Bonner zoologische Beiträge Band 53 (2004) Heft 1/2 Seiten 111-114 Bonn, Juni 2005 A New Genus and Species of Scorpion from Afghanistan (Scorpiones, Buthidae)1 Wilson R. LOUREN<;:O Departement de Systematique et Evolution, Section Arthropodes (Arachnologie), Museum national d 'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France Abstract. A new genus and species of a psammophilic buthid scorpion, Afghanobuthus nawnanni gen. n., sp. n., are de scribed on the basis of one female specimen collected by Professor Clas Naumann on October 1971 in Afghanistan. The specimen was collected in an extremely arid zone (4 00 m), at Vic Shiberghan, Dasht-e-Leili on the North range of the country. 1. INTRODUCTION 2. TAXONOMIC TREATMENT In a recent publication, FET et al. (2001) call attention to Afghanobuthus gen. n. the important and interesting diversity of psammophilic Diagnosis. Small sized scorpions, 27.3 mm in total scorpions, from the Palaearctic deserts of central and length. Colouration of a generally pale yellow without southem Asia. In this contribution, the authors de any spots or pigmented zones on the body and its ap scribed a new genus and species of a buthid scorpion pendages. Dentate margins on movable and fixed fin from the Baluchistan Province of Iran. They also in gers of pedipalp chela composed of 11112 almost linear cluded a very complete table of characters for six buthid rows of granules. Absence of inner and outer denticles on psammophilic genera, namely, Anomalobuthus Kraepe both fingers. Pectinal tooth count 24-25. Chelicerae with lin, 1900, Liobuthus Birula, 1898, Plesiobuthus Pocock, one basal denticle on the fixed finger flattened in its apex; 1990, Psammobuthus Birula, 1911, Pectinibuthus Fet, basal denticles of the movable finger absent. Anal arc 1984 and Polisius Fet, Capes & Sissom, 2001. with 3 lateral lobes. Trichobothrial pattem A-ß (Beta). During his field trips to Afghanistan on the early l 970s Derivatio nominis: After Afghanistan, its country of origin. Professor Clas Naumann collected a few scorpions, which were subsequently sent to Prof. Max Vachon in Relationships: From its general morphology, the new Paris. After examination, Vachon determined two genus Afghanobuthus gen. n. appears to have some relation specimens as Compsobuthus sp. A recent study of these ships with other psammophilic genera present in the two specimens revealed that the one collected in the Palaearctic deserts, but also in North African deserts. lt eastem region of the country, S of Kunduz (Qonduz), shares with other genera such as Polisius, Anomalobuthus NE of Pul-1-Khumri (Poi-e-Khornri), on April 7, 1972 or Plesiobuthus an orthobothriotaxy pattem for trichobothria. was indeed a species of Compsobuthus. This specimen lt also shares with Pectinibuthus, Anomalobuthus and was described as a new species, Compsobuthus tofti the Somalian genus Sabinebuthus Lourern;o, 2001 Lourens;o, 2001 (LOUREN<;:O 200la). (LOUREN<;:O 2001 b) a very slender chela with rows of granules essentially straight. The new genus can, how Careful examination of the second specimen revealed that ever, be readily distinguished from other psammophilic it was not a Compsobuthus, but rather a psammophilic genera, by a combination of characters: (i) Basal denti element. From the table of characters proposed by FET cles of chelicera movable finger absent. (ii) Absence of et al. (2001), it appears that the specimen from Afghani inner and outer accessory denticles on pedipalp chela stan shares some common characters with the listed fingers. (iii) Sternum pentagonal. (iv) Small size. genera. lt shows, however, a combination of different characters, and this leads me to describe here a new ge Type species Afghanobuthus naumanni sp. n. nus and species. This new scorpion was collected by Description: Professor Clas Naumann in October 1971, on the North range ofthe country, at Vic Shiberghan, Dasht-e-Leili. Afghanobuthus naumanni sp. n. (Figs. 1-8) Diagnosis: as for the new genus. Type material: 1 female holotype. Afghanistan, North In commemoration of Clas Michael Naumann zu Königsbrück (26.06.1939-15.02.2004) range, Vic Shiberghan, Dasht-e-Leili, 400 m, X/1971 112 Bonner zoologische Beiträge 53 (2004) . ... . ... . . •. : .. ! . . ! . ....• .. ..:: . : . .•: 1 . ..:. . .:· . .. .. 4 2 3 5 .. i-.-..... „ ..... „• • ...,,._._••'•••·•-•„oou••••~"'i ; / 0 ~: 0 c:...„~---·---~----„. ______ „.„,..-~ „. ..... - ... „. ... 6 7 8 Figs. 1-8: Afghanobuthus naumanni gen. n., sp. n. Female holotype. 1. Chelicera, 2. Movable finger of pedipalp chela with al most linear rows of granules. 3. Metasomal segment V and telson, lateral aspect, showing anal arc. 4. Leg IV with tibial and pe dal spurs. 5. Sternum and genital operculum. 6-7. Trichobothriotaxy. 6. Chela, dorso-extemal aspect. 7. Patella, dorsal aspect. 