Mesobuthus kreuzbergi, Fet & Kovařík & Gantenbein & Kaiser & Stewart & Graham, 2018

Fet, Victor, Kovařík, František, Gantenbein, Benjamin, Kaiser, Ronald C., Stewart, Alexander K. & Graham, Matthew R., 2018, Revision of the Mesobuthus caucasicus complex from Central Asia with descriptions of six new species (Scorpiones Buthidae), Euscorpius 255, pp. 1-77 : 32-37

Mesobuthus kreuzbergi sp. n.

( Figs. 152–182, 270, 280, 296–297, 310, 314, 320, 327, Tables 2, 4–6) http: //zoobank. org/urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: B6D83E

08-A735-4492-8DBC-4B553F8EE83A

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Uzbekistan, Surxondaryo [Surkhandarya] Province , Uzun District, Babatag Mts., 38.0275°N 68.2458°E, 734–763 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 327) ; FKCP.

REFERENCES:

Mesobuthus caucasicus (nec Nordmann, 1840): Gantenbein et al., 2003: 413 (in part; Babatag).

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named in honor of Alexander Kreuzberg (1956–2012), a prominent lepidopterologist and conservationist whose life’s work was devoted to the Uzbekistan’s deserts and mountains (see Mukhina-Kreuzberg, 2016).

DISTRIBUTION. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan ( Figs. 328, A 8).

TYPE MATERIAL. Uzbekistan, 1♀ (paratype, Fig. 320) without precise location, 2012 ( FKCP); Surxondaryo [Surkhandarya] Province , Sherabad District , Kuhitang Mts, Lailakansai, [37.67°N 67.02°E for Sherabad], 1200 m a.s.l., 7–9 May 1996, 1♂ 1♀ (paratypes), leg . V. Dolin ( FKCP). Surxondaryo [Surkhandarya] Province , Uzun District, Babatag Mts., 38.0275°N 68.2458°E, 734-763 m a.s.l., 2♂ 6♀ 7juvs.(♂ ♀) (holotype and paratypes, Figs. 152–182, 270, 280, 296–297, 310, 314), 4 May 2002, leg. VF ( FKCP, NMPC) .

OTHER MATERIAL STUDIED. Tajikistan. Khatlon Province, Shaartuz District, Chiluchor-Chashma , 37.2993° N 68.04375°E, 399 m a.s.l., stony plateau and scree, 19 April 2015, 1juv., leg. Y. M. Marusik ( NMPC) . Uzbekistan, Surxondaryo [Surkhandarya] Province, Uzun District , Babatag Mts. , 38.0275°N 68.2458°E, 734-763 m a.s.l., 3♂ 10♀ 40juvs. (♂ ♀), 4 May 2002, leg. VF ( VFPC) .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length of adult males 65–70 mm, 74– 85 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male with fingers proximally little more twisted than female. Pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 3.15–3.39 in males and 3.35–3.66 in females. Pectinal teeth number 26–30 in males, 20–25 in females. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation. Pedipalps and metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Color uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, only metasomal segments IV–V could be black. Femur of pedipalp with 4–5 granulate carinae. Patella with 8 granulate or smooth carinae. Chela lacks carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13 cutting rows of denticles and 5 terminal denticles. Seventh sternite bears 4 well marked granulate carinae. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae; second to fourth with 8 carinae, other two carinae are indicated by incomplete row of denticles on metasomal segment II; fourth with 8 carinae; fifth with 5 carinae. All carinae granulated. Length to width ratio of fourth metasomal segment 1.53–1.55 in males, 1.54–1.63 in females. Telotarsus III ventral setation represented by long setae. Pedal spur of legs with solitary setae only.

DESCRIPTION. The total length of adult males 65–70 mm, 74– 85 females. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger of pedipalp is situated between trichobothria est and esb, near to est. Male has the fingers proximally a little more twisted than female. Female has longer and slightly narrower chela of pedipalps. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation, the tips of teeth on cheliceral fingers are black. For the position and distribution of trichobothria, see Figs. 173–177, 179–180. For measurements, see Tables 2 and 4–5.

COLORATION ( Figs. 152–155). Color uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, only metasomal segments IV–V could be black.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE ( Figs. 156–159). The carapace is carinate and unevenly covered by granules of varying size; much of the granulation is fine, but some granules are larger and distinctly rounded. Tergites I–VI bear three carinae and are granulated, with some intercarinal granules small and others larger and rounded. Tergite VII is pentacarinate. The pectinal tooth count is 26–30 in males, 20–25 in females. The pectinal marginal tips extend to about end of the sixth sternite in males and end of the seventh sternite in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and eight to nine middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous long setae, each fulcrum with three to five setae. All sternites are smooth and sparsely hirsute. The seventh sternite bears four well marked granulate carinae. The other sternites bear two furrows.

PEDIPALPS ( Figs. 170–180). The pedipalps are sparsely hirsute and smooth. The femur bears four to five granulated carinae, the middle carina on internal surface could be incomplete indicated by several strong denticles. The patella bears eight carinae from which internal and dorsal are granulated and other are smooth in both sexes. The chela is without carinae. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 13 cutting rows of denticles, every with external and internal denticles present, and five terminal denticles.

LEGS ( Figs. 160–163). The tarsomeres bear two rows of long setae on the ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on the other surfaces. Telotarsus ventral setation represented by long setae. Pedal spur of legs with solitary setae only. Femur bears only several macrosetae. Femur and patella with carinae well developed. Tibial spurs present and long on third and fourth legs and absent in the other legs.

METASOMA AND TELSON ( Figs. 164–169, 181–182). All metasomal segments are only very sparsely hirsute. The metasomal segment I with 10 carinae, II–III with 8 carinae but other two lateromedian carinae are indicated by incomplete row of denticles, IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. All carinae with consistent denticles. The dorsal surface of all segments is smooth in the middle and bumpy on margins. Other surfaces are bumpy or smooth with several solitary granules. Ventrolateral carinae of metasomal segment V posteriorly with several large lobate denticles. The telson is only sparsely hirsute, elongate, bumpy and smooth.

NOTES.

The first author (VF) collected M. kreuzbergi and observed a dense population of this species on the eastern slope of Babatag Mts. in Uzbekistan, on 30 April–4 May 2002, where it is sympatric (but not syntopic) with a remarkable relict Pseudochactas ovchinnikovi Gromov, 1998 ( Scorpiones : Pseudochactidae ). P. ovchinnikovi is also sympatric with M. fuscus in Ganjina, Tajikistan.