A new cryptic species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from the northern Western Ghats, India Shauri Sulakhe, Shubhankar Deshpande, Nikhil Dandekar, Makarand Ketkar, Anand Padhye & Deshabhushan Bastawade December 2020 — No. 327 Euscorpius Occasional Publications in Scorpiology EDITOR: Victor Fet, Marshall University, ‘[email protected]’ ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael E. Soleglad, ‘[email protected]’ TECHNICAL EDITOR: František Kovařík, ‘[email protected]’ Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Euscorpius takes advantage of the rapidly evolving medium of quick online publication, at the same time maintaining high research standards for the burgeoning field of scorpion science (scorpiology). Euscorpius is an expedient and viable medium for the publication of serious papers in scorpiology, including (but not limited to): systematics, evolution, ecology, biogeography, and general biology of scorpions. Review papers, descriptions of new taxa, faunistic surveys, lists of museum collections, and book reviews are welcome. Derivatio Nominis The name Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 refers to the most common genus of scorpions in the Mediterranean region and southern Europe (family Euscorpiidae). Euscorpius is located at: https://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/ Archive of issues 1-270 see also at: http://www.science.marshall.edu/fet/Euscorpius (Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia 25755-2510, USA) ICZN COMPLIANCE OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS: Electronic (“e-only”) publications are fully compliant with ICZN (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) (i.e. for the purposes of new names and new nomenclatural acts) when properly archived and registered. All Euscorpius issues starting from No. 156 (2013) are archived in two electronic archives: • Biotaxa, http://biotaxa.org/Euscorpius (ICZN-approved and ZooBank-enabled) • Marshall Digital Scholar, http://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/. (This website also archives all Euscorpius issues previously published on CD-ROMs.) Between 2000 and 2013, ICZN did not accept online texts as “published work” (Article 9.8). At this time, Euscorpius was produced in two identical versions: online (ISSN 1536-9307) and CD-ROM (ISSN 1536-9293) (laser disk) in archive-quality, read-only format. Both versions had the identical date of publication, as well as identical page and figure numbers. Only copies distributed on a CD-ROM from Euscorpius in 2001-2012 represent published work in compliance with the ICZN, i.e. for the purposes of new names and new nomenclatural acts. In September 2012, ICZN Article 8. What constitutes published work, has been amended and allowed for electronic publications, disallowing publication on optical discs. From January 2013, Euscorpius discontinued CD-ROM production; only online electronic version (ISSN 1536-9307) is published. For further details on the new ICZN amendment, see http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/3944/. Publication date: 19 December 2020 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4C223102-4CE6-4440-910A-EDFD6A731715 Euscorpius - Occasional Publications in Scorpiology. 2020, No. 327 A new cryptic species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from the northern Western Ghats, India Shauri Sulakhe1, Shubhankar Deshpande1, Nikhil Dandekar1, Makarand Ketkar1, Anand Padhye1,2 & Deshabhushan Bastawade1 1 Institute of Natural History Education and Research (INHER), C26/9, Ketan Heights, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra - 411038, India. 