Mesobuthus caucasicus intermedius ( Birula, 1897 )

Sun, Dong & Zhu, Mingsheng, 2010, A new species of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Xinjiang, China, ZooKeys 37 (37), pp. 1-12 : 3-4

Mesobuthus caucasicus intermedius ( Birula, 1897)

Figs 2, 11–13

Buthus caucasicus forma γ intermedia Birula, 1897: 387.

Mesobuthus caucasicus intermedius: Vachon, 1958: 150 , Fig. 31.

Olivierus caucasicus intermedius: Farzanpay, 1987: 156 .

Material examined. Type material not examined. Kazakhstan: Almaty Area, Kurty District, Taukum Desert , 25.5 km SE of Topar, 44°53.002'N, 75°17.138'E, 373 m alt., 9/V/2003, L. Prendini & A. V. Gromov leg., 4 females and 3 males ( AMNH) ; South Kazakhstan Area, Chardara District , 3 km W of Chardara, 41°16.106'N, 67°53.228'E, 287 m alt., 20/VI/2003, L. Prendini & A. V. Gromov leg., 1 female and 3 males ( AMNH) .

Diagnosis. Coloration. Basically brownish-yellow; all carinae and posterior edges of carapace and tergites with blackish-brown to black pigments; dorsal surfaces of segments I–IV on metasoma and each surface of segment V with irregular netlike dark pigments. Pedipalps: brownish-yellow; femur and patella with dark pigments, especially around carinae; manus with irregular netlike dark pigments; rows of granules on dentate margins of the fingers blackish-brown. Legs: pale yellow to yellow; tip of femur and base of patella with some dark spots.

Morphology. Total length 66–77 mm in females and 55–60 mm in males. Prosoma: anterior margin with a weak median concavity, not serrate; all carinae moderately strong, granular, and granules moderately developed; Mesosoma : Tergite: I to VI tricarinate; carinae on I weak, and carinae on II–VI moderately to strong, granular; the intercarinal surfaces relatively smooth, except for the segments I–III with sparse and fine granules; exterior surfaces coarsely granular. Pectinal teeth number 20–25 in females and 26–30 in males. Metasoma: Segments I–V with 10-8-8-8-5 complete carinae; median lateral carinae complete on segment I, only with sparse granules and covered 1/3 length of segment on II, and obsolete, remaining 1–3 granules at distal end on III; ventrolateral carinae on segment V strong, serrate, becoming stronger gradually from anterior to posterior; lateral surfaces smooth, dorsal with some fine granules and ventral with sparse large granules. Aculeus longer than a half of telson length. Pedipalps: Trichobothrial pattern: Orthobothriotaxic A-β ( Vachon, 1974, 1975). Dentate margins of movable and fixed fingers with 12 and 11 oblique rows of granules respectively; outer accessory denticles becoming smaller from base to tip markedly, and obviously smaller than inner accessory denticles on the tip. Legs: Tarsus ventrally with two moderate to long longitudinal rows of setae.

Distribution. China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), Iran (northwest), Kazakstan, Kirghizstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ( Fet and Lowe, 2000).

Note. Although our field works in Xinjiang are going along in past four years, and we got a large amount of specimens, we could not find any evidence to support the distribution of Mesobuthus caucasicus intermedius in China. But here, we decide to refer to Fet and Lowe (2000) before our completing the investigations.