Heterometrus madraspatensis Pocock, 1900

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 : 27-29

Heterometrus madraspatensis Pocock, 1900

( Fig. 20 )

Palamnaeus fulvipes madraspatensis Pocock, 1900: 88 .

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) madraspatensis : Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 630; Fet, 2000: 440.

Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) fulvipes : Couzijn, 1981: 133 (in part).

= Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) granulomanus Couzijn, 1981: 142 ; Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 577; Kovařík, 1998: 136; Fet, 2000: 439; Kovařík, 2002: 17. Syn. n.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. India, Madras ; BMNH.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Tamil Nadu, Madras , 2♂ (lectotype and paralectotype hereby designated), BMNH; Palni-Hills, Kadai-canal, 1♂ (paratype of Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) granulomanus Couzijn, 1981 ), SMFD No. 5332 .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. India, Madireddy Palem , 11.VII.1966, 1im., 20.XI.1966, 1♂ 1♀ 2juvs., 21.XI.1966, 1juv., 1.I.1967, 1♂ 2♀ 3ims., 16.I.1967, 1♂ 3juvs., leg. Dorothy E. Johnson, CASC , 1.I.1967, 1♂ 1♀, FKCP ; Andhra Pradesh, Addanki env., 1♂, FKCP ; Podili , VII.1966, 1juv., 6.VII.1966, 1juv., 20.VII.1966, 1♂ 1im. 1juv., 21.VII.1966, 1juv., 23.XI.1966, 1im., 1.I.1967, 1♀, 13.II.1967, 1juv., leg. D. E. Johnson, CASC . Tamil Nadu, Madras area , 1965, 2♂ 3♀, CASC ; Vellore , 11.VIII.1966, 2♂, 26.IX.1966, 1im., 16.VIII.1967, 1♂, 15.IX,1966, 1♂, 24.IX.1966, 2♂, 25.IX.1966, 1♂ 1♀, VIII.1967, 2juvs., leg. C. Varadarajan, CASC ; Madras ( Chennai ), II.1993, 2♀ 1im., leg. M. Veselý, FKCP , near Vellore , 30.X.1997, 1♂, leg. K. Werner, FKCP .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 70–100 mm long. Color of adults uniformly reddish brown to black, legs and telson yellow to yellowish or reddish brown, always lighter colored than body. Pectinal teeth number 12–18 in both sexes. Male has longer femur and patella of pedipalp than female. Chela lobiform, in male narrower than in female, its length to width ratio 1.7–1.9 in females and 2.0–2.5 in males. Entire manus covered by large, rounded granules but devoid of carinae. Patella of pedipalp without pronouced internal tubercle. Carapace of juveniles and some females with disc smooth and margins granulate and anteriorly tuberculate. Adult males and some females with entire carapace sparsely granulated. Third and fourth leg spine formula 4:5–6. Telson hirsute, vesicle as long as or longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. Couzijn (1981: 133) suggested that Palamnaeus fulvipes madraspatensis Pocock, 1900 is a synonym of H. fulvipes . However, Tikader & Bastawade (1983: 630) correctly elevated this subspecies to a species. The two species are distinguishable on the shape of the male chela (see Fig. 25 in Pocock, 1900: 88), but problems may arise in identification of the females. Couzijn (1981: 142) also described a new species, Heterometrus (Chersonesometrus) granulomanus , which in my opinion is a synonym of H. madraspatensis Pocock, 1900 . The lectotype of H. madraspatensis Pocock, 1900 is hereby designated in order to stabilize the nomenclature.

DISTRIBUTION. India: Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu ( Pocock, 1900: 89) .

Figures

Figure 20: Heterometrus madraspatensis, dorsal view, male lectotype.

Figure 25: Heterometrus scaber, dorsal view, male.