Grosphus magalieae, Lourenço, 2014

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 : 632-634

Grosphus magalieae n. sp.

( Figs 1-4 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Male holotype: Madagascar, ex-Province de Toliara, Région Androy, near Lavanono village (25°25’17.28”S, 44°56’24.35”E), 2.VI.2010 (coll. M. Castelin, Atimo Vatae Expedition), MNHN. RS-8943 .

ETYMOLOGY. — The specific name honors Magalie Castelin, MNHN, who collected the new species.

DIAGNOSIS. — A scorpion of medium size (total length of 50.3 mm) in relation to other species within the genus. General coloration yellow to pale yellow without dark zones on body and appendages. Anterior margin of carapace strongly granular. Pectines with 36-36 teeth; basal middle lamellae of each pecten not dilated in males. Metasomal segments I and II with 10 carinae; III and IV with 8 carinae. Femur and patella of pedipalps with strongly spinoid carinae. Fixed and movable fingers of pedipalps with 12-13 oblique rows of granules respectively. Trichobothriotaxy, orthobothriotaxy, type A – α (alpha).

RELATIONSHIPS. — The general morphology and pigmentation pattern of the new species shows it to be close to the Grosphus limbatus (Pocock, 1889) / G. bistriatus Kraepelin, 1900 group. This group of species is largely distributed in the South-Western region of Madagascar.The closest related species however,is Grosphus rossii Lourenço, 2013 ( Lourenço 2013) ( Fig. 4D, E ), recently described from central region of the island (see Discussion). Both species can be readily distinguished by the following characters: i) pectines with 36-36 teeth in G. magalieae n. sp. vs 28- 28 in G. rossii ; ii) cutting edges of pedipalp fingers with 12-13 rows of granules in G. magalieae n. sp. vs 12- 12 in G. rossii ; and iii) an overall paler coloration in G. magalieae n. sp.

DESCRIPTION BASED ON MALE HOLOTYPE Morphometric values following the description Coloration. Overall yellow to pale yellow without dark zones on the body and appendages. Prosoma: carapace yellow with an anterior reddish-orange zone, approximately forming an inverted triangle; eyes surrounded by black pigment. Mesosoma yellowish, without any dark zone. Metasoma: segments I to III yellowish; IV and V slightly reddish to reddish-yellow; IV and V without any pigmentation on the carinae.Telson pale red without spots; aculeus reddish. Venter: coxapophysis, sternum, genital operculum pectines and sternites pale yellow. Chelicerae yellow without any variegated pigmentation; fingers reddish teeth. Pedipalps yellowish with rows of granules on chela fingers reddish. Legs pale yellow with white zones; carinae with slightly reddish zones.

Morphology. Carapace weakly granular except on the anterior triangular zone which is strongly granular; anterior margin with a weak median concavity. All carinae weak; furrows moderately developed. Median ocular tubercle anterior to the centre of the carapace; median eyes separated by one ocular diameter. Three pairs of lateral eyes. Sternum sub-triangular in shape. Mesosomal tergites with thin granulations, almost smooth. Median carina moderately to weakly marked in all tergites. Tergite VII pentacarinate. Venter: genital operculum consisting of two suboval plates. Pectines: pectinal teeth count 36-36; basal middle lamellae of each pecten not dilated. Sternites smooth, with elongated stigmata; VII with vestigial carinae. Metasoma: segments I and II with 10 carinae, moderately crenulate. Segments III and IV with 8 carinae, moderately crenulate. Segment V with 5 carinae. Dorsal carinae on segments II to IV without posterior spinoid granules. Intercarinal spaces moderately to weakly granular. Telson with a moderate to weak granulation over latero-ventral and ventral surfaces; its dorsal surface smooth; aculeus weakly curved and slightly shorter than the vesicle; subaculear tooth absent. Cheliceral dentition characteristic of the family Buthidae ( Vachon 1963) ; two distinct basal teeth present on the movable finger; ventral aspect of both fingers and of manus with dense, long setae. Pedipalps: femur pentacarinate with strong spinoid carinae; patella with dorsointernal and dorsoexternal carinae and with several spinoid granules on the internal face; chela without carinae and with the internal face moderately granular. Fixed and movable fingers with 12-13 oblique rows of granules respectively. Trichobothriotaxy; orthobothriotaxy A-a (alpha) ( Vachon 1974, 1975). Legs: tarsus with numerous short thin setae ventrally. Tibial spurs present on legs III and IV, thin and long; pedal spurs present on legs I to IV, moderate to strong.

Female. Unknown.

Morphometric values (in mm) of the male holotype Total length (including telson), 50.3. Carapace: length, 4.8; anterior width, 3.7; posterior width, 5.2. Mesosoma length, 13.6. Metasomal segments. I: length, 4.1; width, 3.3; II: length, 4.5; width, 3.2; III: length, 4.8; width, 3.1; IV: length, 5.5; width, 3.0; V: length, 6.2; width, 3.0; depth, 2.5. Telson length, 6.1. Vesicle: width, 2.5; depth, 2.2. Pedipalp: femur length, 4.7, width, 1.4; patella length, 5.2, width, 1.9; chela length, 8.5, width, 2.4, depth, 2.5; movable finger length, 5.0.

ECOLOGY

As already described for Grosphus feti Lourenço, 1996 , which was also collected in the Cap Sainte Marie ( Lourenço et al. 2007b), the natural habitat of Grosphus magalieae n. sp. is marked by a high level of endemism. The region of Tanjon’ I Vohimena (Cap Sainte Marie) in the ex-Province de Toliara, Region Androy, is characterized by the stunted coastal forest formation of the Réserve Spéciale de Cap Sainte Marie. The new species is only known from the type locality, which has a very particular habitat and vegetational community ( Nicoll & Langrand 1989). The holotype of Grosphus magalieae n. sp. was collected together with a female specimen of Opisthacanthus lucienneae Lourenço & Goodman, 2006 (Liochelidae) , species also endemic to South-Western Madagascar.

Figures

FIG. 1. Ỏ Grosphus magalieae n. sp., male holotype: A, B, habitus, dorsal (A), ventral (B). Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIG. 2. Ỏ Grosphus magalieae n. sp., trichobothrial pattern: A, B, chela,dorso-external (A) and ventral aspects (B); C, D, patella,dorsal (C) and external aspects (D); E, femur, dorsal aspect. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 3. Ỏ Grophus ssp., Metasomal segment V and telson,lateral aspect:A, B, Grosphus annulatus Fage,1929:A, male paralectotype; B, female lectotype; C, D, Grosphus intertidalis LourenÁo, 1999, male (C) and female (D); E, F, Grosphus mahafaliensis LourenÁo, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004, male (E) and female (F). Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 4. Ỏ Grophus ssp., Metasomal segment V and telson, lateral aspect: A, B, Grosphus olgae LourenÁo, 2004, male (A) and female (B) paratypes; C, Grosphus feti LourenÁo, 1996, male holotype; D, Grosphus rossii LourenÁo, 2013, male holotype; E, Grosphus magalieae n. sp., male holotype. Scale bars: 2 mm.