2 Department of Zoology, MES’ Abasaheb Garware College, Karve Road, Pune, Maharashtra – 411004, India. Email (Corresponding author): [email protected] http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4C223102-4CE6-4440-910A-EDFD6A731715 Summary A new cryptic species of Scorpiops (Scorpiopidae) is described from northern Western Ghats of India with integrated taxonomic approach. Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. is closely related to S. tenuicauda and differs from all species of Scorpiops in morphological features and raw genetic divergence of 5.4-14.1 %. Introduction species, Scorpiops pachmarhicus Bastawade, 1992, is found in Pachamarhi, Madhya Pradesh, while all the remaining Recently, in a major taxonomic revision of family Scorpiopidae Indian species of Scorpiops are from the Himalayas. Doubts Kraepelin, 1905, all the genera, subgenera, and species were were raised by Mirza et al. (2014) regarding the taxonomic critically reviewed by Kovařík et al. (2020). In this study, validity of S. deccanensis, however Sulakhe et al. (2020c) genera Neoscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Alloscorpiops Vachon, established taxonomic validity of Scorpiops species found in 1980, Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974, Euscorpiops Vachon, Maharashtra, based on broad morphological comparisons and 1980, Plethoscorpiops Lourenço, 2017, and Vietscorpiops preliminary molecular phylogeny with integrated taxonomic Lourenço & Pham, 2015, and subgenus Alloscorpiops approach. In this study, we describe a new cryptic species (Laoscorpiops) Lourenço, 2013, were all synonymized under of Scorpiops from the northern Western Ghats, India with Scorpiops Peters, 1861, based on detailed study of characters, integrated taxonomic approach. variations in trichobothriotaxy and supported by strong statistical analysis. All main characters used for morphological Methods, Material & Abbreviations comparisons are reviewed across genera and show congruence with the published DNA and cytogenetic analysis (Šťáhlavský Sampling was carried out in Saltar Khind Pass, near Ambawne et al., 2020). Village (18.58°N 73.36°E, 743 m a. s. l.), Pune District, After this revision, genus Scorpiops consists of 95 species Maharashtra State, India. Specimens were located with the help distributed in Southeast Asia, out of which 22 are found in of ultra violet light (AmiciVision 18w 100 LED UV Torch), India. and collected. A total of 8 specimens were collected (5 males Only five species of this genus are found in the state of and 3 females). Photographs of holotype and paratype were Maharashtra, including the recent description of Scorpiops taken using Nikon D500, 105mm F2.8 micro lens and R1C1 phaltanensis Sulakhe et al., 2020 from Phaltan, on the eastern flash kit. Specimens were euthanized and preserved in absolute fringes of Western Ghats of India. The remaining four species ethanol, and later transferred to 70% ethyl alcohol in collection of Scorpiops from Maharashtra are: S. deccanensis Tikader & jars for long term preservation. Examination and morphological Bastawade, 1983 (type locality: Sinhagad Fort, Pune District), measurements were done using LEICA EZ4HD microscope S. maharashtraensis Mirza et al., 2014 (Shidi Ghat near with LEICA application suite. Morphometry was performed Wadali Village, Aurangabad District). S. satarensis Pocock, following Stahnke (1971); morphological terminology 1900 (Mahabaleshwar, Satara District), and S. tenuicauda follows Hjelle (1990). Measurements