. sofomarensis comb. n., male (72) and female (73) paratypes. Figures 74–74: B. somalicus comb. n., male (74) and female (75) from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figures 76–77: B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype (76) and female (77) paratype. Figures 78: B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 79–80. B. zambonellii comb. n., male (79) and female (80) from Eritrea, locality 15EH.

Figures 81–89: Telson, lateral views of both sexes, comparison of Barbaracurus gen. n. species. Figures 81–82: B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype (81) and female (82) paratype. Figures 83–84: B. somalicus comb. n., male (83) and female (84) from Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figures 85–86: B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype (85) and female (86) paratype. Figures 87: B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype. Figures 88–89. B. zambonellii comb. n., male (88) and female (89) from Eritrea, locality 15EH.

Figures 95–106: Barbaracurus gen. n. Figures 95–98: Barbaracurus exquisitus comb. n. Figures 95, 97. Holotype male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (95) and sternopectinal region (97). Figures 96, 98. Paratype female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (96) and sternopectinal region (98). Figures 99–106: Distal segments of right legs, retrolateral views. Figures 99–100. B. exquisitus comb. n., male holotype, legs III (99) and IV (100). Figures 101–102. B. winklerorum sp. n., male holotype, legs III (101) and IV (102). Figures 103–106. B. yemenensis sp. n., female holotype, legs I–IV.

Figures 206–207: Barbaracurus yemenensis sp. n., Female holotype, dorsal (206) and ventral (207) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 208–218: Barbaracurus yemenensis sp. n. Female holotype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–II (208), sternopectinal region and sternites III–IV (209), pedipalp chela, dorsal (210), external (211), and ventral (212) views, pedipalp patella, dorsal (213), external (214) and ventral (215) views, pedipalp femur and trochanter dorsal (216), internal (217), and ventral (218) views. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 211–214 and 216–217 (white circles).

Figures 239–247: Figures 239–244: Barbaracurus zambonellii comb. n. from Eritrea, locality 15EH. Figures 239–241. Male, metasoma and telson, lateral (239), ventral (240), and dorsal (241) views. Figures 242–244. Female, metasoma and telson, lateral (242), ventral (243), and dorsal (244) views. Figures 245–247: Barbaracurus yemenensis sp. n., Female holotype, metasoma and telson, lateral (245), dorsal (246), and ventral (247) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (239–241, 242–244, 245–247).

Figures 145–146: Figure 145. Locality of Barbaracurus somalicus comb. n., Somaliland, locality 17SR. Figure 146. Yemen, Jabal Bura NEE Al Hudaydah, 14°53'N 43°26'E, 557 m a.s.l., locality of paratype of Barbaracurus yemenensis sp. n.