Chaerilus ceylonensis Pocock, 1894

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 : 96

Chaerilus ceylonensis Pocock, 1894

( Figs. 13 , 200 , 428–457 )

Chaerilus ceylonensis Pocock, 1894: 83–84 ; Vachon, 1982: 102, figs. 94–95; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 326–332, figs. 925–939; Fet, 2000: 325 (complete reference list until 1998); Kovařík, 2000: 44–45, fig. 14; Lourenço & Huber, 2002: 273; Kovařík & Ojanguren, 2013: 135, 284, figs. 732–733.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Trincomalee ; BMNH.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sri Lanka, Trincomalee , 1♂ (holotype, figs. 732–733 in Kovařík & Ojanguren, 2013: 284), BMNH No. 1893.10.20.4.

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, ca 35 km from Dambula , 07°57'15.1"N 080°54'45,4"E, 132 m a.s.l. (Locality 15CD, Fig. 578 ), 22.IV.2015, 2♂ ( Figs. 200 , 428 , 430– 431, 436, 438, 440–442, 446–449, 454) 1♀ ( Figs. 429 , 432–435, 437, 439, 443–445, 450–453, 455), FKCP, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv., UPSL, leg. Kovařík et al .; North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, near Kaudulla National Park , 08°08'40.6"N 080°51'04"E, 101 m a.s.l. (Locality 15CF, Fig. 581 ), 23.IV.2015, 1♂ 1♀ 1juv., FKCP, 1♂ 1juv., UPSL, 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.2015, 2♂, FKCP, 3juvs., UPSL, leg. Kovařík et al .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 27–45 mm. Two pairs of lateral eyes and one pair of median eyes. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 11–12 rows of granules. Fingers straight and short. Trichobothrium d 2 of pedipalp patella located on dorsal surface, trichobothrium id on internal surface. Pedipalp chela with 9 carinae. Pectinal teeth number 4– 6. Entire carapace evenly covered by granules. Ratio of median eye distance from anterior and posterior margins of carapace = 1: 1.55–1.60. Mesosoma without carinae. Sternites smooth. First and second metasomal segments with 10 carinae, third and fourth segments with 8 carinae, fifth segment with 7 carinae. All carinae consist of large, denticulate granules.

DISTRIBUTION. Sri Lanka.

Figures

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

Figures 193–200: Distal segments of leg IV, retroventral view of Sri Lankan Buthidae and Chaerilidae genera. Buthoscorpio sarasinorum, male from locality 15CF (193), Charmus laneus, male from locality 15CO (194), Hottentotta tamulus, male from locality 15CK (195), Isometrus maculatus, female from locality 15CI (196), Isometrus thwaitesi, female from locality 15CO (197), Lychas srilankensis, male from locality 15CJ (198), Reddyanus basilicus, male from locality 15CS (199), and Chaerilus ceylonensis, male from locality 15CD (200).

Figures 403–429: Telson, lateral view of Sri Lankan Buthidae and Chaerilidae species. Figures 403–404. Isometrus maculatus, male from locality 15CP (403) and female from locality 15CI (404). Figures 405–406. I. thwaitesi, male from locality 15CH (405) and female from locality 15CO (406). Figures 407–408. Lychas srilankensis, male (407) and female (408) from locality 15CJ. Figures 409–410. Reddyanus basilicus, male (409) and female (410) from locality 15CR. Figures 411–412. R. besucheti, male holotype (411) and female from locality 15CG (412). Figures 413–414. R. ceylonensis sp. n., male holotype (413) and female paratype (414) from locality 15CI. Figures 415–416. R. jayarathnei sp. n., male (415) and female (416) paratypes. Figures 417–418. R. loebli, male (417) and female (418) from locality 15CG. Figures 419–420. R. ranawanai sp. n., male holotype (419) and female paratype (420). Figures 421–422: Buthoscorpio sarasinorum, male from locality 15CF (421) and female from locality 15CG (422). Figures 423–424. Charmus laneus, male (423) and female (424) from locality 15CO. Figures 425–426. Charmus saradieli sp. n. male paratype (425) (MHNG) and female holotype (426). Figurs 427. Hottentotta tamulus, male from locality 15CK (427). Figures 428–429. Chaerilus ceylonensis, male (428) and female (429) from locality 15CD.

Figures 430–435: Chaerilus ceylonensis from locality 15CD. Figures 430–431. Male in dorsal (430) and ventral (431) views. Figures 432–435. Female, dorsal (432) and ventral (433) views, and chelicera ventral (434) and dorsal (435) views.

Figures 436–439: Chaerilus ceylonensis from locality 15CD. Figures 436, 438. Male, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–II (436), and sternopectinal region with sternite III (438). Figures 437, 439. Female, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–II (437), and sternopectinal region (439).

Figures 440–445: Chaerilus ceylonensis from locality 15CD. Figures 440–442. Male, metasoma and telson, lateral (440), ventral (441), and dorsal (442) views. Figures 443–445. Female, metasoma and telson, lateral (443), ventral (444), and dorsal (445) views.

Figures 446–453: Chaerilus ceylonensis from locality 15CD. Figures 446–449. Male. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (446), external (447) and ventral (448) views. Movable finger (449). Figures 450–453. Female. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (450), external (451) and ventral (452) views. Movable finger (453).

Figures 454–457: Chaerilus ceylonensis from locality 15CD, male (454), female (455), female with juveniles after first ecdysis (456), and female with newborns (457).

Figures 577–578: Figure 577. Locality 15CC, Sri Lanka, Central Province, Kandy District, 20 km S Kandy, Meegammana, Wattegama, 07°20'41.9"N 080°39'30.6"E, 534 m a.s.l.. We collected a female of Heterometrus indus close to a house on 21.IV.2015 evening. There also lives Isometrus sp. Figure 578. Locality 15CD, Sri Lanka, North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District, ca 35 km from Dambula, 07°57'15.1"N 080°54'45,4"E, 132 m a.s.l. During the day 22.IV.2015 under stones we recorded Reddyanus besucheti (close to the type locality) and Chaerilus ceylonensis.

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 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%.