Parabuthus eritreaensis KovařÍk, 2003

Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman & Šťáhlavský, František, 2024, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XXX. Parabuthus (Buthidae) (Part III), with description of three new species from Somaliland and occurrence of Parabuthus eritreaensis Kovařík, 2003, Euscorpius 385, pp. 1-27 : 2-4

Parabuthus eritreaensis KovařÍk, 2003

( Figures 1–26 , 128–129 , Table 1)

Parabuthus eritreaensis KovařÍk, 2003: 142–143 , 159, figs. 10–11, table 2; KovařÍk, 2004: 18–19, fig. 6; KovařÍk & Whitman, 2005: 110; KovařÍk et al., 2016: 19–21, figs. 40–41, 89, 174–175, 189, 198, 204; KovařÍk et al., 2019: 10, figs. 286–287, 305.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Eritrea, Asmara env. (incorrect locality, see comment in KovařÍk et al., 2016: 19–21 and below) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. “ Eritrea, Asmara env.“, 1♂ (holotype) 1♀ (allotypic paratype), 1983, leg. Dorsak ; FKCP.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia (Puntland), Gardo, Migiurtina , V. 1930, 1♂, leg. M. Milano & Luppi, FKCP No. 1133; Run, 16.VIII.1969, 1♂, S.B.S ., MZUF No. 1127.

NEW MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland, near Garadak, 09.489036°N 46.867009°E, 758 m a. s. l. (Locality No. 21SF, Fig. 2 ), 9.X.2021, 1♀ (DNA-1995, Figs. 1 , 3–26 , 129 ), leg. F. KovařÍk , FKCP.

DIAGNOSIS. Adults from 71.5 mm (male) to 90 mm (female) long. Base color uniformly yellow to yellowish brown, only fourth metasomal segment and telson dark. Pectine teeth number 39 in male and 35–36 in female. Stridulatory area present on dorsal surface of metasoma I–II, reduced to absent in metasoma III, and absent in metasoma IV–V. Metasoma densely hirsute. Movable finger of pedipalp more than twice as long as manus, bearing 13–15 rows of granules which include both external and internal granules. Manus of pedipalp hirsute, smooth and very narrow in both sexes, pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 6.13 in male and 7.22–7.23 in female. Tarsomere I of all legs with bristle-combs.

DISTRIBUTION ( Fig. 128 ). Somalia (Puntland) and Somaliland (first report).

COMMENTS. The true distribution of the species was discussed in KovařÍk et al. (2016: 19–21): its type locality “ Eritrea, Asmara env.“ looked suspicious. According to two males in FKCP and MZUF, it rather appeared that the real distribution range of this species lies in Somalia ( Puntland ). A new confirmed locality in western Somaliland confirms distribution of the species in Somaliland and Somalia (Puntland); however, the validity of the type locality is still doubtful .

COMMENTS ON LOCALITY AND LIFE STRATEGY. The Somaliland locality 21SH is rocky semi-desert terrain at 750 m a. s. l. ( Fig. 95 ). First author (FK) visited the locality and collected the specimen in open terrain at night by UV detection together with Parabuthus dorisae sp. n. and Pandinops cf. pugilator Pocock, 1900 .

Figures

Figures 1–2: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 1. Female in vivo habitus. Figure 2. Locality, Somaliland, vicinity of Garadak.

Figures 3–4. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female, in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figures 5–8: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 5. End of metasoma IV, metasoma V, and telson in lateral view. Figures 6–8. Metasoma and telson in lateral (6), dorsal (7), and ventral (8) views. Scale bar: 10 mm (6-8).

Figures 9–15: Parabuthus eritreaensis, female. Figure 9. Carapace and tergites I–IV. Figures 10–11. Sternopectinal area and sternites.. Figures 12–15. Right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect.

Figures 16–26. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female, right pedipalp, chela in dorsal (16), external (17), and ventral (18) views, patella in dorsal (19), external (20), and ventral (21) views, femur and trochanter in internal (22), dorsal (23), and ventral (24) views. Dentate margins of movable (25) and fixed (26) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 17– 20 and 22–23 by white circles.

Figures 128–129: Figure 128. Map showing confirmed distribution of Parabuthus spp. In Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland. Figure 129. Parabuthus eritreaensis, female from Somaliland in vivo habitus.

Figures 94–95: Parabuthus quincyae sp. n., male holotype. Figure 94. Male holotype in vivo habitus. Figure 95. Locality, Somaliland, vicinity of Huluul.