were taken (in mm) Pocock, 1894 (Matheran, Raigad District). Only one more for 47 morphological characters (Table 1). The trichobothrial 2 Euscorpius - 2020, No. 298 Figures 1–6: Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. Figure 1. Female, paratype, INHER-SC-126, in vivo habitus. Figures 2–6. Male, holotype, dorsal (2) and ventral (3) views, sternopectinal area (4), metasoma V and telson in lateral view (5), and movable finger of chelicera, ventral fang, internal view (6). Sulakhe, Deshpande, Dandekar, Ketkar, Padhye & Bastawade: Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. 3 Figures 7–8. Scorpiops telbaila sp. n., male, holotype in dorsal (7) and ventral (8) views under UV light. terminology follows Vachon (1974). Hemispermatophore was and S. phaltanensis has been sourced from Sulakhe et al. dissected using scalpel, pointed needles and was treated with (2020c). Data used for comparison of morphological characters 5% KOH and cleaned with clove oil. Hemispermatophore of other Scorpiops species from Himalayas (India) and S. terminologies follow Monod et al. (2017) and Lamoral (1979). pachmarhicus has been sourced from Kovařík (2000, 2005, Specimens collected and studied are deposited in the museum 2020), Mirza & Gowande (2016), and Kovařík et al. (2020). collection of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai and Institute of Natural History Education and Statistical analysis. Research (INHER), Research laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, A Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) using Principal India. Component Analysis (PCA) factors was conducted to assess the degree of morphological differentiation among the new Comparative material examined. species and their closest relatives. For multivariate PCA, a total Data used for comparison, affinities and statistical analysis of S. of 19 characters of both sexes were transformed to their ratios deccanensis, S. tenuicauda, S. maharashtraensis, S satarensis to carapace median length (CML). Multivariate normality of 4 Euscorpius - 2020, No. 327 the size corrected variable was checked following Doornik and Molecular phylogenetic analysis. Hansen (2008) omnibus. Sets of 19 predictor variables were Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) generated from PCA and all PCA factor scores were used as methods of phylogenetic analysis were implemented. The input variables for DFA to determine the classification success COI region was partitioned per codon position and the best of our samples (Sulakhe et al., 2020a). PCA and DFA were substitution model for phylogenetic analysis was determined performed using the statistical software PAST 3.25 (Hammer using PartitionFinderV.1.1.1 (Lanfear et al. 2012). Model et al., 2001). search was performed during the Bayesian Information Following characters were used for statistical analysis: L Criterion (BIC) with a greedy search algorithm (Schwarz, (Length), W (Width), D (Depth), Carapace (W), Mesosoma 1978). Maximum Likelihood analysis was performed in VII (L), Metasomal Segment I, II, III, IV and V (L), Femur raxmlGUI (Silvestro & Michalak, 2011) under the GTR + and Patella (L/W), Pedipalp Chela (L), Pedipalp Manus (W), G + I model of sequence evolution, 1000 non-parametric Telson (L), Pectine, and Genital Operculum (L/W). bootstrap pseudo-replicates with rapid ML search were performed. Bayesian trees were generated using MrBayes Molecular analysis V.3.2.6 (Ronquist et al., 2012). The models of sequence DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing. evolution were as follows: - F81+I