Vachoniolus iranus Navidpour, Kovařík, Soleglad et Fet, 2008

Navidpour, Shahrokh, Kovařík, František, Soleglad, Michael E. & Fet, Victor, 2008, Scorpions of Iran (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part I. Khoozestan Province, Euscorpius 65 (69), pp. 1-41 : 22-26

Vachoniolus iranus Navidpour, Kovařík, Soleglad et Fet , sp. n.

Figures 3, 32–38, 39–41, 42, 85–88; Table 1

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Iran, Khoozestan Province , near Masdjedsoleyman, 31°38'40"N 48°56'41"E, 53 m ; RRLS.

TYPE MATERIAL. Iran, Khoozestan Province , near Masdjedsoleyman, 31°38'40"N 48°56'41"E, 53 m a.s.l. (Locality No. A-Ma 806-1), VIII.2007, 8♂ 25♀ 13juvs (holotype and paratypes), leg. Navidpour & Masihipour; Ahvaz–Masjedsoleyman road, 31°35'44"N 48°57'19"E, 35 m a.s.l. (Locality No. A-Ma-810), IX.2007, 12♂ 27♀ 7juvs (paratypes), leg. Navidpour & Masihipour. Holotype and most of paratypes are in RRLS, 2♂ 2♀ paratypes are in FKCP and one male paratype is in the collection of Graeme Lowe.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the country of occurrence.

DIAGNOSIS: Dorsal trichobothria of femur arranged in beta-configuration with d 2 situated on dorsal surface. External surface of pedipalp patella with 8 (rarely 7 or 9) trichobothria, pedipalp femoral trichobothrium d 5 distal to e 2. Dentate margin of the movable finger of the pedipalp with distinct granules divided into 8 or 9 rows and 4 to 6 terminal granules. Cheliceral fixed finger with two ventral accessory denticles. Tergites I–VI of mesosoma each with one carina. Carapace granulated, without distinct carinae. Legs with distinct bristlecombs, third and fourth legs with tibial spurs in all examined specimens. Male pedipalp chela robust and inflated, densely granulated, completely devoid of carinae. Aculeus long. Pectines with fulcra. Stigmata large, slitlike. Total length 34 to 42.5 mm.

DESCRIPTION: The total length is 34 to 42.5 mm. The habitus is shown in Figs. 85–88. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth in the holotype are given in Table 1. For trichobothrial pattern see Figs. 39–41. External surface of pedipalp patella usually with 8 trichobothria ( Fig. 41). One female has 7 trichobothria on the right patella (et is absent) but 8 trichobothria on the left, and one male has 9 trichobothria on both patellae (an additional smaller esba trichobothrium between eb and esb). Pedipalp femoral trichobothrium d 5 distal to e 2. Pectinal teeth number 20–22 in males and 14–15 in females. The male has pedipalp chela distinctly swollen. Female chela is narrower than in the male (Figs. 85–88).

COLORATION: The color is uniformly pale yellow to yellowish green. The median ocular tubercle black, the anterior part of carapace ( Fig. 32) is gray to black, the distal fourth to fifth of the fourth metasomal segment, the fifth metasomal segment ( Fig. 35) and the telson ( Fig. 34) are yellowish green to black. Carinae carinae on femur and patella of pedipalps are gray ( Figs. 40–41). The chelicerae are yellow, without reticulation.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The anterior margin of carapace ( Fig. 32) is straight or very slightly convex. The entire carapace is densely granulated but devoid of carinae. Granules in front of the median ocular tubercle are bigger and rounded, elsewhere they are smaller and pointed.

The mesosoma is smooth to shagreened and has one carina on the dorsal surface. The sternum ( Fig. 36), Type 1, is elongate with a deep concave area and anterior depression. The sternites are smooth, sternite VII bears four smooth or granulate carinae. Stigmata large, slitlike ( Fig. 37).

METASOMA AND TELSON: All metasomal segments are longer than wide. The first segment has a total of 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments have eight carinae, and the fifth segment has five carinae. Intermediate carinae of the second to fourth segments are replaced by less than 10 granules situated mainly in the posterior half. Ventral carinae are moderate to strong, coarsely serrate. The surface between the carinae is sparsely to densely granulated. The segments bear only a few bristles. The telson is elongate, with the vesicle shorter than the aculeus and the surface nearly smooth, with only a few large granules and setae. There is no subaculear tubercle.

PEDIPALPS: The femur has dorsal carinae strong and granulose, no ventroexternal carina, and the internal surface bears a few coarse granules; the surfaces are shagreened and sometimes bear a few randomly situated coarse granules. The patella has dorsal carinae moderate, granular, and ventrointernal carina strong, granulose. Other carinae are inconspicuous or absent. The male chela is robust, inflated and completely devoid of carinae. The fingers are quite short. The entire surface is finely granulated, especially the dorsum of chela ( Fig. 39). The female chela is smooth and narrower than in the male (Figs. 85–88). The dentate margin of the pedipalpchela movable finger bears distinct granules divided into 8 or 9 rows and 4 to 6 terminal granules ( Fig. 38).

LEGS: Leg III basitarsus and tarsus with conspicuous setal brush ( Fig. 33); pedal spurs unequal in length. Tibial spurs present, elongate on leg IV and reduced on leg III.

COMMENTS: All examined specimens have tibial spurs on the third and fourth legs, the spur of leg III more reduced than that of leg IV. Presumbly this may be as variable as in Vachoniolus globimanus , in which some specimens possess the spurs and others lack them.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Vachoniolus iranus sp. n. from all other species known to occur in Khoozestan Province. The genus Vachoniolus Levy, Amitai et Shulov, 1973 has so far included only one species, V. globimanus Levy, Amitai et Shulov, 1973 , which occurs in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman. The new species thus represents the first record of this genus in Iran. The two species can be distinguished from one another by the males of V. globimanus having the chela of pedipalp smooth and carapace smooth to shagreened, whereas in the males of V. iranus sp. n. these parts are densely granulated. Other differences between V. iranus sp. n. and V. globimanus include the following (variation is to be expected in some). V. iranus sp. n. has strong fuscous patterns on carapace, internal and external surfaces of pedipalp femur and internal surface of pedipalp patella, whereas in the V. globimanus pigmentation is much weaker on carapace and absent on pedipalps. V. iranus sp. n. is smaller, total length is 34 to 42.5 mm (adult V. globimanus may reach 65 mm). V. iranus sp. n. has metasoma II and III dorsal carinae serrate, with larger denticles arrayed uniformly, closely spaced and mostly separated by one denticle width or less (in V. globimanus these carinae are denticulate, with smaller denticles, most separated by two denticle widths or more). V. iranus sp. n. has fewer denticles on metasomal carinae, e.g. metasoma II and III ventral carinae with 6 denticles on posterior half of segment ( V. globimanus with 7–13). V. iranus sp. n. has pedipalp patella with dorsointernal carina prominently developed, with robust granules or denticles (weaker with smaller granules or denticles in V. globimanus ). V. iranus sp. n. has tergites III–VI lateral carina positions marked by paired posterolateral longitudinal rows of 2–3 distinct granules (only one weak granule, if any, in V. globimanus ), and median carina bearing 1–3 granules (none in V. globimanus ). V. iranus sp. n. has heavier granulation on anterior interocular area of carapace ( V. globimanus with finer granulation). V. iranus sp. n. has posterior portions of tergites finely granular (smooth in V. globimanus ). V. iranus sp. n. Has metasoma I and II with dorsolateral surfaces granulated (smooth to finely shagreened in V. globimanus ).

Family Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802