Scorpiops zubairahmedi Kovařík, 2009

Kovařík, František & Ahmed, Zubair, 2009, Three new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) from Pakistan, Euscorpius 88 (88), pp. 1-11 : 6-8

Scorpiops zubairahmedi Kovařík , sp. n.

( Figs. 20, 22–26 , Table 1)

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan , Gilgit, lower Naltar; author´s collection ( FKCP).

TYPE MATERIAL. Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan , Gilgit, lower Naltar, 2009, 1 ♂ (holotype), leg. Zubair Ahmed , FKCP. No other material .

ETYMOLOGY: Named in honor of the Pakistani arachnologist Zubair Ahmed, who collected the holotype.

DIAGNOSIS. Adult male holotype 60 mm long. Base color uniformly reddish brown, fingers black, legs and telson yellowish brown. Pectinal teeth number 6. External trichobothria on patella number 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et); ventral trichobothria on patella number 7. Chela length to width ratio = 3.38. Male pedipalp fingers flexed ( Fig. 25 ). Female unknown.

DESCRIPTION: The adult male holotype is 60 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 base color is uniformly reddish black. For habitus see Figs. 23–25.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma bears several granules and primarily in the hind portion one median carina; the seventh segment is ventrally granulose, with four carinae composed of granules. The entire carapace bears sparse minute granules and lacks carinae. There is a pronounced central depression in the anterior margin of the carapace. Pectinal teeth number 6.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The metasoma is dorsally nearly smooth, with only sparse granules. Granules are more numerous on lateral and ventral surfaces between carinae. The first segment bears 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments bear eight carinae, and the fifth segment bears seven carinae, all composed of granules some of which are pointed. The dorsolateral carinae of the third and fourth segments posteriorly terminate in a pronounced denticle. The telson is very large and bulbous, with minute granules.

PEDIPALPS: For position and distribution of trichobothria on the patella of pedipalps see Figs. 20 and 22 . External trichobothria on the patella number 17 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) ( Fig. 20 ), and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 7 ( Fig. 22 ). The femur is granulated, has six granulose carinae, and the patella has five carinae with pronounced internal double tubercles. The entire manus dorsally bears sparse rounded granules, which in the central part form a longitudinal carina. The movable fingers bear straight double rows of granules with internal and external granules. The male pedipalp fingers ( Fig. 25 ) are flexed.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish Scorpiops zubairahmedi sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below.

Scorpiops zubairahmedi sp. n. is most similar to S. petersii Pocock, 1893 , from which it differs in having a very narrow and long chela manus of pedipalp. Adult male chela length to width ratio is 3.38, whereas in the male of S. petersii it is only 2.6–2.8. Another difference is in relative size of the telson, which is larger in the new species.

Figures

Figures 19–26: 19 and 21. Scorpiops pseudomontanus Kovařík et Ahmed, sp. n., male paratype. 19. Patella external, 21. Patella ventral. 20, 22, 23–26. Scorpiops zubairahmedi Kovařík et Ahmed, sp. n., male paratype. 20. Patella external. 22. Patella ventral. 23–26. Dorsal and ventral view and chela external and ventral.