for codon position 1, Protocol as per Sulakhe et al. (2020a) was followed. Whole HKY+G for codon position 2 and HKY+I for codon position genomic DNA was extracted from preserved (ethanol 3. Two simultaneous, independent analyses were run starting 99.9%) muscle tissue (leg fragment) of Scorpiops telbaila from different random trees. Three heated and one cold chain sp. n. (Voucher numbers of specimens used for DNA was used in the analysis. Markov chains were sampled every analysis are mentioned in Table 4 and Figs. 51, 52) with the 500 generations for 5 million generations. At the end of the help of MACHEREY-NAGEL NucleoSpin® DNA Insect run we ensured convergence of the two MCMC runs by kit as per manufacturer’s protocols. A 550-600 base pair ensuring that the standard deviation of split frequencies was (bp) fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) less than 0.002 and by checking the trace plots using Tracer mitochondrial gene was amplified by polymerase chain v. 1.7 (Rambaut et al., 2003). We also ensured that the ESS reaction (PCR) using the primers as per Table 2. A 25 μl values for all the parameters were above 200. A total of PCR reaction (TaKaRa Taq™ DNA Polymerase ) was set 25% trees were discarded as burn-in. The tree representing containing 1 unit of Taq DNA polymerase (0.2μL), 2.5μL the best evolutionary hypothesis was selected using a 50% of 10x buffer, 2 μl of dNTPs (2.5mM each), 2 μl (5mM) majority consensus rule. Un-corrected pairwise genetic of each primer, 2μl template DNA, and 14.3 μl of water, divergence “p-distance” was calculated in MEGA 7 (Kumar carried out with an Miniamp Thermal Cycler. Thermal et al., 2016). cycler profiles used for amplification were as follows: 95° C for 3 min (denaturation temperature 95° C for 30 seconds, Species delimitation analysis. annealing temperature 50° C for 30 seconds, elongation Species delimitation analysis was performed on the BI tree temperature 72° C for 1 minute) x 35 cycles, 72° C for 7 using Bayesian Poisson Tree Process using 500000 Markov minutes, hold at 4° C. PCR product was cleaned through chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) generations with thinning column purification method with Qiagen PCR Cleanup Kit parameter of 100 and burn-in of 0.1 (Zhang et al. 2013). and sequenced with a 3730 DNA Analyzer. The sequencing primers were the same as those used in the PCRs. All Systematics sequences were deposited in the GenBank® nucleotide sequence database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) under Family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905 accession numbers as per Table 4. Scorpiops Peters, 1861 The sequences were also checked in BLAST (Altschul (Figures 1–52, Tables 1–4) et al., 1990) tool to find the closest available sequences in http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:45E3D60F- the GenBank® and the related ones were downloaded for 43C5-4655-9675-E8C72D771112 analysis. Type species. Scorpiops hardwickii Gervais, 1843 Sequence alignment. Generated sequences were cleaned manually in MEGA 7 (Kumar et al., 2016) using Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. chromatograms visualised in Chromas V.2.6.5 (Technelysium (Figures 1–34, 40, 46–49, Tables 1–4) PTY. Ltd.). Cleaned and downloaded sequences were aligned http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D907B140- using MUSCLE (Edgar, 2004) implemented in MEGA 7 9AA0-4572-AC3B-3853EDB431C8 (Kumar et al., 2016) using default parameters. The final alignment contained 16 sequences each of 519 bp length Type locality and type repository. India, Maharashtra including 2 sequences of Euscorpius phrygius Bonacina, 1980 State, Pune District, Saltar Khind Pass, near Ambawne (Table 4) used as out-group to route the phylogenetic tree. Village, 18°34'38"N 73°21'25"E, 743 m a. s. l.; BNHS. This alignment was used in molecular phylogenetic analyses. Sulakhe, Deshpande, Dandekar, Ketkar, Padhye & Bastawade: Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. 