Lanzatus huluul, Kovařík & Lowe, 2021

Kovařík, František & Lowe, Graeme, 2021, Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Part XXVII Lanzatus huluul sp n from Somaliland (Buthidae), Euscorpius 344, pp. 1-12 : 3-11

Lanzatus huluul sp. n.

( Figures 2–47 , 52–54 , Table 1) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FF66B31D-

B7A1-4C4D-8D9D-715BFFFEFB52

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Somaliland , Huluul Village, 09.977614°N 46.6932°E, 811 m a. s. l. (LocalitY No. 21SI, Fig. 55 ) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Somaliland , Huluul Village, 09.977614°N 46.6932°E, 811 m a. s. l. (LocalitY No. 21SI), 10.-11.X.2021, 1♂ (holotYpe, DNA No. 1998) 1♀ (paratYpe, DNA No. 2035), leg. F. Kovařík , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the village of occurrence.

DIAGNOSIS. Total length 20.7 (male) – 21.1 mm (female). Base color uniformlY Yellowish orange with black onlY around the eYes. Fifth metasomal segment slightlY marbled in graYish black. Pectine teeth number 21–22 in both sexes. Pedipalp chela and patella with inconspicuous smooth carinae. Pedipalp chela smooth and narrow. Sternites finelY granulated, without carinae. Tergites I–VI finelY granulated with one carina present or indicated. Metasomal segments smooth to finelY granulated, without complete carinae, with rounded edges. Telson extremelY elongated, smooth, without aculear ring. Telson length/ width ratio 6.02 in male, 5.33 in female. Aculeus weaklY curved.

DESCRIPTION. The adults are 20.7 (male) – 21.1 mm (female) long. The habitus is shown in Figs. 2–6 . For positions and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps see Figs. 27–31 and 33–34 . Sexual dimorphism: adult male integument matte, female glossY, pedipalp patella narrower in male ( Fig. 20 ) than in female ( Fig. 30 ).

Coloration ( Figs. 2–6 ). The base color is uniformlY Yellowish orange with black onlY around the eYes, tergites darker. Tarsomeres of legs white. Fifth metasomal segment slightlY marbled in graYish black on anterior 3/5. Chelicerae Yellow with orange reticulation in female.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 38–41 ). Entire carapace finelY granulated. Carinae absent. Anterior margin of carapace almost straight. Median ocular tubercle large, width 35% of carapace posterior width. Median eYes prominent, diameter 16% of carapace length. SuperciliarY carinae finelY granulated. Tergites finelY granulated, asetose, with one median carina more stronglY indicated in the female. Pectinal tooth count 21 in male and 21–22 in female. Pectine marginal tips extend to half of the fifth sternite in both sexes. Pectines with 3 marginal lamellae and 8–9 middle lamellae. All lamellae and fulcra bear numerous setae. All sternites finelY granulated (more so in female), setose, without carinae, posterior margins smooth.

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 52–53 ). Flagelliform, trunk elongate, ca. 6.3 times length of capsule region; flagellum with linear pars recta and pars reflecta, separate from sperm hemiduct lobes. Proximal pars recta with narrow laminate expansion along anterior margin. Sperm hemiduct divided into 3 lobes: posterior lobe long, broad, laminate, gentlY tapered; median lobe small, narrow, filamentous in distal 2/3; anterior lobe tapered, acuminate. Posterior margin of median lobe slightlY overlapping posterior lobe, the two partiallY joined along an axial suture or carina. Basal lobe a broad, curved scoop, obliquelY-angled. The capsule is verY similar to that of L. somalilandus , which has sperm hemiduct lobes of the same shape, and also bears an oblique, scoop-like basal lobe (cf. Kovařík & Njoroge, 2021:16, figs. 111–115).

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 7–16 ). Metasomal segments smooth and setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae, without carinae, with rounded edges. Dorsal surfaces of metasoma I–IV bearing a shallow longitudinal groove. First metasomal segment finelY granulated in both sexes, metasoma II–III smooth (female) or denselY and verY finelY granulated (males), metasoma IV–V smooth in both sexes. Posterior metasomal segments successivelY more narrow than anterior segments. Metasoma V non-uniform in width, tapering posteriorlY. Telson extremelY elongated, smooth, without aculear ring. Posterior ventral aspect of vesicle concave in lateral profile, transitioning smoothlY to aculeus without a constriction. Aculeus stout, weaklY curved. Telson length/ width ratio 6.02 in male, 5.33 in female.

Chelicerae. Manus longer than wide, dorsal surface smooth, glossY, with strong anterior marginal and dorsointernal carinae. Fingers robust, with tYpical buthid dentition (Vachon, 1963). Dorsal margin of movable finger armed with 5 teeth: dorsal distal tine, subdistal, median and apparentlY 2 small basal teeth fused in bicusp. Ventral margin of movable finger with 3 teeth: ventral distal tine, median and basal teeth. Fixed finger margin with 4 teeth: distal tine, subdistal, median and basal teeth fused into bicusp. Ventral surface of fixed finger armed with a single tooth.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 17–37 ). Pedipalps smooth, sparselY hirsute, with inconspicuous smooth carinae, onlY the femur with one (male) or two (female) dorsal carinae composed of strong granules. Pedipalp chela narrow, chela length/ width ratio 6.4 in male, 5.71 in female. Dentate margins of chela fingers with distinct granules divided into 7 rows (including short apical row of 3 granules) on movable finger, 6 rows on fixed finger. Granule rows oblique except for long proximal row, which is parallel to finger axis. All rows flanked bY a single internal accessorY granule. Both fingers with enlarged terminal denticle, and 1–2 subterminal denticles.

