Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Ranawana, Kithsiri B., Hoferek, David & Š, V. A., 2016, Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Scorpiones Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpionidae) with description of four new species of the genera Charmus Karsch, 1879 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972, stat n, Euscorpius 220, pp. 1-133 : 111-113

Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872

( Figs. 15 , 535–546 )

Heterometrus swammerdami Simon, 1872: 56–59 ; Fet, 2000: 443–444 (complete reference list until 1998); Kovařík, 200 4: 42–44, fig. 28 (complete reference list until 2004); Kovařík, 2009: 44, 93, 113, figs. 139–145, 275–283; Veronika & al., 2013: 72–73, figs. 1, 3–8, tab. 1.

Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) swammerdami: Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 562–567 , figs. 1497–1510;

= Heterometrus (Gigantometrus) swammerdami titanicus Couzijn, 1981: 165–167 , figs. 4f, 55, 56 (syn. by Kovařík, 2004: 42).

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. East Indies; MNHN.

SRI LANKAN MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sri Lanka, North Western Province, Puttalam , IV.1994, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv., FKCP, leg. P. Senft ; Central Province, Kandy District, Hantana ( Peradeniya ), University land, 07°14'54.7"N 080°36'54"E, 760 m a.s.l. ( Locality 15CA, Fig. 575 ), 19. –21. IV.2015, 1♀, UPSL, leg. Kovařík et al.; Central Province, Matale District, Maragamuwa / Kumaragala , 0 7°41'58.5"N 080°42'26.7"E, 662 m a.s.l. ( Locality 15CB, Fig. 576 ), 21. IV.2015, 1♀ ( Figs. 535–543 ), FKCP, leg. Kovařík et al.; North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, Giritale, 08°01'26.0"N 080°54' 37.2"E, 233 m a.s.l. ( Locality 15CE, Figs. 579–580 ), 22. –23. IV.2015, 1juv. ( Fig. 545 ), FKCP, 3juvs., UPSL, leg. Kovařík et al.; Northern Province, Jaffna District, 09°42'51.6"N 080°04'44.8"E, 19 m a.s.l. ( Locality 15CJ, Fig. 587 ), 26. –27. IV.2015, 1♀, FKCP, leg. Kovařík et al.; North Central Province, Anuradhapura District, Mihintale , 08°20'51.8"N 080°30'27.7"E, 156 m a.s.l. (Locality 15CL, Fig. 589 ), 27. –28. IV.2015, photos only, leg. Kovařík et al. ; North Central Province, Puttalam District, Eluwankulam , 08° 1 2'35.1"N 079°51'32"E, 52 m a.s.l. (Locality 15CN, Fig. 591 ), 28. IV.2 015, photos only, leg. Kovařík et al.; North Central Province, Puttalam District, Eluwankulam, 08°17'15"N 079°50' 38.7"E, 38 m a.s.l. ( Locality 15CO, Fig. 592 ), 28. IV.2 015, 1juv., UPSL, leg. Kovařík et al.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 1 28–176 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish brown to reddish black. Juveniles may be red with yellow telson. Pectinal teeth number 16–20. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps not noticeable. Chela strongly lobiform, length/ width ratio 1.6–1.8 in both sexes. Entire manus covered by large, rounded granulae that do not form true carinae. Pedipalp patella without pronounced internal tubercle. Carapace with disc smooth, margins and posterior portion granulate, anterior portion granulate and tuberculate; occasionally entire surface sparsely granulate. Fifth segment of metasoma longer than pedipalp femur, fourth segment of metasoma approximately as long as pedipalp femur. Telson bulbous, vesicle as long as or longer than aculeus.

NOTE. For photos of the male see figs. 139–142 and 275 in Kovařík, 2009: 93 and 113.

DISTRIBUTION. India and Sri Lanka.

Figures

Figures 12–15: Maps showing the known geographical distribution of the Sri Lankan species.

Figures 535–536: Heterometrus swammerdami from locality 15CB, female in dorsal (535) and ventral (536) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 537–538: Heterometrus swammerdami from locality 15CB, female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (537), and sternopectinal region with sternites III–IV (538).

Figures 539–543: Heterometrus swammerdami from locality 15CB, female, pedipalp chela dorsal (539), external (540) and ventral (541) views, tarsomeres of third (542) and fourth (543) legs retroventral views.

Figures 544–546: Heterometrus swammerdami, two differently colored females (544, 546) at locality 15CJ and juvenile (545) at locality 15CE.

Figures 575–576: Figure 575. Locality 15CA, Sri Lanka, Central Province, Kandy District, Hantana (Peradeniya), University land, 07°14'54.7"N 080°36'54"E, 760 m a.s.l. Specimens of Heterometrus indus were collected along a road during a day under stones and under bark on the photo. A male was collected also in a kitchen inside a house. During night collecting on 19.– 21.IV.2015 (UV detection), we recorded a lot of specimens around their burrows. On the locality we recorded night temperature 25.6 ºC– 21.4 ºC (minimum temperature) and night humidity varied between 72% (evening) and 87% (morning). There also lives Heterometrus swammerdami and Buthoscorpio sarasinorum (type locality). Figure 576. Locality 15CB, Sri Lanka, Central Province, Matale District, Maragamuwa/Kumaragala, 07°41'58.5"N 080°42'26.7"E, 662 m a.s.l. During a day (21.IV.2015, temperature 26.1 ºC– 33.2 ºC, humidity 63%–88%) we recorded Heterometrus swammerdami inside termite constructions. There also lives Isometrus thwaitesi.