5 Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. ♂ holotype ♂ paratype ♂ paratype ♂ paratype ♂ paratype Dimensions (mm) BNHS SC 175 BNHS SC 176 BNHS SC 177 INHER 123 INHER 223 Carapace L / W 7.3 / 8.1 6.5 / 7.0 5.4 / 4.9 6.5 / 7.0 7.3 / 7.3 Mesosoma L 19.2 18.2 15.6 15.4 19.6 Tergite VII L / W 3.2 / 5.3 3.5 / 5.4 2.9 / 4.4 3.5 / 5.4 4.3 / 5.8 Metasoma and telson L 22.5 20.9 15.5 20.1 22.4 Segment I L / W / D 1.9 / 2.2 / 2.2 2.0 / 2.5 / 2.3 1.5 / 1.9 / 1.7 2.1 / 2.5 / 2.2 2.2 / 2.7 / 2.1 Segment II L / W / D 2.4 / 2.2 / 2.0 2.3 / 2.3 / 2.0 1.6 / 1.7 / 1.4 2.2 / 2.2 / 1.9 2.4 / 2.3 / 1.9 Segment III L / W / D 2.7 / 2.1 / 1.9 2.5 / 2.1 / 1.9 1.9 / 1.6 / 1.5 2.4 / 2.0 / 1.9 2.7 / 2.2 / 2.0 Segment IV L / W / D 3.1 / 2.0 / 2.0 2.9 / 1.9 / 1.9 2.0 / 1.4 / 1.4 2.7 / 1.9 / 1.9 3.0 / 2.0 / 2.0 Segment V L / W / D 5.1 / 1.9 / 1.9 4.9 / 1.8 / 1.8 3.7 / 1.4 / 1.4 4.7 / 1.9 /1.8 5.3 / 2.0 / 1.9 Telson L / W / D 6.5 / 2.1 / 2.4 6.3 / 2.1 / 2.3 4.9 / 1.4 / 1.4 6.1 / 2.0 / 2.2 6.9 / 2.1 / 2.3 Pedipalp L 32.6 31.4 24.0 30.9 33.7 Femur L / W / D 9.0 / 3.4 / 1.6 8.7 / 3.1 / 1.4 6.1 / 2.5 / 1.2 8.1 / 3.2 / 1.5 8.8 / 3.5 / 1.7 Patella L / W / D 7.7 / 4.2 / 2.1 7.4 / 3.9 / 2.0 5.8 / 3.1 / 1.5 7.2 / 3.9 / 2.0 7.7 / 3.4 / 2.2 Chela L 15.9 15.3 12.2 15.6 17.2 Manus W / D 4.7 / 2.9 4.3 / 2.6 3.1 / 1.8 4.1 / 2.6 4.8 / 3.3 Movable finger L 7.6 7.2 5.6 7.0 8.2 Pectine L / W 2.6 / 1.5 2.6 / 1.3 2.3 / 1.1 2.6 / 1.2 3.0 / 2.4 Genital Operculum L / W 1.5 / 2.8 1.4 / 2.6 1.2 / 2.4 1.6 / 2.6 1.7 / 2.8 Total L 47.6 45.6 36.4 42.5 49.4 Pectinal teeth count PTC 7 / 7 7 / 7 8 / 8 7 / 8 7 / 6 Trichobothria count TPV 15 / 14 15 / 16 15 / 16 15 / 16 16 / 16 Trichobothria count TPE 24 / 25 25 / 27 26 / 26 26 / 26 23 / 24 Chelicera DVC 6 / 6 6 / 6 5 / 6 8 / 8 6 / 6 Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. S. montanus ♀ paratype ♀ paratype ♀ paratype ♂ Dimensions (mm) BNHS SC178 INHER 124 INHER 126 INHER 168 Carapace L / W 6.9 / 7.1 6.4 / 6.5 4.7 / 4.7 7.1 / 4.5 Mesosoma L 21.9 16.6 14.6 17.6 Tergite VII L / W 4.0 / 6.0 3.1 / 5.5 2.3 / 4.3 3.7 / 5.2 Metasoma and telson L 20.5 18.0 13.21 23.7 Segment I L / W / D 2.0 / 2.3 / 2.0 1.7 / 2.1 / 1.7 1.2 / 1.7 / 1.5 2.3 / 2.6 / 2.2 Segment II L / W / D 2.2 / 2.2 / 1.8 2.0 / 2.0 / 1.6 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.3 2.5 / 2.3 / 2.2 Segment III L / W / D 2.4 / 2.0 / 2.0 2.3 / 1.7 / 1.6 1.6 / 1.5 / 1.3 2.6 / 2.3 / 2.2 Segment IV L / W / D 2.8 / 1.8 / 1.9 2.4 / 1.6 / 1.7 1.9 / 1.4 / 1.3 3.0 / 2.1 / 2.2 Segment V L / W / D 4.8 / 1.7 / 1.7 4.5 / 1.6 / 1.6 3.4 / 1.4 / 1.2 5.8 / 1.9 / 1.9 Telson L / W / D 6.3 / 1.7 / 1.9 5.1 / 1.6 / 1.7 3.7 / 1.2 / 1.2 7.4 / 2.3 / 2.3 Pedipalp L 30.5 28.2 19.9 33.8 Femur L / W / D 8.2 / 3.0 / 1.6 7.5 / 2.8 / 1.6 5.1 / 2.1 / 1.0 9.2 / 3.6 / 2.0 Patella L / W / D 7.3 / 3.9 / 2.4 6.9 / 3.7 / 1.9 4.7 / 2.7 / 1.5 7.9 / 3.4 / 2.8 Chela L 15.0 13.7 10.1 16.8 Manus W / D 4.5 / 3.3 3.9 / 2.5 2.8 / 1.7 4.8 / 3.3 Movable finger L 7.0 6.4 4.7 7.7 Pectine L / W 2.8 / 1.5 2.2 / 1.4 1.8 / 0.7 4.2 / 2.4 Genital Operculum L / W 1.7 / 3.1 1.3 / 2.9 0.9 / 2.2 1.9 / 2.8 Total L 49.4 47.6 32.6 48.4 Pectinal teeth count PTC 6 / 6 7 / 7 6 / 6 8 / 8 Trichobothria count TPV 16 / 16 14 / 16 16 / 16 15 / 16 Trichobothria count TPE 25 / 25 27 / 27 25 / 26 17 / 17 Chelicera DVC 6 / 7 6 / 6 6 / 6 6 / 6 Table 1. Comparative measurements of adults of Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. Abbreviations: length (L), width (W, in carapace it corresponds to median width), depth (D), holotype (HT), paratype (PT), pectinal teeth count (PTC), trichobothria on pedipalp patella ventral count (TPV), trichobothria on pedipalp patella external count (TPE), dentition on ventral fangs of chelicera count (DVC). 