Lychas aareyensis, Mirza & Sanap, 2010

Mirza, Zeeshan A. & Sanap, Rajesh V., 2010, Description of a new species of scorpion of the genus Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Maharashtra, India, Journal of Threatened Taxa 2 (4), pp. 789-796 : 790-793

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11609/JoTT.o2363.789-96
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF0E2DE1-A65E-4A1B-8FBD-3D1042411FD9
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6BED3074-F395-4F56-90BF-D6DE0D712385
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:6BED3074-F395-4F56-90BF-D6DE0D712385
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Lychas aareyensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lychas aareyensis sp. nov.

( Image 1-15 View Images 1 View Images 10 View Image 13 View Images 14 & 15 , Figs. 1-3 View Figures 1-3 )

Material examined

Holotype: Female, 14.iii.2009, 19°8’43.73”N & 72°52’55.39”E, 103m, Aarey Milk Colony, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, coll. Rajesh Sanap and Zeeshan A. Mirza ( BNHS SC-23 ). GoogleMaps

Paratype: 2 females ( BNHS SC-25 / SC-26 ) , 1 male ( BNHS SC-24 ) , same data as above .

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to Aarey, the type and only known locality for the new species.

Diagnosis

A small-sized scorpion which differs from other species of the genus as follows: median eye situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:1.6; 13-13 pectinal teeth; smaller size 31.65mm (maximum); external granule absent on immovable and present on movable finger of female; trichobothrium db between et and est situated closer to est; pedipalp patella in shade of orange with faint brown reticulate markings or spots; metasomal segment I and II with 10 keels and III with eight.

Description

Measurements in Table 1. Coloration: Basically in a shade of orange or yellow, symmetrically marbled with brown producing an overall spotted appearance ( Image 13 View Image 13 ). Carapace dark orange with random dark brown markings; eyes surrounded with black pigment. Mesosoma: brown with orange confluent spots on the distal regions of each tergites. Metasoma: segments I to III light brownish, segment IV more darker and segment V entirely black. Vesicle brownish-red. Venter yellowish with some diffuse brown spots on sternites V to VII. Chelicerae yellowish with dark variegated pigmentation; fingers dark brown with some light pigmentation. Pedipalp: yellowishorange with the femur and patella spotted or with reticulate markings; chela hand yellowish-orange; fingers darker and brownish. Legs yellowish with several diffuse spots

Surface of carapace coarsely granular with a few smooth patches ( Image 1 View Images 1 ). A pair of median eyes situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:1.6. Median anterior and median central furrows shallow, the former wider; median posterior and post marginal furrows forming a deep triangular depression. Five pairs of lateral eyes present on anteriolateral portion with smooth lateral ocular tubercles of which two anterior pairs directed anterio-laterally. third pair posterio-laterally and last two pairs dorso-posteriorly and posteriorly respectively. Interocular portion black. Carinae absent, median lateral carinae poorly developed with a row of granules. Anterior margin introverted slightly and smooth; lateral margins finely crenulated and the posterior margin fairly smooth with some large granules on the periphery. Chelicerae smooth on basal segment (Image 5) with typical buthid dentition except only one tooth on ventral surface of immovable finger.

Femur carinae crenulated; the length of femur is shorter than carapace and patella. Patella carinated and dorso-inferior carinae evenly crenulated (Image 7). Manus smooth, without carinae (Image 6) and length of chelae twice the length of femur. Fingers as long as patella. smooth. Dentition on fingers overlapping. External granule absent on the immovable finger but a single external granule present on the movable finger and a strong apical tooth present in both sexes. Trichobothrial pattern on pedipalp as in Figs 1-3 View Figures 1-3 . Legs finely granular and carinated on femur and patella. Tibia smooth with

tricobothrial pattern. Not on scale.

1 - Manus; 2 - Patella, dorsal; 3 - Femur, dorsal

d – dorsal; e – external; dt – dorsal terminal; db – dorsal basal; et – external terminal; est – external sub-terminal; esb – external sub-basal; eb – external basal

‘*’ not provided as the specimen is damaged.

very short and inconspicuous tibial spur on III & IV pairs. Tarsomere I almost as long as tibia but slender. Smooth and clothed with bristles on ventral portion. Tarsomere II delicate, thin and smooth covered thickly with paired bristles on ventral portion. A pair of claws present. Pectines well developed and more than four times as long as wide, middle lamellae divided into 8-9 small digits. Fulcra distinct. Lamellae and fulcra covered with setae. Pectinal teeth well developed; 13/ 14 in female (Image 2). Basal piece smooth not much sclerotized and invaginated on anterior margin forming a distinctive anterior notch as if composed of two halves fused medially. Genital operculum wider than long; paired genital papillae visible at the base of the genital operculum in the male. Cephalothoracic sternum triangular possessing a distinct median furrow and a small triangular basal pit.

Mesosoma: All tergites sparsely granular, more granular posteriorly ( Images 1 View Images 1 & 3). Tergites I-VI monocarinated. Lateral and posterior margins crenulated. Pretergal portion finely granular. Tergite VIl more granular and with four crenulated carinae. Lateral and posterior margins granular. Sternites III-VI smooth; each sternite with a pair of book lungs (Image 4). Last sternite granular and carinated. Carinae weakly crenulated and granules obsolete. Lateral margins smooth. Posterior margin uneven. Presternal portion short and smooth.