Figures 579–581: Figures 579–580. Locality 15CE, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, Giritale, 08°01'26.0"N 080°54'37.2"E, 233 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 22.–23.IV.2015 in the hotel garden (UV detection) we recorded Heterometrus swammerdami (inside the termite constructions, Fig. 580) and Heterometrus gravimanus inside burrows in open terrain. The mothers had 30 to 60 cm long oblique burrows usually once curved from which several narrow burrows created by their juveniles separated under surface. Every burrow of juveniles has a proper exit 15 to 90 cm from the main exit of the motherś burrow. On the locality we recorded night temperature 32.8 ºC– 26.5 ºC (minimum temperature) and night humidity varied between 51% and 79%. Figure 581. Locality 15CF, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, near Kaudulla National Park, 08°08'40.6"N 080°51'04"E, 101 m a.s.l. During a day 23.IV.2015 we recorded Buthoscorpio sarasinorum (under stones or woods), Isometrus thwaitesi (under dry bark of standing trees), Reddyanus besucheti (under stones), and Chaerilus ceylonensis (under stones).

Figures 585–587: Figure 585. Locality 15CI, Sri Lanka, Northern Province, Mannar District, Marichchukkaddi env, border of Wilpattu National Park, 08°33'32.3"N 079°56'51"E, 7 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 25.–26.IV.2015 (UV detection) we recorded Isometrus maculatus and Isometrus thwaitesii sympatrically (running on branches and trunks of trees, also sitting on leaves one to four metres high), Reddyanus ceylonensis sp. n. (on the land among leaves; the type locality), Reddyanus loebli (hidden under scales of bark of standing tree trunks). Near to the locality we recorded temperature between 37.6 ºC (maximum daytime temperature and 26.2 ºC (minimum nighttime temperature) shortly before sunrise. Humidity varied between 67% and 81%. Figures 586–587. Locality 15CJ, Sri Lanka, Northern Province, Jaffna District, 09°42'51.6"N 080°04'44.8"E, 19 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 26.–27.IV.2015 (UV detection) we recorded Lychas srilankensis (on the land usually under branches, leaves or in their vicinity), Heterometrus swammerdami (inside the termite constructions or inside heaps of garden "waste") and Heterometrus gravimanus inside burrows in open terrain (Fig. 587). The females had 30 to 60 cm long oblique burrows once or twice curved. A female shortly after maturity ecdysis was in the burrow together with a male; another female was in the burrow together with three juveniles which had their own narrow burrows separated under surface from the motherś burrow; a juvenile after the third ecdysis had a proper burrow 30 cm long oblique and once curved. There also lives Isometrus maculatus. On the locality we recorded night temperature 31.6 ºC– 27.2 ºC (minimum temperature) and night humidity varied between 60% and 87%.

Figures 588–589: Figure 588. Locality 15CK, Sri Lanka, Northern Province, Jaffna District, 09°49'15.4"N 080°08'41.6"E, 19 m a.s.l. During day 27.IV.2015 we recorded Hottentotta tamulus under stones or woods and also in vicinity of houses. Figure 589. Locality 15CL, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Anuradhapura District, Mihintale, 08°20'51.8"N 080°30'27.7"E, 156 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 27.–28.IV.2015 (UV detection) we recorded Isometrus thwaitesii (running on branches and trunks of trees, also sitting on leaves), Reddyanus besucheti (on the ground among leaves), Reddyanus loebli (hidden under scales of bark of standing tree trunks) and Heterometrus swammerdami (inside burrows). On the locality we recorded night temperature 27.4 ºC– 24.5 ºC (minimum temperature) and night humidity varied between 64% and 87%.

Figures 590–591: Figure 590. Locality 15CM, Sri Lanka, Central Province, Matale District, Pallegama, 07°32'49.5"N 080°47'50"E, 434 m a.s.l. During a day 28.IV.2015 we recorded Reddyanus loebli (under bark). Figure 591. Locality 15CN, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Puttalam District, Eluwankulam, 08°12'35.1"N 079°51'32"E, 52 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 28.IV.2015 (UV detection) between 9.00 and 10.00 p.m. we recorded Charmus laneus (running on the ground among leaves), Lychas srilankensis (on the ground under branches or leaves or in their vicinity), Reddyanus ceylonensis sp. n. (on the ground and inside old moulder stump), Reddyanus loebli (hidden under scales of bark of standing tree trunks) and Heterometrus swammerdami (inside burrows). On the locality we recorded between 9.00 and 10.00 p.m. temperature 28.5 ºC– 25.9 ºC and humidity between 61% and 78%.

Figures 592–594: Figure 592. Locality 15CO, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Puttalam District, Eluwankulam, 08°17'15"N 079°50'38.7"E, 38 m a.s.l. During night collecting from 10.30 p.m. on 28.IV.2015 to 4.00 a.m. on 29.IV.2015 (UV detection) we recorded Charmus laneus (running on the ground among leaves), Isometrus thwaitesii (running on branches of bushes, also sitting on leaves), Lychas srilankensis (on the ground under branches, leaves or in their vicinity), Reddyanus ceylonensis sp. n. (on the ground), Chaerilus ceylonensis (inside oblique usually not curved burrows 15 to 30 cm long) and Heterometrus swammerdami (inside long burrows). On the locality we recorded between 10.00 p.m. and 4.00 a.m. temperature 25.9 ºC and humidity between 58% and 70%. On the locality we recorded 6 scorpion species and genera of all three Sri Lankan families. Figures 593–594. Locality 15CP, Sri Lanka, Southern Province, Matara District, Kekanadura village, 05°58'28.2"N 080°36'20.5"E, 40 m a.s.l. During night collecting on 30.IV.2015 (UV detection) we recorded Isometrus maculatus (inside a house, the species occupy the roof of the house, Fig. 593) and Heterometrus serratus (inside almost straight burrows in a ground wall). On the locality we recorded night temperature 28.4 ºC– 25.2 ºC (minimum temperature) and night humidity varied between 63% and 89%.