Grosphus polskyi Lourenço, Qi & Goodxman, 2007

Lourenço, Wilson R., 2014, The genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in South-Western Madagascar, with the description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Zoosystema 36 (3), pp. 631-645 : 640

Grosphus polskyi Lourenço, Qi & Goodxman, 2007

Grosphus polskyi Lourenço, Qi & Goodman, 2007: 174 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Male holotype: Madagascar, South region, Toliara, Ifaty, 23°10’80”S, 43°37’00”E (dry spiny bush forest, dominated by baobabs – Adansonia za Baill., 1898, resting on red sand soil, 30 m (W. R. Lourenço), IX.2004, MNHN. RS-8950 .

DIAGNOSIS. — Scorpion of small size with a total length of 33 mm. General coloration reddish-yellow with some diffused brownish variegated pigmentation on the carapace and tergites. Carapace weakly to moderately granular; anterior margin almost straight. Pectines: pectinal teeth count 19- 18 in male; basal middle lamellae of each pecten not dilated in male. Metasomal segment I with a length equal to its width. Dorsal carinae on segments II to IV with one small posterior spinoid granule. Subaculear tooth moderately marked. Fixed and movable fingers with 12-13 oblique rows of granules.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Certain morphological characters indicate that G. polskyi is similar in certain aspects to G. hirtus , however, distinct from this last species by a much paler overall coloration with some diffused brownish pigmentation, a metasomal segment I with a length equal to its width, and a subaculear tooth moderately marked. This species remains known only from its type locality. The holotype was collected under death leaves at the base of one baobab tree ( Adansonia za Baill.). The abundance of litter over the sand soil was rather poor and death leaves were most cumulated nearby the trunk of the tree together with some fallen fruit ( Lourenço et al. 2007a).