Legs ( Figs. 42–45 ). Legs I–IV with tibial spurs absent, retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs present.All legs smooth, without distinct carinae. Telotarsi bear two rows of fine macrosetae on their ventral surfaces, and several additional macrosetae on other surfaces. Basitarsi of legs I–III with 4 to 7 macrosetae, not arranged in regular rows (bristle combs absent).

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. Lanzatus huluul sp. n. is differentiated from L. somalicus and L. somalilandus mainlY bY the morphologY of the telson ( Figs. 46–51 ), which is extremelY elongated, smooth, without an aculear ring, and with the aculeus slightlY curved in L huluul sp. n. Telson length/ width ratio 6.02 in male, 5.33 in female in L huluul sp. n. In L. somalicus and L. somalilandus the aculeus is stronglY curved. The telson length/ width ratio is 3.94 in the male, and 3.61 in the female of L. somalilandus , and 3.45 in a male paratYpe of L. somalicus . Basitarsi of legs I–III have macrosetae arranged in regular rows (bristle combs present) in L. somalilandus , and irregularlY (bristle combs absent) in L. huluul sp. n.

DISTRIBUTION. Known onlY from the tYpe localitY ( Figs. 54– 55 ).

COMMENTS ON LOCALITY AND LIFE STRATEGY. The tYpes of L. huluul sp. n. were collected on a consolidated substrate that can support construction of stable burrows ( Fig. 55 ). In contrast, the related L. somalilandus was found on aeolian sand in red desert (Kovařík et. al., 2016: 8–9, fig. 40). This habitat difference correlates with the presence or absence of psammophilous adaptation (bristle combs) in the two species. A similarlY elongated telson and tapered metasoma V is also found in the ultrapsammophile vaejovid, Vejovoidus longiunguis ( Williams, 1969) . Williams (1969: 290) suggested that in this species “ streamlining of the metasoma and telson is perhaps an adaptation for escaping from being buried in the loose sand. ” However, this hYpothesis is not supported in Lanzatus , for which the non-psammophilic species, L. huluul sp. n., possesses the more slender telson.

Figures

Figures 1–2. Lanzatus specimens in vivo habitus. Figure 1. Lanzatus somalilandus Kovařík et Lowe, 2016, male from Somaliland, Shanshade village. Figure 2. Lanzatus huluul sp. n., female paratYpe. Images taken in the laboratorY with different sand/background than in realitY is on the original localities.

Figures 3–6: Lanzatus huluul sp. n., habitus. Figures 3–4. Male holotYpe in dorsal (3) and ventral (4) views. Figures 5–6. Female paratYpe in dorsal (5) and ventral (6) views. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 7–16: Lanzatus huluul sp. n., metasoma and telson. Figures 7–11. HolotYpe male, metasoma V and telson (7) and telson (8) in lateral views and metasoma and telson in lateral (9), dorsal (10), and ventral (11) views. Figures 12–16. ParatYpe female, metasoma V and telson (12) and telson (13) in lateral views and metasoma and telson in lateral (14), dorsal (15), and ventral (16) views.Scale bars: 5 mm (9–11 and 14–16).

Figures 17–37: Lanzatus huluul sp. n., right pedipalp. Figures 17–26. HolotYpe male, chela in dorsal (17), external (18) and ventral (19) views, patella in dorsal (20), external (21) and ventral (22) views, femur and trochanter in dorsal (23), internal (24) and ventral (25) views, dentate margins of movable finger (26). Figures 27–37. ParatYpe female, chela in dorsal (27), external (28) and ventral (29) views, patella in dorsal (30), external (31) and ventral (32) views, femur and trochanter in dorsal (33), internal (34) and ventral (35) views. dentate margins of movable (36) and fixed (37) fingers. Trichobothrial pattern indicated in Figures 27–31 and 33–34 bY white circles.

Figures 38–45: Lanzatus huluul sp. n. Figures 38–39, 42–45. HolotYpe male, carapace and tergites I–IV (38), sternopectinal area and sternites (39), and left legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (42–45). Figures 40–41. ParatYpe female, carapace and tergites I–V (40) and sternopectinal area and sternites (41).

Figures 46–51: Comparison of telsons of Lanzatus species. Figures 46–47. Lanzatus huluul sp. n., female paratYpe (46) and male holotYpe (47). Figures 48. Lanzatus somalicus Kovařík, 2001, male paratYpe. Figures 49–51. Lanzatus somalilandus Kovařík et Lowe, 2016, female paratYpe (49), male holotYpe (50) and male from Somaliland, Shanshade Village. (51).

Figures 52–53: Lanzatus huluul sp. n., left hemispermatophore. HolotYpe male, whole hemispermatophore (52) and capsule, compressed to separate lobes (53), convex views. Scale bars: 1 mm (52), 200 μm (53).

Figures 54–55: Figure 54. Map showing known distribution of the genus Lanzatus. Figure 55. Somaliland, vicinitY of Huluul Village, tYpe localitY of Lanzatus huluul sp. n.