Grosphus grandidieri Kraepelin, 1900

Lourenço, Wilson R., 2014, The genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in South-Western Madagascar, with the description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), Zoosystema 36 (3), pp. 631-645 : 636

Grosphus grandidieri Kraepelin, 1900

Grosphus grandidieri Kraepelin, 1900: 13 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Female lectotype and male juvenile paralectotype: Madagascar, Ankotofotsy, Vallée du St Augustin 23.V.1898 (G. Grandidier), MNHN. RS-1324 , MNHN. RS-8720 .

DIAGNOSIS. — Scorpions of large size, when compared with most species of the genus, and adults ranging from 85 to 90 mm in total length. The species is only smaller than G. ankarana Lourenço & Goodman, 2003 . General coloration almost entirely blackish over the body and appendages, with paler areas on the ventral surface. Disposition of granulations on the dentate margins of the pedipalp chela fixed and movable fingers, arranged in 13-14 rows of granules. Pectinal teeth count 29 to 40; 34 to 40 in males and 29 to 34 in females; basal middle lamellae of each pecten not dilated in males; very elongated and curved in females; just after the base, to the apex, covering 8 to 9 most proximal teeth.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Grosphus grandidieri was originally collected by G. Grandidier at an unspecified locality. This species is distributed across portions of South-Western Madagascar ( Lourenço 1996; Lourenço et al. 2009). On the basis of recent collections made with pit-fall traps, G. grandidieri does not appear to be particularly common in South-Western Madagascar, compared to some other members of this genus.