6 Euscorpius - 2020, No. 327 Figures 9–12. Scorpiops telbaila sp. n., female, paratype, BNHS SC 178, in dorsal (9) and ventral (10) views, sternopectinal area (11), and metasoma V and telson in lateral view (12). Sulakhe, Deshpande, Dandekar, Ketkar, Padhye & Bastawade: Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. 7 Figures 13–16: Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. Figures 13–14. Male, holotype, carapace under white (13) and UV (14) light. Figures 13–14. Female, paratype, BHNS SC 178, carapace under white (15) and UV (16) light. 8 Euscorpius - 2020, No. 327 Type material. India, Maharashtra State, Pune District, Saltar almost evenly granular. Internal surface of patella with one Khind Pass, near Ambawne Village, 18°34'38"N 73°21'25"E, large posterio-ventral tubercle (Fig. 19, tubercle 1) and with 743 m a. s. l., 1♂ (holotype, BNHS SC 175), 16 August 2019, one small, thick adjacent bulge, one adjacent small posterio- 3♂ (paratypes, INHER-123, BNHS SC 176, 177), 8 June 2020, dorsal tubercle (Fig. 19, tubercle 1a) and one small, anterio- 1♂ (paratype, INHER-223), 3♀ (paratypes, INHER-124, 126, ventral tubercle (Fig. 19, tubercle 2). Manus elongated, BNHS SC 178), 16 August 2019. All specimens collected by carinated and intercarinal space coarsely granular on inner and S. Sulakhe, S. Deshpande & M. Ketkar. outer surface. Dorsal exterior carina evenly granular, running anteriorly up to the base of fixed finger. Both fingers with two Etymology. The species epithet is a noun in opposition, named rows of dentitions, scalloped deeply at the base. Trichobothrial after a famous hill fort “Telbaila”, used as a watch tower by pattern typical of the genus. Maratha warriors from India. It is located in Pune District, Legs (Figs. 2, 3, 7, 8, 27–30). Femur and patella carinated, northern Western Ghats, very close to the type locality of the intercarinal space almost smooth. Tarsomere I provided with new species. three rows of spinules and tarsomere II with single ventral row of spinules. Diagnosis (♂♀). Total length 32–50 mm. Base color Sternum, genital operculum and pectines (Figs. 4, 11). uniformly dark brownish to blackish. Pectinal teeth number Broad, pentagonal and finely granular only on anterior middle 6–8 in both sexes, fulcra reduced to absent. Pectines have portion. Genital operculum with a pair of strongly protruding three marginal lamellae and three middle lamellae present. genital papillae. Basal piece with slight depression on middle Patella of pedipalp with 23–27 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 9–11 est, portion. Pectines with 7/7 pectinal teeth. 