Metasoma slightly more than five times as long as carapace (Image 8). Basal segment longer than wide. All segments carinated. Segments I and II with all ten carinae (paired ventral, ventrolateral, intermedian, dorsolateral, and dorsal carinae); all carinae crenulated. Segments III & IV with eight carinae (intermedian carinae absent), all carinae crenulated and lateral carinae developed only on half of anterior portion of segment III; segment V with five (axial, paired ventrolateral and dorsolateral carinae). Dorsal carinae on segments I-IV weakly tuberculate posteriorly. Intercarinal portion weakly and much sparsely granular. Anterior and posterior margins of each segment smooth. Segment V almost as long as carapace; only inferior lateral and single inferior median carinae poorly granular and weakly crenulated. Intercarinal space poorly granular. Anal rim of this segment smooth. Telson (Image 9) slightly shorter than segment V. Vesicle as long as segment IV, weakly granular, ventral median crest ending posteriorly into a subaculear tubercle, provided with a pair of minute teeth on inner margin. Aculeus long, as long as the width of the vesicle; sharp, not much curved and dark on distal portion.

Variations

The paratypes match the description of the holotype but the male paratype (BNHS SC24) differs from the holotype as follows: carapace of male less granular than the female ( Image 10 View Images 10 ); median eyes situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:1.7; a single external granule present on the immovable finger; pectines 17/ 18 in number (Image 11); brightly coloured and with more confluent markings ( Images 10 View Images 10 & 12). The type series range from 27.19 to 31.65 mm in total length. The granules on the movable and immovable finger is variable presence and absence of external in the type series.

Remarks

A small sized scorpion (average 27 to 31 mm) which closely resembles Lychas nigristernis, but can be easily distinguished ( Lychas aareyensis sp. nov. vs. Lychas nigristernis) as follows- Median eye situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:1.6 or 1:1.7 vs. 1: 1.2 in L. nigristermis; female with 13-13 pectinal teeth vs. 14–16 in female L. nigristernis; smaller size 31.65mm (maximum) vs. 45.2mm in L. nigristernis; trichobothrium db between et and est situated closer to est vs. trichobothrium db between dt and et situated closer to et; pedipalp patella in shade of orange with faint brown reticulate markings or spots vs. pedipalp patella entirely black ( Kovařik 1997; Tikader & Bastawade 1983).

Lychas aareyensis sp. nov. may be distinguished from all other mainland Indian congeners on the basis of (nonoverlapping character): Median eye situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:1.6 or 1:1.7 (1: 2 in L. nigristernis; 1: 2.5 in L. gravelyi; 1: to 1: 2.1 in L. mucronatus; 1: 2.25 in L. rugosus; 1: 2.75 in L. hendersoni), mesosomal tergites monocarinated (tri-carinated in L. tricarinatus, L. laeviforns and L. scaber), 13-18 pectines (21 in L. albimanus; 24 in L. biharensis; 20 in L. kamshetensis), third metasomal segment with eight keels (six in L. kharpadi), trichobothrium db between et and est situated closer to est (trichobothrium db between et and est situated closer to et in L. rackae; trichobothrium db between dt and et situated closer to et in L. hillyardi).

Distribution and Natural History

The type locality Aarey Milk Colony (1908 ’43.73”N & 72052 ’55.39”E, 103m) is located to the south of Sanjay Gandhi National Park ( Images 18 View Image 18 ). The habitat in which this species has been found is varied, from scrub to dense deciduous forest ( Images 16 & 17 View Images 16 & 17 ) to open patches in the forest. As the forest in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park and adjoining protected areas share a similar biotype, it is quite possible that this species may yet be found in those areas as well as other parts of the northern Western Ghats. The scorpions were found mostly under boulders and on roads during the night. The holotype was found under a boulder from under a tree and all the paratypes were found on a road in a single night within ca. 500m. A female specimen collected on 31 March 2008 was retained in captivity for observations and on the 14 May 2008 it gave birth 13 juveniles ( Image 14 View Images 14 & 15 ). The female started giving birth around 1100hr and continued till 1237hr. The female while giving birth had spread its pedipalp wide and open, Metasoma raised, front two pair of legs were held together to support the juvenile which would emerge from the genital operculum and climb on its back. The female would sway its pedipalp and metasoma as the juvenile emerged and would take a pause of 20 to 30 second after giving birth to a single juvenile. The juveniles stayed with the female until their third molt and later abandoned their mother. The juveniles just at birth were light colored and turned gradually darker as they grew older. While in captivity, the female was fed on a diet of cultured beetle larvae which were readily accepted. The scorpion would hold the larvae in its pedipalp far away from its body; sting it repeatedly until the prey ceased all signs of life and initiate the process of devouring it. We recorded other females (not collected) with six ( Image 15 View Images 14 & 15 ) and another with eight juveniles in the field in the month of April. Members of this genus are also referred to as bark scorpions. Although numerous Lychas species have been found mostly under bark of trees, this species has only been found on the ground. The sympatric species observed at the type locality were Hottentotta tumulus, Hottentotta rugiscutis, Isometrus sp. , Heterometrus phipsoni.