Botrhiurus asper Pocock, 1893

Santos-Da-Silva, Andria De Paula, Carvalho, Leonardo Sousa & Brescovit, Antonio Domingos, 2017, Two new species of Bothriurus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) from Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 4258 (3), pp. 238-256 : 249-251

Botrhiurus asper Pocock, 1893

Fig. 1 A

Bothriurus asper Pocock, 1893: 96 –97. Male holotype from Igarassu (7°50'03"S, 34°54'23"W), Pernambuco, Brazil (deposited in The Natural History Museum of London (BMNH), not examined; Lowe & Fet: 2000: 19 (synonymic list up to 1998); Lourenço, 2002: 45; Rein, 2007: 7; Motta, 2006: 1; Mattoni & Peretti, 2004: 1; Porto et al., 2010: 293; Brazil & Porto, 2011: 48; Carmo et al., 2013: 340.

Material examined. BRAZIL: State of Maranhão: Barreirinhas (2°44'49"S, 42°49'39"W), 13–17. X.2001, 1 immature ( IBSP 3175 ), 1 immature ( IBSP 3 177 ), A. D. Brescovit col. ; State of Piauí: Parnaíba (Campus da Embrapa Meio Norte , 3°5'59"S, 41°47'19"W), 10.I–22.II.2005, 1♂, D. Loebmann col. ( IBSP 3860 ) ; ( Distrito de Irrigação dos Tabuleiros Litorâneos , 3°2'12.7"S, 41°46'15.8"W), 29. II. 2012, 1♂, I. L. F. Magalhães et al. col. ( IBSP 6535 ) ; Brasileira and Piracuruca (Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°3'45,9"S, 41°43'25,3"W), 06.X.2006, 2♂, L. S. Carvalho et al. col. ( MPEG 451 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5'39,9"S, 41°43'53,3"W), 28.I.2006, L. S. Carvalho col., 12♂ ( MPEG 411 ) ; 3♂ ( MPEG 452 ) ; 5♂ ( MPEG 454 ) ; 5♂ ( MPEG 467 ) ; 1♂ ( MPEG 483 ) ; 1♂ ( MPEG 485 ) ; 27.I.2006, 1♂ ( MPEG 475 ) ; 3♂ ( MPEG 477 ) ; 1♂ ( MPEG 479 ) ; 1♂ ( MPEG 482 ) ; 28♂ ( MPEG 516 ) ; 28.I.2006, 29♂, W. A. Rocha col. ( MPEG 522 ) ; 06.X.2006, 1♂, M. T. L. Avelino col. ( MPEG 474 ) ; 26.I.2007, L. S. Carvalho et al. col., 1♂ ( MPEG 455 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5'56"S, 41°5'56"W), 8.XII.2003, E.B.O. Marques col., 1♂, 1♀ ( CHNUFPI 0972 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0973 ) ; 28.III.2005, 1♂, L. S. Carvalho col. ( CHNUFPI 0979 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5'56,2"S, 41°43'12,9"W), 1♂, L. S. Carvalho col. ( MPEG 442 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5'56,3"S, 41°5'56,3"W), 26.I.2007, 1♂, M. T. L. Avelino col. ( MPEG 472 ) ; 26.I.2007, L. S. Carvalho et al. col., 1♂ ( MPEG 456 ) ; 1♂ ( MPEG 461 ) ; 2♂ ( MPEG 463 ) ; 5♂ ( MPEG 480 ) ; 29.VI.2007, 1♂, M. T. L. Avelino col. ( MPEG 484 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°5'57,5"S, 41°43'0,7"W), 26.I.2007, L. S. Carvalho col., 1♂ ( MPEG 453 ) ; 1 immature ( MPEG 464 ) ; 1 immature ( MPEG 521 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°6'1,9"S, 41°42'54,2"W), 10.09.2006, 2 immature, M. T. L. Avelino col. ( MPEG 476 ) ; ( Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades , 4°6'58,76"S, 41°41'30,85"W), 27.I.2006, 10♂, L. S. Carvalho col. ( MPEG 441 ) ; José de Freitas (Fazenda Nazareth , 4°45'23"S, 42°34'32"W), 18.X.2003, E.B.O. Marques col., 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0963 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0964 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0965 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0966 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0967 ) ; 1♂, G.A. Soares col. ( CHNUFPI 0961 ) ; E.B.O. Marques col., 19.X.2003, 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0959 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0960 ) ; 22.XI.2003, E.B.O. Marques col., 1♀ ( CHNUFPI 0968) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0969) ; 2♂ ( CHNUFPI 0970 ) ; 23.XII.2003, 1♂, E.B.O. Marques col. ( CHNUFPI 0974 ) ; 25.IX.2003, 1♂, G.A. Soares col. ( CHNUFPI 0962 ) ; 6.XII.2003, L. S. Carvalho col.,, 1♀ ( CHNUFPI 0976 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0975 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0977 ) ; 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0978 ) ; ( Fazenda Nazareth , 4°47'58,1"S, 42°37'48,8"W), 10.10.2004, 1♂, L. S. Carvalho col.