Heterometrus indus (Geer, 1778)

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 : 17-20

Heterometrus indus (Geer, 1778)

( Fig. 16)

? Scorpio indicus (in part) Linné, 1754 (syn. by Kraepelin, 1899: 113).

= Scorpio afer Linné, 1758: 624 (in part); Linné, 1767: 1038; Linné, 1775: 1091; Fabricius, 1775: 399; Fabricius, 1781: 550; Fabricius, 1787: 348; Fabricius, 1793: 434; Herbst, 1800: 38; Latreille, 1804: 120 (syn. by De Geer, 1778: 341; Kraepelin, 1895: 53).

Scorpio (Buthus) afer : Gervais, 1844b: 60 (in part).

Heterometrus afer : Simon, 1872: 99.

Scorpio indus De Geer, 1778: 341 ; Lönnberg, 1898: 551. Pandinus indicus : Pavesi, 1881: 556?; Thorell, 1888: 412 (in part); Thorell, 1893: 381 (in part).

Heterometrus indus : Kraepelin, 1899: 113; Werner, 1902: 601; Lampe, 1918: 198; Roewer, 1929: 612; Giltay, 1931: 8; Werner, 1934: 277; Roewer, 1943: 226; Takashima, 1945: 92; Bücherl, 1959: 269; Root, 1990: 354; Lourenço & Cloudsley-Thompson, 1996: 140.

Heterometrus (Scorpio) indus : Kraepelin, 1901: 271.

Heterometrus (Heterometrus) indus : Couzijn, 1978: 330. Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus : Couzijn, 1981: 121; Kovařík, 1992: 185;? Kovařík, 1997: 183; Kovařík, 1998: 137; Fet, 2000: 446; Kovařík, 2002: 17.

Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) indus indus : Couzijn, 1981: 121; Vachon, 1982: 79; Fet, 2000: 447.

Palamnaeus indus : Pocock, 1900: 96.

Scorpio indicus : Pocock, 1893: 311(in part); Kraepelin, 1895: 53.

= Scorpio ceylonicus Herbst, 1800: 83 ; Kraepelin, 1895: 46; Lönnberg, 1897: 186 (syn. by Kraepelin, 1899: 113; Pocock, 1900: 96).

Scorpio (Buthus) ceylanicus : Gervais, 1844b: 62.

Scorpio ceylonicus : Lönnberg, 1898: 83.

Pandinus ceylonicus : Karsch, 1887: 69; Karsch, 1892: 307.

Palamnaeus ceylonicus : Kraepelin, 1898: 439.

= Buthus megacephalus C. L. Koch, 1836: 73 , fig. 224; C. L. Koch, 1850: 88 (syn. by Thorell, 1876b: 168; Lönnberg, 1898: 83).

Bathus megacephalus [sic]: C. L. Koch, 1836 (content).

Pandinus megacephalus : Thorell, 1876b: 203; Thorell, 1893: 381.

Scorpio megacephalus : Pocock, 1893: 311.

= Buthus caesar C. L. Koch, 1841: 6 , fig. 697; C. L. Koch, 1850: 87; Moritz & Fischer, 1980: 311 (syn. by Simon, 1872: 99).

Pandinus caesar : Thorell, 1876b: 205; Karsch, 1887: 68. Scorpio caesar : Pocock, 1893: 311; Pocock, 1894: 73.

Heterometrus caesar : Kraepelin, 1899: 114; Roewer, 1943: 229; Takashima, 1945: 92; Brignoli, 1985: 415.

Heterometrus (Scorpio) caesar : Kraepelin, 1901: 271.

Palamnaeus caesar : Pocock, 1900: 97.

= Scorpio crassimanus Becker, 1880: 140 (syn. by Kraepelin, 1899: 113; Couzijn, 1981: 121).

= Palamnaeus serratus Pocock, 1900: 97 (syn. by Couzijn, 1981: 121).

Heterometrus serratus : Takashima, 1945: 94.

Heterometrus (Srilankametrus) serratus : Tikader & Bastawade, 1983: 555; Fet, 2000: 448.

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. India ; NHRS.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Sri Lanka, Ceylon , 1♂ (holotype of Palamnaeus serratus ), leg. Dr. Ondaatje, BMNH No. 1888.55 .

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. S ri Lanka ( Ceylon), Peradeniya, 2♂, leg. Uzel, NMPC; 1847, 1♀ 1juv., leg. G. Worms, SMFD No. 5319; Ceylon, 1912, 1♀ 1♂ 1juv., leg. A. Hansen, SMFD No. 5317; Ceylon, IV.1914, 1♂ 2♀, leg. J. Mastbaum, SMFD No. 5318; Kandy, 1.V.1982, 1♂, leg. R. C. Drewes, CASC; 1900, 1♀, FKCP; 1994, 1♂, FKCP; Kandy, Paradeniya, 30.III.1902, 1♂, IV.1994, 2♂ 1im.5juvs., 1♀ (gave birth to 8 juvs. in 10–19.VII.1994, ♀ died 28.VI.1996, reared by F. Kovařík), 1♀ after seventh ecdysis (5th 29.VII.1994, 6th 1.IV.1996, 7th ecdysis 1.IX.1996, rearing F. Kovařík), 1♂ after seventh ecdysis (3rd 1.VIII.1994, 4th 26.V.1995, 5th 17.VIII.1995, 6th 10.IV.1996, 7th 13.IX.1996, reared by F. Kovařík), leg. P. Senft, FKCP.?, Hyderabad, Banjara Road, 1931, 1♀, leg. S. Mirza, SMFD No. 5367; 1im., NMPC;? Java (loc. in error?), Mus. Leiden, 1♀, SMFD No. 5321 .

DIAGNOSIS. Adults 90–130 mm long. Color of adults uniformly reddish black to greenish black. Pectinal teeth number 11–15 in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps not noticeable. Chela hirsute, lobiform, its adult length to width ratio between 1.7 and 2.0. Entire manus covered by rounded granules that may merge and appear as rows. Patella of pedipalp without pronouced internal tubercle. Carapace usually smooth and glossy, occasionally with granules at margins. Second metasomal segment longer than wide. Vesicle of telson usually longer than aculeus.

COMMENTS. Palamnaeus serratus Pocock, 1900 was synonymized by Couzijn (1981: 121) with H. indus , whereas Tikader & Bastawade (1983: 555) considered it a valid species. Examination of the holotype convinces me that it is a synonym of H. indus .

DISTRIBUTION. Sri Lanka (Herbst, 1800: 83, 84; Pocock, 1900: 96). This species has been repeatedly listed from India (see name and type locality), but it appears that in reality it is confined to Sri Lanka. It was also incorrectly reported from Java (Lönnberg, 1897: 187) and Mozambique (Pavesi, 1881: 556).