Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845

Kovařík, František, 2019, Taxonomic reassessment of the genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, and Olivierus, with descriptions of four new genera (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Euscorpius 288, pp. 1-27 : 3-4

Genus Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845

( Figures 1–9, 13, 18–36, 46–65, 75–94)

= Pilumnus C. L. Koch, 1837: 38 ; junior homonym of Pilumnus Leach, 1815 (Crustacea) , replaced by Repucha Fet, 1997 , nec Francke, 1985: 4; type species Lychas scutilus C. L. Koch, 1845 by subsequent designation ( Fet, 1997: 247) (syn. by C. L. Koch, 1850: 92).

Lychas (in part) C. L. Koch, 1845: 3; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 40–107, figs. 99–184, 216–239, 256–285; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 158–169 (complete references list until 2000); KovařÍk & Ojanguren Affilastro, 2013: 194–210, figs. 1410–1414, 1419–1423, 1434–1436, 1439–1449, 1471–1498, 1509–1555, 1562–1592.

= Archisometrus Kraepelin, 1891: 75–76 (in part); type species by subsequent designation (L. E. Koch, 1977: 123) Tityus marmoreus C. L. Koch, 1845 (syn. by Pocock, 1900 a: 35).

= Lychas (Distotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade 1983: 41 ; type species Isometrus nigristernis Pocock, 1899 (= Lychas nigristernis (Pocock, 1899)) , hereby designated (syn. by Vachon, 1986: 848).

= Lychas (Alterotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade 1983: 52 ; type species Scorpio mucronatus Fabricius, 1793 (= Lychas mucronatus (Fabricius, 1798)) , hereby designated (syn. by KovařÍk, 1995: 188).

= Lychas (Endotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade 1983: 71 ; type species Isometrus scaber Pocock, 1893 (= Lychas scaber (Pocock, 1893)) , hereby designated (syn. by KovařÍk, 1995: 188).

TYPE SPECIES. Lychas scutilus C. L. Koch, 1845 .

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 20 mm ( L. rugosus ) – 105 mm ( L. brehieri ). Carapace granular, lacking distinct carinae, flat, subrectangular with concave anterior margin. Median eyes on ocular tubercle in anterior half of carapace; usually with 4, or sometimes 5 pairs of lateral eyes (3 major ocelli, 1–2 minor ocelli). Sternum type 1, triangular in shape. Tergites I–VI granular, with single median carina, tergite VII with 5 carinae. Metasoma elongate, segment I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8–10 carinae, lateral median carina can be lacking. Telson ellipsoidal in shape, with distinct subaculear tooth. Pectinal tooth counts 8–26. Pectines with conspicuous or inconspicuous fulcra, rarely without fulcra. Chelicerae with typical buthid dentition, fixed finger armed with single denticle on ventral surface. Pedipalps orthobothriotaxic, type Aβ, femur trichobothrium d 2 obviously internal, patella d 3 external to dorsomedian carina. Dentate margins of chela movable finger armed with 3 terminal (two subterminal and one distal) denticles, apical row composed of 3–7 denticles, and imbricated overlapping six rows of denticles, rows 1–5 terminated proximally flanked by two enlarged outer accessory denticles, and single inner accessory denticle displaced distally. Sixth row with one to four isolated outer accessory denticles midway along its length, no inner accessory denticles. Reduced to moderate tibial spurs present on leg III and leg IV, tibia and tarsus without bristle combs, ventral surfaces of tarsomeres II densely equipped with two rows of setae, ungues stout.

SUBORDINATE TAXA (32 SPECIES).

Lychas aareyensis Mirza & Sanap, 2010 ( India)

Lychas aberlenci Lourenço, 2013 ( Laos)

Lychas armasi KovařÍk, 2013 ( Papua New Guinea)

Lychas armillatus Gervais, 1841 ( Philippines)

= Isometrus infuscatus Pocock, 1891

Lychas asper ( Pocock, 1891) ( Angola, Congo, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania, Zambia)

= Lychas asper obscurus Kraepelin, 1913

Lychas biharensis Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 ( India)

Lychas brehieri Lourenço, 2017 ( Myanmar)

Lychas buchari KovařÍk, 1997 ( Australia)

Lychas cernickai KovařÍk, 2013 ( Laos)

Lychas flavimanus (Thorell, 1888) ( Indonesia, Malaysia)

Lychas gravelyi Henderson, 1913 ( Myanmar)

Lychas hendersoni (Pocock, 1897) ( India)

Lychas hillyardi KovařÍk, 1997 ( India)

Lychas inexpectatus Lourenço, 2011 ( Laos)