( MPEG 443 ) ; Altos (Floresta Nacional de Palmares, 20km NE from Teresina , 5°2'54"S, 42°35'56"W), 11.X.2010, L. S. Carvalho et al. col., 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0891 ) ; 1♀ ( CHNUFPI 0897 ) ; Castelo do Piauí (ECB Rochas Ornamentais do Brasil LDTA, Fazenda Bonito , 5°13'33"S, 41°41'46"W), 11.X.2010, 1 immature, L. S. Carvalho et al. col. ( CHNUFPI 0896 ) ; ( ECB Rochas Ornamentais LTDA, Fazenda Bonito , 5°13'50,8"S, 41°42'1,1"W), 04.X.2005, 1♂, F. M. Oliveira-Neto col. ( MPEG 471 ) ; Guaribas (Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusões , 8°56'10"S, 43°51'36"W), X.2006, P.R.R. Silva et al. col., 1♂ ( CHNUFPI 0717 ) ; 3♂ ( CHNUFPI 0718 ) ; 2♂ ( CHNUFPI 0719 ) ; 2♂ ( CHNUFPI 0750 ) ; State of Ceará: Ubajara (Parque Nacional Ubajara , 3°51'00.0"S, 40°55'00.0"W), VII–XII.2007, 1 ♂, D. Loebmann col. ( IBSP 5162 ) ; ( Serra da Ibiapaba, Sítio do Alemão , 3°50'50,7"S, 40°53'18"W), 21.X.2011, 1♀, A.Souza et al. col. ( CHNUFPI 0886 ) ; Crateus (Reserva Natural Serra das Almas , 4°3'10"S, 39°27'16"W), P. Cascon col., 14♂, 2♀ ( IBSP 6793 ) ; 6♂, 1♀ ( IBSP 6796 ) ; 5♂, 1♀ ( IBSP 6797 ) ; 1♀ ( IBSP 6799 ) ; 3♂, 1♀ ( IBSP 6806 ) ; State of Rio Grande do Norte: Natal (5°47'42"S, 35°12'32"W), 1♂, J. Lima col. ( IBSP 6164 ) ; State of Paraíba: Cabaceiras (7°29'25"S, 36°17'16"W), 28.XI.2011, 1♂, J.B.R. Alencar col. ( CHNUFPI 1546 ), 1.VI.2012, 1♂, A.S. Silva col. (CHNUFPI 1547) ; 28.XI.2011, 1♂, J.B.R. Alencar col. ( CHNUFPI 1548 ) ; 29.XII.2012, 1♂, J.B.R. Alencar col. ( CHNUFPI 1553 ) ; 12.VI.2011, 1♂, J.B.R. Alencar col. ( CHNUFPI 1561 ) ; State of Pernambuco: Recife (Bairro Várzea ), 8°3'14"S, 34°52'51"W), 24.IV.1992, 1 immature, Usina Petrial col. ( IBSP 2 229 ) ; State of Sergipe: Canindé do São Francisco (Cânion do Xingó, Fazenda Porto Belo , 9°35'17"S, 37°51'9"W), A. D. Brescovit col., 21.IX.2000, 1♂ ( IBSP 3510 ) ; 08.II.2001, 1 immature ( IBSP 3515 ) ; 15.II.2001, 1♂ ( IBSP 3519 ) ; Poço Redondo (9°48'21"S, 37°41'6"W), 11.X.2000, 20♂, ( IBSP 2762 ) ; 1♂ ( IBSP 2763 ) ; 07.XII.2000, 2♂ ( IBSP 2764 ) ; 29.VI.2000, 1 immature ( IBSP 2766 ) ; 15.IV.2000, 1♀ ( IBSP 2767 ) ; 22.IV.2000, 1♂, 1♀ ( IBSP 2768 ) ; ( Unidade de Conservação Grota do Angico , 9°39'36"S, 37°47'22"W), 2013, 1♂, R. G. Faria col. ( IBSP 6276 ) ; Santa Luzia do Itanhy (11°21'3"S, 37°26'52"W), 12– 14.VI.1996, 1♀, A. D. Brescovit & A. C. M. Fernandes col. ( IBSP 3196 ) ; State of Bahia: Paulo Afonso (Estação Ecológica Raso da Catarina , 9°39'58.1"S, 38°28'15.1"W), XII.1983, 1 immature, T. B. Nunes col. ( IBSP 1475 ) ; 22–23.V.2012, 1♂, I. L. F. Magalhães et al. col. ( IBSP 6523 ) ; Senhor do Bonfim (10°27'46"S, 40°11'27"W), X.2003, 2 ♀, M. F. Dias col. ( IBSP 4328 ) ; ( UNEB—Universidade Estado da Bahia, Campus IV, 10°27'46"S, 40°11'27"W), 17.III.2003, 1♀ ( IBSP 4332 ) ; Miguel Calmon (Distrito de Bagres , 11°19'31.8"S, 40°44'09.4"W), 24. I. 2012, I. L. F. Magalhães et al. col., 1♂ ( IBSP 6430 ) ; 1♂ ( IBSP 6431 ) ; Alagoinhas (12°8'8"S, 38°25'8"W), 25.V.1952, 1 immature, Colônia Avícola col. ( IBSP 429 ) ; Rio de Contas (13°34'44"S, 41°48'39"W), 20.IX.1991, 1♂ ( IBSP 2726 ) ; Lafaiate Coutinho (13°39'21"S, 40°12'46"W), VI.2006, 1 immature, L. Boccardo col. ( IBSP 4952 ) .

