Heterometrus nepalensis, Kovařík, 2004

Kovařík, František, 2004, A review of the genus Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828, with descriptions of seven new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae), Euscorpius 15 (15), pp. 1-60 : 29-32

Heterometrus nepalensis sp. n.

( Fig. 22 )

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Nepal, Royal Chitwan National Park , Island Jungle Resort ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Nepal, Royal Chitwan National Park, Island Jungle Resort, VI.1993, 1♂ (holotype), leg. Csorba; FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for the country of occurrence. It is the first species found in Nepal.

DIAGNOSIS. Adult male holotype 83 mm long. Color uniformly reddish black, only telson lighter colored. Pectinal teeth number 14–15. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps probably not noticeable. Chela hirsute, lobiform, its adult length to width ratio 2.2. Entire manus covered by rounded granules. Patella of pedipalp without pronouced internal tubercle. Carapace smooth, with granules only at margins. Second metasomal segment of male wider than long. Telson bulbous, vesicle longer than aculeus.

DESCRIPTION: The adult male holotype is 83 mm long. No other specimens are known. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps, and numbers of pectinal teeth are given in Table 1. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps is probably not noticeable. Although the female is not known, morphology of other species makes this assumption fairly safe.

COLORATION: The base color of holotype is uniformly reddish black, only the telson is reddish brown. Sternites are yellowish brown and pectens are yellow.

MESOSOMA AND CARAPACE: The mesosoma lacks carinae. Both the carapace and mesosoma are smooth, with granules only at margins. The sternites are smooth, without granules. Pectinal teeth number 14–15.

METASOMA AND TELSON: The entire surface of the metasoma is finely granulate and hirsute. The first to fourth segments bear eight carinae of which the ventral are partly smooth and the dorsal consist of conspicuous but sparse pointed granules. The fifth segment bears five carinae. All carinae on this segment consist of pointed granules. Apart from the just noted carinae, all metasomal segments bear two additional carinae present only in the anterior half on the fifth segment and the posterior halves of the first to fourth segments. The first and second segments are wider than long, whereas the remaining segments are longer than wide. The telson is hirsute and bulbous, dorsally without granules and ventrally with four rows of granules; the vesicle is longer than the aculeus.

PEDIPALPS: The femur has three inconspicuous granulose carinae with spaces between them also bearing granules. The patella has four smooth carinae, is ventraly smooth, dorsally and externally slightly tuberculate, without granules or tubercles on the internal surface. The dorsal surface of the manus is covered by rounded granules. The chela is slightly lobiform and strongly hirsute, and its internal surface is tuberculate, with two carinae. The movable fingers bear six straight rows of granules.

LEGS: The legs bear long and short solitary setae. The third and fourth leg spine formula is 4:5.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish H. nepalensis sp. n. from all other species of the genus. They are recounted in the key below. H. nepalensis sp. n. is close to H. indus but has shorter and wider metasomal segments. Moreover, H. indus occurs only in Sri Lanka, whereas H. nepalensis sp. n. is the first species found in Nepal.

Figures

Figure 22: Heterometrus nepalensis, sp. nov., dorsal view, male holotype.