Lychas kamshetensis Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 ( India)

Lychas kharpadi Bastawade, 1986 ( India)

Lychas krali KovařÍk, 1995 ( Thailand)

Lychas lourençoi KovařÍk, 1997 ( Indonesia)

Lychas marmoreus (C. L. Koch, 1844) ( Australia, New Guinea)

= Isometrus bituberculatus Pocock, 1891

= Lychas marmoreus lucienkochi Fet, 1997 , replacement name for Lychas marmoreus obscurus Kraepelin, 1916

= Lychas marmoreus nigrescens Kraepelin, 1916

= Lychas marmoreus splendens Kraepelin, 1916

= Lychas jonesae Glauert, 1925

Lychas mjobergi Kraepelin, 1916 ( Australia)

Lychas mucronatus (Fabricius, 1798) ( Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam)

= Scorpio (Androctonus) curvidigitatus Gervais, 1843

= Tityus varius C. L. Koch, 1844

= Isometrus chinensis Karsch, 1879

= Isometrus atomarius Simon, 1884

= Lychas mentaweius Roewer, 1943

= Lychas baldasseronii Caporiacco, 1947

=? Lychas nucifer Basu, 1964

Lychas nigristernis (Pocock, 1899) ( India, Pakistan)

=? Lychas decorata Basu, 1964

Lychas obsti Kraepelin, 1913 ( Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania)

Lychas perfidus (Keyserling, 1885) (Melanesia: Viti Levu Island)

Lychas rackae KovařÍk, 1997 ( India)

Lychas rugosus (Pocock, 1897) ( India) Lychas santoensis Lourenço, 2009 ( Vanuatu) Lychas scaber (Pocock, 1893) ( India) Lychas scutilus C. L. Koch, 1845 (Andaman Islands, China,

Indonesia, Keeling (Vovos) Islands, Malaysia, Myanmar,

Thailand) = Isometrus weberi Karsch, 1882 = Isometrus mesor Simon, 1884 = Isometrus phipsoni Oates, 1888 = Archisometrus nigrimanus Kraepelin, 1898 Lychas serratus ( Pocock, 1891) ( Mauritius: Round Island) Lychas shelfordi (Borelli, 1904) ( Indonesia, Malaysia,

Philippines) = Lychas eliseanneae Lourenço, 2011 = Lychas kaimana Lourenço, 2011 ( Indonesia) , syn. n. Lychas variatus (Thorell, 1876) ( Australia, Melanesia, New

Guinea, Papua New Guinea) = Isometrus thorelli Keyserling, 1885 = Isometrus variatus var. papuanus Thorell, 1888 = Isometrus armatus Pocock, 1891 = Lychas marmoreus kimberleyanus Kraepelin, 1916 = Lychas spinatus Kraepelin, 1916 = Lychas spinatus var. besti Glauert, 1925 = Lychas spinatus var. pallidus Glauert, 1925 = Lychas lappa Glauert, 1954 =? Lychas timorensis Lourenço, 2018 , syn. n. Lychas variatus canopensis Lourenço & Qi, 2007

COMMENTS. The correct date and designation of the type species Lychas scutilus C. L. Koch, 1845 for both genera Lychas and Pilumnus were discussed in detail by Fet (1997), Francke (1985) and KovařÍk (1995). L. E. Koch (1977) subsequently designated Australian Tityus marmoreus (= Lychas marmoreus ) as type species for genus Archisometrus . Tikader & Bastawade (1983) divided Lychas into three subgenera: Distotrichus , with species L. gravelyi and L. nigristernis ; Alterotrichus , with species L. hendersoni , L. mucronatus , and L. rugosus ; and Endotrichus , with species L. albimanus , L. bihariensis , L. kamshetensis , L. laevifrons , L. scaber , and L. tricarinatus . In discord with the ICZN, they did not address the nominotypic subgenus Lychas , and no type species were designated for their none of their new subgenera. These subgenera were differentiated by the position of pedipalp chela trichobothria dt, db, et, and est (Tikader & Bastawade, 1983; Vachon, 1986). The distinction was doubted by Vachon (1986) and KovařÍk (1995), and all three subgenera were synonymized by these authors. Here, I designate L. nigristernis as type species for the subgenus Distotrichus ; L. mucronatus as type species for the subgenus Alterotrichus ; and L. scaber as type species for the subgenus Endotrichus .

Species Lychas buchari KovařÍk, 1997 and L. mjobergi Kraepelin, 1916 from Australia are still placed in the genus Lychas sensu stricto. However, their morphological difference shows a possibility that these two species could form another separate genus; this issue requires a further detailed study.