Distribution. This species is widely distributed over the Northeastern Brazil, occupying areas throughout the Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes ( Fig. 1 C–D). A single record from central Brazil (Brasília, Distrito Federal) is known ( Motta, 2006; Fig. 6 ). Bothriurus asper can be found from opened savanna or Caatinga areas to forested areas. No habitat preference is described. In some localities, this species can be sympatric and syntopic with Bothriurus rochai Mello-Leitão, 1933 (e.g., Araújo et al., 2010).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus and habitat of Bothriurus asper (A, C, D), B. delmari n. sp. (B, E, F) and B. aguardente n. sp. (G, H): (A) Adult male of Bothriurus asper (CHNUFPI 891), from Palmares National Forest, Altos, Piauí, Brazil; (B) Juvenile of Bothriurus delmari n. sp. from Morro do Chapéu, Bahia (CHNUFPI 1737); (C) Shrubland caatinga at Serra da Capivara National Park, Coronel José Dias, Piauí, Brazil; (D) Semideciduous dry forest at Palmares National Forest, Altos, Piauí, Brazil; (E) Arboreal caatinga in Morro do Chapéu, Bahia, Brazil; (F) Shrubland caatinga in Morro do Chapéu, Bahia, Brazil; (G) Galery forest and at Serra do Barbado, district of Catolés, Abaíra, Bahia, Brazil; (H) Shrubland caatinga at Serra do Barbado, district of Catolés, Abaíra, Bahia, Brazil. Photos: L. S. Carvalho (A – G) and F. R. Q. Bravo (H).

FIGURE 6. Geographical distribution of Bothriurus asper species-group: Bothriurus aguardente n. sp. (red square), Bothriurus delmari n. sp. (blue triangle); Bothriurus asper (yellow circles) and Bothriurus sp. (red star; data from Mattoni & Peretti, 2004). The grayish shaded area represents the Chapada Diamantina ecoregion.