5–7 et) external and 14–16 ventral trichobothria. Chela of Mesosoma (Figs. 2, 3, 7–10). All tergites finely granular, with pedipalp with 4 ventral trichobothria located on ventral median carina absent on segment I. Tergite VII additionally surface. Chelal trichobothrium Eb is located in proximal with a pair of lateral granular carina present only on half 3 half of manus between trichobothria Dt and Db. Fingers of posterior portion. All sternites entirely smooth. Sternite VII pedipalps strongly undulate in male and margins undulate finely granular only on lateral portion. in female. Chela length to width ratio 3.6–4.0 in males. Metasoma (Figs. 2–5, 7–10, 18, 40). Metasomal segments Pedipalp movable finger with ca 55–60 IAD, which form I-V with 10-8-8-8-5 carinae. Intercarinal space densely second row, parallel with MD (ca 80 in number); there are granular. Dorsal carination on segments III and IV ending also 4–5 ID and 11–12 OD present. Tarsomere II of legs with posteriorly into a strong tuberculate spine, more pointed on 4–6 stout median ventral spinules and two pairs of flanking segment IV. Anal rim of segment V evenly crenulated. A pair setae. Metasoma I with ten and metasoma II–IV with eight of dorsolateral granules of anal rim weakly tuberculate. carinae. Telson elongate and smooth, length to depth ratio Telson (Figs. 5, 12). Elongated and almost entirely smooth. 2.7–3.5; annular ring developed. A prominent depression present in between vesicle and at the base of aculeus. Description (♂ holotype, measurements in Table 1). Hemispermatophore (Figs. 31–32). Lamelliform; lamina well Coloration (in preservation) (Figs. 2, 3, 9, 10). Overall body sclerotized, curved inwardly and roundish on distal portion. color dark brownish to blackish. Legs uniformly brownish. Outer margin of lamina evenly notched on middle portion. Telson brownish orange on vesicle and dark brown on Capsular portion appears to be simple and bulged. Trunk is aculeus. Ventral portion of body yellowish brown.Carapace narrow with an exterior sclerotized margin and capped with a and fingers of manus blackish. Pedipalps dark brown, darker ridge. Pedicel (foot) region short and transparent. Pedicel 0.49 on carinae. Chelicera basal segment blackish brown. Fingers mm long and 0.36 mm wide; stem 2.85 mm long and 0.22 mm of chelicera dark brown. wide; capsule 1.48 mm long and 0.57 mm wide; stalk 2.39 Carapace (Figs. 13–17). Anterior margin of carapace with mm long and 0.78 mm wide. deep emargination in the middle. Entire surface of carapace mixed with fine and coarse granules. Anterior margin of Sexual dimorphism. Male genital operculum partially carapace with strong tuberculate granules. Lateral ocular exposed on posterior portion, from which a pair of small tubercles granular with three pairs of lateral eyes. Anterior genital papillae is seen. In females, the genital operculum is two pairs larger and third pair smaller in size. Median ocular separated with a median suture covering the female genital tubercle granular on dorsal portion with a pair of median eyes opening. Movable finger of chela in males with a curved situated in the ratio of 1:2.1 (ratio of median eyes to anterior scallop on the internal margin (Figs 4, 11). margin and median eyes to posterior margin). Chelicerae (Fig. 6). Proximal portion with reticulated mosaic Affinities. Scorpiops telbaila sp. n. (which has trichobothrial design. Fixed finger of chelicera with 3 large triangular teeth counts on patella: 23–27 external, 14–16 ventral) differs from on inner margin. Ventral fang of movable finger with a row of all other species of Scorpiops from India (which have a range 6 minute teeth on inner margin. Dorsal fang of movable finger of trichobothrial counts on patella 22–29 external, 12–19 with 4 teeth on inner margin. ventral) by a raw genetic divergence of 5.4-14.1 % (Table Pedipalp (Figs. 20–26, 34). Femur and patella dorsoventrally 3). It is also distinguished from its congeners based on the flattened and evenly carinated. Intercarinal space finely and following key of morphological characters