Androctonus cholistanus Kovařík et Ahmed, 2013

Kovařík, František & Ahmed, Zubair, 2013, A review of Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897), with description of two new species from Pakistan and India (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Euscorpius 168, pp. 1-10 : 7-8

Androctonus cholistanus Kovařík et Ahmed , sp. n.

( Figs. 13–16, 28–31) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6E6B26

41-BB77-4B83-80C1-83EC11216A4F

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY . PAKISTAN, Punjab Province, Cholistan Desert , 28°30'N 70°00'E; the first author´s collection ( FKCP) .

TYPE MATERIAL. PAKISTAN, Punjab Province, Cholistan Desert , 28°30'N 70°00'E, 18 June 2009, 1 ♂ (holotype), leg. Z. Ahmed, FKCP ; 2012, 4 ♂ 2 ♀ (paratypes) ( Figs. 15–16), without locality data ( FKCP) . INDIA, Rajasthan State, near Jaisalmer , July 1995, 1♂ 1♀ 1im. (paratypes), leg. R . Sauer ( FKCP) .

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the type locality.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 60–72 mm. Base color yellow to yellowish brown. Pedipalps including trochanter and legs always yellow. Chelicerae yellow, without reticulation. Fifth metasomal segment and vesicle greenish black, darker pigment may spread to sides and lower surface of fourth metasomal segment that is never entirely black. Carapace densely granulated, with anterior and posterior median carinae developed; anterior margin of carapace straight. Pectinal teeth number 26– 32 in males and 21–23 in females. Sternites without carinae; sternite VII finely granulated and with four carinae. All metasomal segments of male longer than wide and deep. First metasomal segment with 10 carinae, second to fourth segments with eight carinae, and fifth segment with five carinae. Missing lateral carinae on second and third metasomal segments replaced by three or four large granules on posterior margin. Dorsal carinae on first throught fourth metasomal segments terminate in a larger tooth. Metasomal segment V with four setae on lateral surface. Anal arch with three lobes. Dorsal surface of metasoma smooth. Tarsomeres of legs densely hirsute, with bristlecombs dense on first to third legs but present also on fourth legs. Pedipalp chela without carinae. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 13–14 rows of granules and with external and internal granules. Male with fingers proximally weakly twisted with little gap.

DESCRIPTION. Adult males are 60–72 mm long and adult females are 60–68 mm long. For habitus see Figs. 13–14 (male holotype) and Figs. 15–16 (female). For position and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 18–21 (the same as in A. robustus sp. n.). Trichobothrium d 2 of pedipalp femur is present on the dorsal surface. Sexual dimorphism is weak; it is not evident in the shape of the metasoma. Males have only slightly wider chela of pedipalps than females. Both sexes have fingers proximally weakly twisted with little gap.

COLORATION. The base color is yellow to yellowish brown. Pedipalps including the trochanter and legs are always yellow. The fifth metasomal segment and the vesicle are greenish black; the darker pigment may spread to sides and lower surface of the fourth metasomal segment, which is never entirely black; other metasomal segments are yellow to yellowish brown, ventral carinae may be black. The chelicerae are yellow, without reticulation. The mesosoma is yellowish brown, darker than legs.

CARAPACE. The surface is densely granulated. Carinae are inconspicuous, only the anterior and posterior median carinae are well developed. The anterior margin of the carapace is straight and bears eight long macrosetae.

MESOSOMA. The mesosoma bears three carinae. The pectinal tooth count in males is 26–32: 26 (2), 27 (3), 28 (1), 29 (3), 31 (1), 32 (1) [n= 11], and in females, 21–23: 21 (1), 22 (3), 23 (2) [n=6]. The marginal tips of the pectines extend to the proximal half of sternite V in males and to proximal half of sternite IV in females. The pectines have three marginal lamellae and six to eight middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, three to six on each fulcrum. Sternites III–VI lack carinae. Sternite VII is finely granulated, with four carinae.

METASOMA AND TELSON. The first metasomal segment bears 10 carinae, the second to fourth segments bear carinae, and the fifth segment bears five carinae. Missing lateral carinae on the second and third metasomal segments are replaced by three to four large granules on posterior margin. All carinae are composed of distinct granules. Dorsal carinae on the first throught fourth metasomal segments terminate in a larger tooth. All segments are only very sparsely setose. All metasomal segments of male are longer than wide and deep. Metasomal segment V bears four setae on the lateral surface. The anal arch has three lobes. The dorsal surface of the metasoma is smooth. The telson is elongate in both sexes. The surface of the telson is bumpy, sparsely hirsute, and without a subaculear tubercle.

LEGS. The tarsomeres of legs are densely hirsute, with bristlecombs dense on legs I–III, but present also on the fourth legs. The femur and patella may bear four to six carinae, which however may be obsolete. The femur bears only solitary setae.

PEDIPALPS. The femur is granulated and bears three to five carinae; the ventroexternal carina is incomplete or absent, the other carinae are granular. The patella is granular, with seven coarsely granular carinae. The chela is smooth, without carinae. All pedipalps including the trochanter are only very sparsely hirsute. The movable fingers of pedipalps bear 12–13 rows of granules and external and internal granules; the fixed fingers bear 11– 12 rows of granules, with external and internal accessory granules and three distal granules.

MEASUREMENTS IN MM. Male holotype. Total length 63.5; carapace length 6.9, width 7.3; metasoma and telson length 39.7; first metasomal segment length 4.7, width 4.5, depth 4.2; second metasomal segment length 5.9, width 4.7, depth 4; third metasomal segment length 6.2, width 5.1, depth 4.3; fourth metasomal segment length 7.6, width 4.9, depth 4.5; fifth metasomal segment length 8, width 5, depth 3.4; telson length 7.1; telson width 3.4; pedipalp femur length 5.3, width 1.9; pedipalp patella length 7, width 2.9; chela length 11.7; manus width 3.4; movable finger length 7.4.

Female paratype ( India, Rajasthan State, near Jaisalmer). Total length 66; carapace length 7.7, width 9.1; metasoma and telson length 39.5; first metasomal segment length 5.1, width 4.9, depth 4.4; second metasomal segment length 6.1, width 5.0, depth 4.5; third metasomal segment length 6.5, width 5.1, depth 4.8; fourth metasomal segment length 7.7, width 4.9, depth 4.8; fifth metasomal segment length 8.5, width 4.9, depth 3.7; telson length 7.7; telson width 3.2; pedipalp femur length 5.3, width 1.9; pedipalp patella length 7, width 2.9; chela length 11.7; manus width 2.9; movable finger length 7.8.