Orthochirus heratensis, 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 : 12-13

Orthochirus heratensis sp. n.

( Table 1)

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

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

TYPE MATERIAL. Afghanistan, N., Prov. Herat, Rašíd , 700 m, (loc. No. J. 17) 18.V.1964, 3♂ A (holotype and paratypes) 4♀ A (allotype and paratypes) 4im.A (paratypes), leg. O. Jakeš ; Prov. Herat, Bala Murghab , 400 m, 20.III–2.VII.1964, 1im. ♂ A (paratype), leg. O. Jakeš ; Prov. Herat, Bala Murghab , 550 m, 3.IV– 15.IV.1964 (loc. No. J. 10), 1♀ 1im.E (paratypes), leg. O. Jakeš ; Prov. Herat, Bala Murghab , 470 m, 18.IX– 6.XI.1964, 1♀ A (paratype), leg. O. Jakeš. Holotype, allotype and 8 paratypes in MMBC, 5 paratypes in FKCP. For details on localities see Jakeš & Povolný ETYMOLOGY. Named after the province of Afghanistan .

DIAGNOSIS: Fourth and fifth metasomal segments ventrally punctate and without carinae. Spaces among punctae smooth, without granules. Dorsal surface of all metasomal segments medially smooth, without granules. Metasoma and telson hirsute, posterior margin of fourth and fifth metasomal segments with row of horizontal hairs. Mesosoma and metasoma black, telson reddish brown. Legs and pedipalps yellow, femur and patella may be yellowish green. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 8 or 9 rows of granules, without external granules, with internal granules, and with 2 or 3 distal granules. Tarsus of first to third legs with bristlecombs, fourth without. Pectinal teeth number 18–21 in the males and 15–17 in the females.

DESCRIPTION: The adult males are 25–30 mm long and the females are up to 40 mm long. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. The distance between trichobothria d 1 and d 3 on the femur of pedipalp is approximately equal to that between d 3 and d 4; trichobothrium e 1 is situated between d 3 and d 4.

COLORATION: The mesosoma and metasoma are black, and the telson is reddish brown. The legs and pedipalps are usually yellow (namely in males), however the femur and patella may be yellowish green to reddish brown. The seventh sternite is black, other sternites are black or yellow.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma usually bears a median carina (it may be absent in some specimens). Both the mesosoma and carapace are densely granulated, only the interocular area is smooth. The seventh sternite is smooth or granulated and bears four granulated carinae. The other sternites are smooth or finely granulated, with four smooth carinae (only the sixth sternite has two lateral carinae granulated). Pectinal teeth number 18–21 in the males and 15–17 in the females.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The first and second segments bear 10 granulated carinae, are granulated, tuberculate or smooth, and lack punctae (exceptionally, there may be punctae on the second segment). On the third segment the lateral carinae are inconspicuous or absent and punctae are present. The fourth segment has inconspicuous dorsolateral carinae, and the fifth segment has two ventrolateral carinae. The fourth and fifth segments are ventrally punctate. Spaces among punctae are smooth. The dorsal surface of all segments is mesially smooth except occasional sparse granules primarily on the first segment. The entire metasoma and telson are sparsely hirsute. The telson is punctate and lacks granules.

PEDIPALPS: The femur of pedipalp has four granulose to crenulate carinae. The patella has seven smooth carinae, and the chela is smooth. The entire pedipalps are sparsely hirsute. The movable fingers bear 8 or 9 rows of granules without external granules, with internal granules (except at the last two or three rows), and with 2 or 3 distal granules.

LEGS: The femur is granulated, whereas the patella and tibia are smooth. The patella bears only a few solitary hairs and spines. The tibiae bear several spines, namely on the outer side. Tarsomere I of the first to third legs bears 7–13 bristles on the outer side, which form bristlecombs.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Orthochirus heratensis sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. O. heratensis sp. n. is close to O. scrobiculosus , from which it differs in the hirsuteness of the metasomal segments and telson. O. heratensis sp. n. is also well characterized by broad metasomal segments, namely the fifth segment which is as broad as long in the adults of both sexes.