Mesobuthus zarudnyi, Novruzov & Kovařík & Fet, 2022

Novruzov, Nizami E., Kovařík, František & Fet, Victor, 2022, Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. from Azerbaijan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 347, pp. 1-9 : 3-8

Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n.

( Figures 1–41 , Table 1) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: BC4425DF-

ABAC-4D70-9A22-3F9464FE6774

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Azerbaijan, Absheron Peninsula, Shuvalan (40.45°N 49.71°E) ; NMPC.

REFERENCES (selected):

Mesobuthus eupeus: Birula, 1917: 34 (in part); Yusubov, 1978: 49 (in part); Yusubov, 1985: 43 (in part); Fet, 1989: 88–89 (in part); Fet & Lowe, 2000: 170–171 (in part; complete references list until 1998); Novruzov, 2017: 67; Novruzov, 2019: 28 (in part).

Mesobuthus eupeus eupeus (in part): Fet, 1989: 88–89; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 171–172 (complete references list until 1998).

ETYMOLOGY. We name this species in honor of a famous Russian zoologist and explorer Nikolay A. Zarudny (1859–1919) who collected numerous important specimens of scorpions for A. A. Birula in Persia (now Iran) between 1896 and 1904.

Note: our new species name is not a homonym of “ Mesobuthus zarudnyi ”, a combination that exists in literature ( Vachon, 1958: 41) for another buthid species described from Iran as Buthus zarudnyi Birula, 1900 , now Sassanidotus zarudnyi (Birula, 1900) (Fet & Lowe, 2000: 222; Kovařík & Fet, 2006: 1).

TYPE MATERIAL. Azerbaijan, Absheron Peninsula, Shuvalan (40.45°N 49.71°E), 18 June 2021, 1♂ (DNA No. 2060, holotype), 1♀, leg. N. Novruzov , NMPC; Qobustan Village (40.49°N 49.48°E), 23 August 2021, 2♀ (paratypes), leg. N. Novruzov , NMPC; Absheron Peninsula, Umbali Mts. , 19 April 2001, 1♀ 2juvs. (paratypes), leg. Yu. M. Marusik , NMPC; near Baku (40.39°N 49.71°E), 27 April 2013, 3♀ (paratypes), leg. D. Kasatkin , AZMM; Baku, near Qobustan Village (40.08°N 49.34°E), 3 May 2013, 1♀ 1♂ juv. (paratypes), leg. D. Kasatkin , AZMM; near Khyzy , 40°55'05"N 49°03'54"E (40.92°N 49.05°E), 614 m a. s. l., 14 June 2013, 1juv. (paratype), leg. D. Kasatkin & I. Shokhin , AZMM.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adults 40 mm (male) to 58 mm (female). Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male with fingers proximally more twisted than female. Pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 3.2–3.4 in male and 3.7–3.8 in female. Pectinal teeth number 25 in male, 17–22 in female. Chelicerae yellow, without or with poor reticulation. Pedipalps and metasoma sparsely hirsute. Carapace and tergites reddish brown, strongly black pigmented; metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs yellowish to reddish brown, only part of metasomal segment V black. Femur of pedipalp with 4–5 granulated carinae. Patella with 8 usually smooth carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 11–12 cutting rows of denticles and 5 terminal denticles. Central lateral and posterior lateral carinae of carapace not joined to form a continuous linear series of granules to posterior margin. Seventh sternite bumpy and usually finely granulated with 4 well marked rather smooth carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second to fourth with 8 carinae, other two carinae are indicated by incomplete row of granules on metasomal segments II and III; fifth with 5 carinae. Metasoma III–IV with lateromedian carinae smooth in male but granulated in female, all other carinae usually granulated. Intercarinae surface on metasoma I laterally bumpy and smooth. Length to depth ratio of metasoma III 1.1–1.2 in both sexes; metasoma IV 1.4–1.5 in both sexes. Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Tarsi hirsute, adults with 7–9 retroinferior macrosetae on basitarsus III. Telson rather elongated. Anal lobe divided in two parts.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult males 40–49 mm, 42– 58 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male has the fingers proximally more twisted than female. Female has longer and slightly narrower chela of pedipalps. For measurements, see Table 1.

Coloration ( Figs. 1–4 ). Carapace and tergites redish brown, strongly black pigmented. Chelicerae yellow, without or reticulation, the tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. Metasoma, telson, pedipalps and legs yellowish to redish brown, faintly black pigmented. Metasoma ventral, mainly segment V black pigmented.

