Hottentotta sousai Turiel, 2014

Turiel, Carlos, 2014, A new species of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from southern Morocco, Euscorpius 181, pp. 1-9 : 1-8

Hottentotta sousai Turiel , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–3 , 6–13 , 17 , Tables 1–3 )

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C76DA F62-C628-4AB5-BED1-1663874C964A

TYPE MATERIAL: Holotype ♂, Morocco: Tan-Tan Province , Tan-Tan , 2011 ( CIBIO Sc136). Paratypes: Tan-Tan , 2013, 1 ♀ ( CIBIO Sc2389); 6 km ESE of Elkhalona, on R101 heading S from Tan-Tan, 28.028° N 11.357° W, 2011, 1 ♀ im. ( CIBIO Sc137); Tan-Tan, 2011, 1 ♂ ( CIBIO Sc138); right margin of Oued Draa Valley, 2 km W of the intersection with road N1 heading N from Tan-Tan, 28.544° N 10.957°E, 2011, 1 ♀ ( CIBIO Sc142). All types leg. P. Coelho.

DISTRIBUTION: Only known from the type locality ( Fig. 1 ).

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet honors Pedro Sousa, the first author of the work (Sousa et al., 2011) on the genetic diversity of Maghrebian Hottentotta which first pointed at the existence of the new species described herein.

DIAGNOSIS: Total length 73–85 mm. Basic coloration dark brown except reddish brown chela of pedipalps. Pedipalps, mesosoma and metasoma reddish dark, brown to black. Carapace and tergites markedly granulated with strong carinae, lacking lyre-shaped configuration. Movable fingers of pedipalps with 14 rows of granules. Surfaces of femur and patella smooth and densely covered with long setation. Sexual dimorphism: a basal lobe/notch combination on the movable finger in males. Metasoma narrow, very densely hirsute, with 10- 8-8-8-5 carinae. Metasomal segment V lacks lobes and spines on the ventrolateral carinae, all granules of the ventrolateral carinae on the same level. Dorsal surface of metasoma smooth, segment V bears two short, inconspicuous carinae. All metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide. Metasomal segment V length to width ratio 1.6–1.7 in males. Entire body hirsute, pedipalps, legs, lateral and ventral surfaces of metasomal segments usually densely hirsute in both sexes. Vesicle sparsely hirsute. Pectinal teeth number 34–36 in males, 30–31 in females.

DESCRIPTION (based on male holotype):

Coloration: Basic coloration dark brown except reddish brown chelae of pedipalp. Chelicerae reticulate. Vesicle reddish brown with darkening aculeus.

Carapace: Central ocular, lateral ocular, central lateral, central median and posterior median carinae of carapace are strongly marked and covered by some marked granules, sparsely hirsute, most hairs along the anterior margin.

Mesosoma & Tergites: All tergites markedly granulated and with three strong carinae. Almost all hairs along the posterior margin of the tergites, except the tergite VII; tergite VII with five carinae, one axial and in each case two proximal connected lateral carinae. Sternites finely granulated and sparsely hirsute; sternite V with two medial and two lateral carinae. Pectinal teeth number 34.

Pedipalps: Chela externally with short macrosetation, movable finger with 14 rows of denticles and five terminal denticles. Trichobothrium db on fixed finger situated at the level of et. Conspicuous basal lobe/notch combination. Patella with eight carinae and covered densely with numerous setae; L/W ratio of 2.8. Femur with five carinae, internal carinae irregular scattered and covered densely with numerous setae with a L/W ratio of 3.2; manus slightly wider than patella in males; trichobothrial pattern orthobothriotaxic of type A-ss (beta).

Metasoma & Telson: All metasomal segments of both sexes longer than wide and densely hirsute. Metasomal segment I with ten well-marked regular carinae, intercarinal tegument sparsely granulated except between the dorsal and dorsolateral area covered with two to three conspicuous granules. Metasomal segment II with eight well-marked regular carinae with incomplete lateral carinae reduced by four to five granules, intercarinal tegument sparsely granulated. Metasomal segment III with eight well-marked regular carinae, intercarinal tegument sparsely granulated; lateral carinae reduced to one granule; L/W ratio 1.4. Metasomal segment IV with eight well marked regular carinae, inter-carinal tegument sparsely granulated, L/W ratio 1.6. Metasomal segment V with eight well marked regular carinae, intercarinal tegument moderately granulated; dorsal furrow of metasoma smooth, only IV and V segments bear two inconspicuous carinae. Telson sparsely hirsute with some granules and becoming distally weaker.

Legs: smooth except external surface of femur, covered with some finely granulation and with wellmarked carinae. Dorsal surface of patella smooth with well-marked carinae but without granules, internal surface with some scattered spines with macrosetae. Tibia and tarsus covered with macrosetae and ventrally with spiniform setae. Prolateral and retrolateral spurs presenting in all legs. Tibial spurs presenting in legs three and four. Tarsus ventrally with two rows of 6–7 spiniform setae each.

