Orthochirus afghanus, Kovařík & 1996, 2004

Kovařík, Baloorthochirus becvari & 1996, 2004, Revision and taxonomic position of genera Afghanorthochirus Lourenço & Vachon, Baloorthochirus Kova ík, Butheolus Simon, Nanobuthus Pocock, Orthochiroides Kova ík, Pakistanorthochirus Lourenço, and Asian Orthochirus Karsch, with descriptions of twelve new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Euscorpius 16, pp. 1-33 : 6-8

Orthochirus afghanus sp. n.

( Figs. 1–7, Table 1)

Orthochirus scrobiculosus?: Kovařík, 1993: 202 , 203.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Afghanistan, Prov. Nengrahar, Jalalabad ; MMBC. For locality details see Jakeš & Povolný (1967) .

TYPE MATERIAL. Afghanistan, Prov. Nengrahar, Jalalabad , 2♀ A (holotype and paratype), 1♀ E (paratype), I.-III.1965, leg. D. Povolný. Holotype and one paratype is in MMBC, one paratype is in FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the country of occurrence.

DIAGNOSIS: Fourth and fifth metasomal segments ventrally punctate and without median carinae. Spaces among punctae smooth except for anterior margin of fourth metasomal segment. Entire metasoma glabrous (short, thin setae may issue from some punctae). Dorsal surface of all metasomal segments mesially smooth. Several solitary granules may be present on first, second, and fifth segments. Mesosoma and metasoma black, telson reddish brown. Femur and patella of legs and pedipalps black or yellowish gray, chela more lightly colored. Manus of pedipalp darker than fingers. Movable fingers bear 8 or 9 rows of granules that have internal and external granules and 2 or 3 distal granules. Tarsomere I of first to third legs with bristlecombs, on third legs comprised of 9–13 bristles; tarsomere I of fourth legs without bristlecombs.

DESCRIPTION: The adults are about 36 mm long. The habitus is shown in Fig. 7. For position and distribution of trichobothria on chela, patella, and femur of pedipalps see Figs 1–6.

Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1.

COLORATION: The mesosoma and metasoma are black and the telson is reddish brown. The femur and patella of legs and pedipalps are black or yellowish gray; the chela is more lightly colored. The manus of pedipalp chela is darker than the fingers.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma bears a median carina. Both the mesosoma and carapace are densely granulated, only the interocular area is smooth. The seventh sternite is more or less granulated and bears four granulated carinae. The other sternites are smooth, with four smooth carinae, only two lateral carinae on the sixth sternite are granulated. Pectinal teeth number 17- 19 in the females; males are unknown.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The first segment bears 10 granulated carinae, is granulated, and lacks punctae. On the second and third segments the lateral carinae are inconspicuous or absent and punctae are shallow. The fourth segment is without carinae, and the fifth segment has two ventrolateral carinae. The fourth and fifth segments are ventrally punctate. Spaces among punctae are smooth except for the anterior margin of the fourth segment. The dorsal surface of all segments is mesially smooth. The entire metasoma is glabrous, but short, thin setae may issue from some punctae. The telson is punctate, lacks granules, and has several isolated hairs issuing from the punctae.

PEDIPALPS: The femur has four granulose to crenulate carinae. The patella is smooth, with 7 smooth carinae, and the chela is smooth, without carinae. The movable fingers bear 8 or 9 rows of granules that have internal and external granules and 2 or 3 distal granules.

LEGS: The femur and patella bear only several solitary hairs and bristles. The tibiae of the first to third legs bear several spines and bristles, namely on the outer side. Tarsomere I of the first to third legs bears bristlecombs composed of approximately 9–13 bristles. The inner sides of all legs bear one or two rows of spines. The fourth legs lack bristlecombs and bear only sparse, short spines.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Orthochirus afghanus sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. O. afghanus sp. n. is close to O. jalalabadensis sp. n. These two species are similarly colored; however, O. jalalabadensis sp. n. has the spaces among ventral punctae on the fourth and fifth metasomal segments granulated, whereas in O. afghanus sp. n. they are smooth. Additional differences are given in the diagnoses.