Mesobuthus eupeus persicus ( Pocock, 1899 )

Navidpour, Shahrokh, Ezatkhah, Majeed, Kovařík, František, Soleglad, Michael E. & Fet, Victor, 2011, Scorpions of Iran (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part VII. Kerman Province, Euscorpius 131 (131), pp. 1-32 : 9-13

Mesobuthus eupeus persicus ( Pocock, 1899)

( Figs. 2 , 6 , 12 , 41–44)

Buthus caucasicus persicus Pocock, 1899: 404 ; Pocock, 1900: 19.

Buthus eupeus persicus : Birula, 1905: 119, 122, 124– 126; Birula, 1918: 10–13, figs. 1–2, 6.

Mesobuthus eupeus persicus : Vachon, 1959: 155, fig. 37; Vachon, 1966: 212; Habibi, 1971: 44; Farzanpay, 1988: 38; Fet, 1994: 527; Kovařík, 1997a: 49; Kovařík, 1998: 114; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 174.

Mesobuthus caucasicus persicus : Pérez Minocci, 1974: 25; Capes & Fet, 2001: 303.

=? Buthus eupeus kirmanensis Birula, 1900a: 364 (see Fet & Lowe, 2000: 173).

Buthus (Buthus) eupeus kirmanensis : Birula, 1917: 239;

Birula, 1918: 14. Mesobuthus eupeus kirmanensis : Vachon, 1959: 155;

Vachon, 1966: 212; Habibi, 1971: 43; Farzanpay,

1988: 38; Fet, 1994: 527; Kovařík, 1997a: 49; Kovařík, 1998: 114; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 173.

=? Buthus pachysoma Birula, 1900a: 370 , syn.n. (?).

Buthus eupeus pachysoma : Birula, 1905: 128.

Buthus (Buthus) eupeus pachysoma : Birula, 1917: 239.

Mesobuthus eupeus pachysoma : Vachon, 1959: 155; Vachon, 1966: 212; Habibi, 1971: 43; Farzanpay, 1988: 38; Fet, 1994: 527; Kovařík, 1997a: 49; Kovařík, 1998: 114; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 174.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Persia, now Iran, East Azarbaijan , Seir, E side of Lake Urmia (Urmi); BMNH .

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Iran, East Azarbaijan Province, Seir, Lake Urmi , 1♀ lectotype hereby designated (see Figs. 43–44) ( BMNH No. 1900.1,15) .

KERMAN PROVINCE MATERIAL EXAMINED [19 localities]. Iran, Kerman Province , Deh Bakri, 7.IV.2000, 29°05.370'N 57°55.539'E (29.0895, 57.9257), 1957 m a.s.l., 1♀ A, leg. M. Kaftan ; 45 km NNE Sabzvárán ( Jirroft ), 28º58'N 57º54'E (28.9667, 57.9000), 2231 m a.s.l.., 2♀ 2juvs. ( FKCP), 19.VII.2004, leg. P. Kabátek ; Jiroft , Tavakol Abad vil., 28°26'25"N 56°49'37"E (28. 4403, 56.8269), 580 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-07), IV.2009, 8♂ 3♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Jiroft , Rumrez vil., 28° 30'03"N 57°47'01"E (28.5008, 57.7836), 577 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-09), IV.2009, 21♂ 18 ♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Jiroft , Khadang vil., 28°31'01"N 57°47'49"E (28.5169, 57.7969), 590 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-10), IV.2009, 5♀ ( RRLS), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Jiroft , Poshtelor vil., 28°36'41"N 57°45'40"E (28.6114, 57.7611), 640 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-11), IV.2009, 1♂ 6♀ ( RRLS), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Ghaleh ganj, Bolbol Abad vil., 27°38'38"N 57°56'22"E (27.6439, 57.9394), 419 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-15), IV.2009, 3♂ 5♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Rafsanjan road, Sarcheshmeh (Gode Ahmar), 30°02'53"N 55° 53'54"E (30.0481, 55.8983), 2316 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-41), V.2009, 10♂ 15♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 2♀ 1 juv. ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Shahre Babak , Marza, 30°01'43"N 55°05'41"E (30.0286, 55.0947), 1789 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-54), V.2009, 2♂ 1♀ ( RRLS), 1♀ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Sirjan-Baft road, 29°24'01"N 55°58'42"E (29.4003, 55.9783), 1905 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-73), V.2009, 2♂ ( RRLS), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft-Kerman road, 29°14'31"N 56°40'50"E (29.2419, 56.6806), 2398 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-75), V.2009, 2 ♂ 1♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft , Nanook vil., 29°20'28"N 56°50'20"E (29.3411, 56.8389), 2748 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-77), V.2009, 4♂ 2 ♀ ( RRLS), 2♂ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft , Nanook vil., Rabar, 29°20'45"N 56°50'19"E (29.3458, 56.8386), 2798 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-78), V.2009, 5♂ 3♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft-Orzouyeh road, 29° 06'56"N 56°36'52"E (29.1156, 56.6144), 2228 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-79), V.2009, 1♂ 3♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ im. ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft-Orzouyeh road, 29°08'19"N 56°36'55"E (29.1392, 56.6153), 2250 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-80), V.2009, 3♂ 2♀ ( RRLS), 2♂ ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft-Orzouyeh road, 29°09'21"N 56° 37'14"E (29.1558, 56.6206), 2174 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-81), V.2009, 1♂ 1♀ ( RRLS), 1♂ 1♀ im. ( FKCP), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Baft-Sirjan road, 29°15'23"N 56°29'12"E (29.2564, 56.4867), 2275 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-83), V.2009, 2♂ ( RRLS), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; Ravar-Mashhad road, 31°21'44"N 56°50'08"E (31.3622, 56.8356), 1100 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-84), V.2009, 1♂ 1♀ ( RRLS), leg. Koohpaye, Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi ; 8 km N Bardsir , 29.95° N 56.58° E, 2050 m a.s.l., 6.VI.2010, 1♂ im. 1♀ 1juv. ( FKCP), leg. W. Grosser.