Mesosoma and carapace ( Figs. 5–12 ). Carapace carinate, unevenly covered with granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine, but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI with three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. Pectinal tooth count is 25 in male, 17–22 in females. Pectinal marginal tips extend to about end of the fourth sternite in male and about end of the third sternite in females. Pectines have three marginal lamellae and seven to eight middle lamellae. Lamellae with numerous long setae, each fulcrum with three to five dark setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. Sternite VII bumpy and usually finely granulated with four well marked rather smooth carinae. Other sternites have two furrows.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 13–32 ). Pedipalps sparsely hirsute and smooth, only femur is granulated. Femur has four to five granulated carinae, the middle carina on internal surface consist from strong irregular granules. Patella with eight carinae from which internal are always and dorsal are rarely granulated, mainly in female. Chela without carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps have 11–12 cutting rows of denticles, every row with external and internal denticles present, and five terminal denticles.

Legs ( Figs. 37–40 ). Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by short and strong spiniform setae. Tarsi hirsute, adults with 7–9 retroinferior macrosetae on basitarsus III. Femur with only several macrosetae. Femur and patella with carinae well developed. Tibial spurs present and moderate to strong on third and fourth legs and absent on the other legs.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 5–12 ). Metasomal segments are only sparsely hirsute. Metasomal segment I with 10 carinae, II–III with 8 carinae but other two lateromedian carinae are indicated by incomplete row of granules, IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. Metasoma III–IV with lateromedian carinae smooth in male, all other carinae usually granulated by consistent granules. Intercarinae surface on metasoma I laterally bumpy and usually smooth. Ventrolateral carinae of metasoma V posteriorly with several large lobated denticles. Telson very sparsely hirsute, elongate, bumpy and smooth. Telson rather elongated. Anal lobe divided in two parts.

AFFINITIES. The new species is differentiated morphologically from both other species known from Azerbaijan by having anal lobe divided into two parts ( Figs. 5 and 6 ). Both Mesobuthus eupeus and M. persicus have anal lobe divided into three parts. For further distinction from all other Mesobuthus species morphologically and through DNA analysis, see Kovařík et al. (in press).

DISTRIBUTION. Azerbaijan (see Fig. 41 ).

Discussion. Discovery of three distinct Mesobuthus species in Azerbaijan is corroborated by our detailed phylogenetic analysis of the genus (Kovařík et al., in press), which indicates that the three are not immediate sister species but parts of the “ eupeus ” complex but originate from different, not closely related lineages found in Turkey and Iran. Both Mesobuthus persicus and M. zarudnyi sp. n. were earlier identified from Azerbaijan as M. eupeus or M. eupeus eupeus .

Birula (1917: 34) described two “races” (“natio”) of the subspecies Buthus eupeus eupeus from the modern Armenia and Azerbaijan (respectively, armeniaca and talyschensis). These infrasubspecific names are not available according to the ICZN and do not enter into synonymy. Yusubov (1985) studied distribution of “ Mesobuthus eupeus ” in Azerbaijan and concluded that four allopatric geographic groups of populations existed: Absheron-Shirvan, Talysh, Nakhichevan, and populations from the Caspian Sea islands. It is clear (see our map at Fig. 41 ) that the Absheron-Shirvan group of populations (Eastern Azerbaijan) belongs to M. zarudnyi sp. n. while the Talysh group (Birula’s “natio” talyschensis) belongs to M. persicus , which is widey found in northern Iran (Kovařík et al., in press). The Nakhichevan group is likely M. eupeus s. str. A detailed map of distribution of “ Mesobuthus eupeus ” in Azerbaijan (about 100 localities) was recently publised by Novruzov (2019: 29, fig. 1). At this moment, the exact range boundaries of three Azerbaijan species are not clearly defined, and are a subject of our further ongoing study.

Figures

Figure 41. Distribution of Mesobuthus spp. in Azerbaijan. Based on studied material only.

Figures 1–4: Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. Figures 1–2. Male holotype, dorsal (1) and ventral (2) views. Figures 3–4. Female paratype, dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bars: 10 mm (1–2, 3–4).

Figures 5–12: Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. Figures 5, 7–9. Male holotype, telson lateral (5), metasoma and telson, lateral (7), dorsal (8), and ventral (9) views. Figures 6, 10–12. Female paratype, telson lateral (6), metasoma and telson, lateral (10), dorsal (11), and ventral (12) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (7–12).

Figures 13–32: Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n., pedipalp. Figures 13–21. Male holotype, chela, dorsal (13), external (14), and ventral (15) views. Patella, dorsal (16), external (17) and ventral (18) views. Femur and trochanter, internal (19), dorsal (20), and ventral (21) views. Figures 22–32. Female paratype, chela, dorsal (22), external (23), and ventral (24) views. Patella, dorsal (25), external (26) and ventral (27) views. Femur and trochanter, internal (28), dorsal (29), and ventral (30) views. Movable (32) and fixed (31) fingers. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 13–17, 19–20.

Figures 33–40: Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. Figures 33–34. Male holotype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–IV (33), sternopectinal region and sternites (34). Figures 35–40. Female paratype, chelicerae, carapace and tergites I–III (35), sternopectinal region and sternites III–V (361). Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (37–40).