Ecological Notes

Throughout the year, there is virtually no rainfall in the Tan-Tan region. About 95 mm of precipitation fall annually. The driest month is August. Most precipitation falls in winter, with an average of 30 mm in December. The average annual temperature is 20.4 °C. The warmest month is August with an average temperature of 24.2°C. In January, the average temperature is 16.1 °C, the lowest average temperature of the year. The difference in precipitation is 30 mm between the wettest and the driest months. The average temperatures vary during the year by 8.1 °C (http://de.climate-data.com).

The new species could have been isolated during the past 192,000 years. Castañeda et al. (2009) reported three wet periods within this time. In this fertile age of the Sahara, there was a continuous stream presented in the Oued Draa River, which formed a natural barrier ( Osborne et al., 2008) and may have separated the Low Draa clade from the central clade (sensu Sousa et al., 2011). Our specimen localities, however, show that this barrier is now overcome (see localities of Sc142 & Sc143) and more extensive distribution northwards could be possible.

Unfortunately, I have no satisfying habitat information. Judging from similar tarsal armature, H. sousai sp.n. could be semi-lithophilic as its allopatric sister species H. gentili , which is found in rocky habitats, bark of palm trees, palm gardens, oases, and along river beds (Arabic: Oueds) with dense palm tree vegetation (personal observation in September 2013).

Affinities and Key

H. sousai sp. n. is similar to H. gentili , with which it shares most combinations of characters, but can be distinguished from all other Maghreb Hottentotta , by a conspicuous basal lobe/notch combination in males; stronger setation in nearly all body parts, especially patella and femur of pedipalps; and lower length to wide ratio of the fourth metasomal segment in males. Furthermore, I want to note a difference in the intercarinal tegument between the dorsal and dorsolateral carinae of the first metasomal segment, which is covered with one to four granules, whereas all samples of H. gentili bear four to twelve granules and are not always arranged in parallel fashion. However, I am not sure if this feature represents a constant difference; this could be a random variation.

Diagnosis of H. gentili was published by Kovařík & Ojanguren Affilastro (2013: 164) who also presented a key of all Hottentotta species. In #4 of their key to African Hottentotta on page 160 there is a printing error that should be, according to F. Kovařík (pers. comm.), corrected as follows:

4. Legs yellow. ............... H. franzwerneri ( Birula, 1914) – Legs black or reddish brown…………………………. ……………………………….. H. gentili ( Pallary, 1924)

With inclusion of H. sousai sp. n., this key to African Hottentotta changes as follows:

4. Legs yellow. ……...... H. franzwerneri ( Birula, 1914) – Legs black or reddish brown. ……………............. 4a.

4a. Pedipalp lobe/notch combination in males moderately expressed. Length/width ratio of metasomal segment IV>1.8. Dorsal surface of the patella and femur of the pedipalps and metasoma moderately hirsute ……. ………………………..…….... H. gentili ( Pallary, 1924) - Pedipalp lobe/notch combination in males strongly expressed. Length/width ratio of metasomal segment IV <1.8. Dorsal surface of the patella and femur of the pedipalps and metasoma very densely hirsute ……….. …………………..…….……..… H. sousai Turiel , sp. n.

Comparative Material Studied

Hottentotta franzwerneri ( Birula, 1914) : Morocco, Figuig , 32.104° N, 1.225° W, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ im. ( RTOC) .

Hottentotta gentili ( Pallary, 1924) : Morocco, near Quarzazate , leg. G. Molisani, 2 ♂, 1 ♀ im. ( NHMW) ; near Quarzazate , leg. G. Molisani, 2 ♀ ( RTOC) ; road N9 between Quarzazate and Agdz, 30.842° N, 6.873° W, leg. C. Weber, 2 ♂, 1 ♀ im. ( RTOC) ; Tiguezmert , 29.712° N, 7.972° W, leg. M. Stockmann, 1 ♀ ( RTOC) ; Agadir , 30.428° N, 9.613° W, leg. M. Stockmann, 1 ♂, 1 ♂ im. ( RTOC) ; unknown locality, leg. L. Georg, 3 ♂ ( NHMW) .

Figures

Figure 1: Type locality of H. sousai sp.n. (green star).

Figures 2–3: 2. H. sousai sp.n., dorsal and 3. ventral view, holotype male.

Figure 17: H. sousai sp.n., paratype male; H. gentili, male; H. franzwerneri, male (from left to right).

Figures 4–10: H. gentili male; 4. H. gentili, base of the fingers; 5. metasomal segment I, dorsal aspect. H. sousai sp.n., holotype male; 6. metasomal segment I, dorsal aspect; 7–10. Trichobothrial pattern of the right pedipalp; 7. Chela, external aspect; 8. Femur, dorsal aspect; 9–10. Patella, external and dorsal aspects.

Figures 11–16: Metasoma ventral, dorsal and lateral aspect. 11-13. H. sousai sp.n., holotype male; 14-16. H.gentili male.