DISCUSSION: Buthus pachysoma Birula, 1900 was based on a single female 49 mm long from Kerman Province (Bampur River, eastern Kerman, Persia, now Iran), which has not been revised and no author other than Birula has mentioned other specimens. It is interesting that Birula (1900: 370-373) compared this taxon with Buthus rugiscutis and Buthus nigrolineatus , which are today placed in the genus Hottentotta . Subsequently Birula (1905: 128) called this taxon Buthus eupeus pachysoma and listed other specimens, primarily from Baluchistan. Unfortunately, neither these specimens could be revised. Birula (1905: 129) compared Buthus eupeus pachysoma also with Buthus atrostriatus , whose types one of authors (FK) have examined. They resemble species of the genus Mesobuthus , in which Buthus atrostriatus has been so far placed, but have central median and posterior median carinae of carapace joined to form a continuous linear series of granules reaching posterior margin, which indicates assignment to the genus Compsobuthus . We therefore conclude that Buthus atrostriatus Pocock, 1897 = Compsobuthus atrostriatus (Pocock, 1897) , comb. n. It should be noted that Birula (1905: 128) also distinguished Buthus eupeus pachysoma from Buthus eupeus eupeus from Caucasus primarily by different carinae on the carapace. Consequently, until the type of Buthus pachysoma Birula, 1900 can be revised we will not know whether it is Mesobuthus , Hottentotta , Compsobuthus or Sassanidotus . Since we have been able to examine large numbers of specimens from different localities in the province and to become familiar with the species composition in the region, we currently believe that Buthus pachysoma is most likely a synonym of Mesobuthus eupeus persicus ( Pocock, 1899) ; however, we also have to admit to the possibility of synonymization with Mesobuthus macmahoni ( Pocock, 1900) or Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900) .

It is reasonable to assume that Mesobuthus eupeus persicus ( Pocock, 1899) is widely distributed primarily over the central and southeastern provinces of Iran. Because of the difficulties with taxa placed in the “ Mesobuthus eupeus ” complex and our so far incomplete efforts to determine their distributional limits, in our “Scorpions of Iran “ series we list only those occurrences whose taxonomic position can be clarified. It should be noted that the type locality of Mesobuthus eupeus persicus is near the northwestern limit of its distribution, which might have contributed to previous assignments of the Kerman population to other taxa within the “ Mesobuthus eupeus ” complex.

DISTRIBUTION: Iran, East Azarbaijan Province ( Pocock, 1899: 404), Kerman and Sistan & Baluchistan Provinces (Birula, 1900a: 364; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 173); Pakistan ( Pocock, 1900: 20).

Figures

Figure 12: Map of Kerman Province showing distribution of Mesobuthus eupeus persicus (Pocock, 1899) and Mesobuthus macmahoni (Pocock, 1900) collected in this study.

Figures 2–3: Iran, Kerman Province. 2 (top). Ghaleh ganj, Bolbol Abad vil., 27°38'38"N 57°56'22"E, 419 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-15). Recorded occurrence of Mesobuthus eupeus persicus (Pocock, 1899) and Sassanidotus gracilis (Birula, 1900). 3 (bottom). Jamalizadeh and Ebrahimi; Badr abad, Narmashir, 28°54'36"N 58°42'14"E, 775 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-26). Recorded occurrence of Mesobuthus macmahoni (Pocock, 1900).

Figure 6–7: Iran, Kerman Province. 6 (top). Ravar-Mashhad road, 31°21'44"N 56°50'08"E, 1100 m a.s.l.(Locality No. KE-84). Recorded occurrence of Kraepelinia palpator (Birula, 1903), Mesobuthus eupeus persicus (Pocock, 1899), and Mesobuthus macmahoni (Pocock, 1900). 7 (bottom). Baft, Rabar, Nanuk vil., 29°19'51"N 56°50'21"E, 2873 m a.s.l. (Locality No. KE-91). Recorded occurrence of Hemiscorpius lepturus Peters, 1861.