Buthoscorpio rayalensis Javed, Rao, Mirza, Sanap, 2010

Maqsood Javed, S. M., Rao, K. Thulsi, Mirza, Zeeshan A., Sanap, Rajesh V. & Tampal, Farida, 2010, A new species of scorpion of the genus Buthoscorpio Werner, 1936 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Andhra Pradesh, India, Euscorpius 98, pp. 1-11 : 5-9

Buthoscorpio rayalensis Javed, Rao, Mirza, Sanap

et Tampal, sp. nov.

( Figs. 4–8; Tab. 1)

Type Locality. India, Andhra Pradesh, Kurnool District, Allagadda and Nandyal .

Type Material. India, Andhra Pradesh, 2♀ (one holotype and one paratype), Allagadda Town (15°07΄ N, 78°30΄ E) and Nandyal Town (15°28΄ N, 78°28΄ E), Kurnool District , 10 February 2010, coll. by S. M. Maqsood Javed, deposited in the collection of the Bombay National History Society ( BNHS SC–43 and BNHS SC–44) .

Etymology. Named after the region, Rayalaseema, where the specimens collection sites Allagadda and Nandyal are situated.

Diagnosis. A species of moderate size, holotype total length 43.70 mm, overall blackish brown with a beady gloss throughout the body, anterior edge of carapace exhibiting very broad subtle indentation with a conspicuous epistome present medially, median eyes situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:3.1, interocular area smooth, patella anteriorly smooth and rounded, mesosomal tergites smooth, pectinal teeth number 17–17; arrangement of five lateral eyes as in Fig. 6c.

Coloration. The scorpion is overall blackish brown to reddish brown. The carapace is in a shade of dark blackish brown with pale brownish patches and reticulate markings. Chelicerae orangish brown with dark reticulate markings ( Fig. 6b). Mesosomal sternites entirely dark brownish with a few diffused pale brownish markings, tergites yellowish brown. Pectines creamish to yellow, genital operculum much darker ( Fig. 5b). Pedipalp femur and patella dark brownish with pale orangish patches and reticulate pattern on them. Pedipalp chela orangish with four pale brownish longitudinal lines dorsally and exteriorly. Leg femur and patella dark brownish, rest of the segments pale yellow. Metasoma reddish brown ( Figs. 4, 5a, and 5b).

Carapace. Smooth overall except for sparse granulation in the lateral portion. Anterior edge of carapace exhibiting very broad subtle indentation with a conspicuous epistome present medially ( Fig. 6d). Carapacial margins smooth. Median eyes situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:3.1 on a slight elevation ( Fig. 6a). Carinae absent except for the shallow median anterior and median central furrow continuing up to the posterior carapacial margin. Five pairs of lateral eyes as in Fig. 6c.

Mesosoma . Entirely smooth bearing a single ‘T’ shaped smooth median carinae ( Fig. 6f). Lacking granulation on all except for fine granulation on the median portion of the mesosomal tergite VII. Pectines well developed, with 17–17 teeth, six times wider than long ( Figs. 5b, 7a). Basal piece with a distinct median semicircular depression ( Figs. 5b, 7a). Sternum subpentagonal ( Fig. 6e) and of Type 1 as described by Soleglad & Fet (2003).

Chelicerae. Movable and fixed fingers each with two ventral accessory (va) denticles ( Fig. 6b).

Pedipalp. Pedipalp femur, patella and chela smooth. Patella anteriorly with a few small or depressed tubercles but overall smooth and rounded. Not crested anteriorly as in B. politus . Trichobothrial pattern orthobothriotaxic, type A-α, as in Fig. 8a to 8c and 8e to 8g. Movable finger of pedipalp chela with 10 rows of imbricated denticles and two large apical ones ( Fig. 8d).

Legs. Finely granular and with smooth carinae. Tibia of leg III and IV furnished with a long and strong tibial spur ( Fig. 7b). A pair of pedal spurs, the anterior one bifurcates to form a partly divided third spur. Tarsus ventral surface have a row of paired minute setae.

Metasoma. Dorsal carinae smooth. Intercarinal region granular dorsally. All segments sparsely punct- uated. Segments I to IV wider than long; segment V longer than wide. Vesicle pyriform, slightly shorter than the carapace and sparsely punctuated ( Fig. 7c). Telson lacking subaculear tubercle ( Fig. 7c).

Affinities. Buthoscorpio rayalensis sp. nov. may be distinguished from the two known congeners on the basis of (differing or non-overlapping character states indicated parenthetically): anterior edge of carapace exhibiting very broad subtle indentation with a conspicuous epistome present medially (vs. absent in B. politus and B. sarasinorum ); median eyes situated anteriorly in the ratio 1:3.1 (vs. 1: 1.9 in B. politus , vs. 1: 2.1 in B. sarasinorum ); interocular area smooth (vs. inter- ocular area of carapace finely granular in B. sarasinorum ); patella anteriorly smooth and rounded (vs. patella weakly crested in B. politus ); mesosomal tergites entirely smooth (vs. mesosomal tergites finely granular on median and lateral portion in B. politus ); basal piece with a deep semicircular depression medially (vs. a shallow depression in B. politus and a distinct pointed ‘V’-shaped depression medially in the female B. sarasinorum ) and pectinal teeth number 17–17 (vs. 15– 15 in B. politus and B. sarasinorum ).

Natural History. One of the specimens was dug out from a rotting log and the other specimen was found under a boulder. Both specimens were found in a private plantation site close to a perennial stream ( Figs. 2–3). The specimens, on being disturbed, assumed a posture with the metasoma pressed flat to the mesosoma , its small telson folded dorsally in a groove, and the ventral surface of the metasomal segment V forming a “face shield” as observed in species of Orthochirus by Fet et al. (2003). This act is perhaps peculiar to this genus, Orthochirus and other related genera in association of chemosensory array, analogous to insect antennae as suggested by Fet et al. (2003). A similar behavior has been observed in B. politus as well (A. Zambre, pers. comm.).

Comments. Javed et al. (2010) listed 18 species of scorpions from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Based on Rao et al. (2005), Javed et al. (2010) listed Buthoscorpio sarasinorum as occurring in the state. Previous records of specimens of B. sarasinorum from Andhra Pradesh by Rao et al. (2005) might in fact belong to the new species. Pocock (1900) mentioned B. sarasinorum distribution as Malabar Coast, India and hills of Ceylon (= Sri Lanka), whereas under a description he provided distribution of B. sarasinorum as Peradeniya, Ceylon (= Sri Lanka). Therefore, we presume that B. sarasinorum is a Sri Lankan species and its occurrence in India is doubtful and it needs confirmation whether it actually occurs in India. The record of B. sarasinorum from Kolkata (= Calcutta), West Bengal by Tikader & Bastawade (1983) needs verification as to whether the species is either B. politus , B. rayalensis sp. nov. or yet another undescribed species. However, specimens of B. sarasinorum deposited in Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata were found missing and not traceable; hence such verification in near future is almost impossible. B. rayalensis sp. nov. shares some characters with B. politus , and some with B. sarasinorum . At the moment, due to lack of specimens, we restrict the new name to its type population until more specimens including males are found to establish exact status of all species of the genus Buthoscorpio . This should promote further activity by zoologists in India as scorpion studies by local researchers are so far quite uncommon and thus many species are poorly known (Mirza & Sanap, 2010).