8. Femur, dorsal aspect. Wilson R. LOUREN<;:o: A New Genus and Species of Scorpion from Afghanistan 113 Fig. 9: Map of Afghanistan showing the type locality of the new species. (C. Naumann leg.). Deposited in the collection of the Vesicle: 'Museum national d'Histoire naturelle', Paris. -width 1.2 -depth 1.2 Patronym: In honour of the late Professor Clas M. Pedipalp: Naumann, Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Mu -Femur length 3.1 seum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK), Bonn (Germany), -Femur width 0.9 who collected the specimen and contributed signifi -Patella length 4.1 cantly to the scientific infrastructure of Afghanistan. -Patella width 1.3 Description based on female holotype (Morphometric -Chela length 6.4 measurements in Table 1) . -Chela width 1.1 -Chela depth 1.1 Table 1: Morphometric values (in mm) ofthe female holotype Movable finger: of Afghanobuthus naumanni gen. n., sp. n. -length 4.6 Total length 27.3 Colouration. Generally pale yellow without any spots or pigmented zones on body and appendages. Prosoma: Carapace: carapace yellowish; only eyes surrounded by black -length 3.5 pigment. Mesosoma: yellowish. Metasoma: all seg -anterior width 2.4 ments yellowish. Vesicle yellowish; aculeus yellowish -posterior width 3.7 at base and light reddish at extremity. Venter pale yel Metasomal segment I: low. Chelicerae yellowish; teeth light reddish. Pedi -length 2.1 palps: yellowish overall; rows of granules on dentate -width 1.9 margins of fingers very slightly darker. Legs yellowish. Metasomal segment V: -length 3.9 Morphology. Prosoma: anterior margin of carapace -width 1.7 weakly emarginate. Carapace carinae weakly to moder -depth 1.6 ately developed; anterior median carinae moderate to 114 Bonner zoologische Beiträge 53 (2004) weak; posterior median carinae moderate; central lateral Tibial spurs present on legs III-IV but reduced; pedal moderate to weak; central median vestigial; posterior spurs present on all legs, moderate to strong. median carinae not terminating distally in spinoid proc ess. Intercarinal spaces somewhat moderately granular Acknowledgements. I am very grateful to J. Köhler laterally; almost smooth centrally. Median ocular tuber (ZFMK, Bonn) for inviting me to participate in this publi cle slightly anterior to centre of carapace; median eyes cation and to B. Sinclair (ZFMK, Bonn) for reviewing the English style of preliminary drafts of the manuscript. separated by 2.5 ocular diameters. Three pairs of lateral eyes. Mesosoma: Tergites I-VI tricarinate. Lateral cari nae on 1-VI moderate to weak, granular; each carina REFERENCES terminating distally in very small spinoid process that FET, V„ CAPES, E.M. & S!SSOM, W. D. (2001): A new ge extends very slightly beyond posterior margin oftergite. nus and species of Psammophilic scorpion from east Median carinae on 1 weak; on II-VI moderate, to weak, em Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Pp. 183-189 in: FET, terminating slightly distally on each segment with spi V. & SELDEN, P. A. (eds.) Scorpions 2001, In Memor noid process that extends very slightly beyond posterior iam Gary A. Polis. British Arachnological Society, margin of tergite. Tergite VII pentacarinate, with lateral London. LOUREN<;:O, W. R. (2001a): A new species of Compsobut pairs of carinae moderate to strong; median carinae pre hus Vachon, 1949 from Afghanistan (Scorpiones, sent on proximal half, moderate. Intercarinal spaces Buthidae). Entomologische Mitteilungen aus dem zo weakly granular, almost smooth. Stemites: absent from ologischen Museum Hamburg 13(164): 315-319. stemites III-VI; Stemite VII with 4 carinae moderate to LOUREN<;:O, W. R. (200lb): Un nouveau genre de Buthidae, weak. Pectines moderately long; pectinal tooth count probable vicariant geographique d'Anomalobuthus 24-25. Metasoma: Segments 1-11 with 10 carinae, crenu Kraepelin (Chelicerata, Scorpiones). Biogeographica 77(1): 15-20. late; III-IV with 8 carinae. Dorsolateral carinae moder VACHON, M. (1963): De l'utilite, en systematique, d'une ate, without spinoid denticles. Ventral submedian cari nomenclature des dents des cheliceres chez les Scor nae moderate on segments 1-IV. Segment V with 5 pions. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Natu carinae; ventromedian carinae moderate to strong. Dor relle Paris 2e ser. 35(2): 161-166. sal furrows of all segments moderately to weakly devel V ACHON, M. (1974): Etude des caracteres utilises pour oped, smooth; intercarinal weakly granular almost classer les familles et les genres de Scorpions (Arach nides ). 1. La trichobothriotaxie en arachnologie. Sigles smooth. Telson weakly granular, almost smooth, with trichobothriaux et types de trichobothriotaxie chez les only some granules ventrally; aculeus weakly curved, Scorpions. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire and slightly longer than vesicle. Subaculear tubercle ab Naturelle Paris 3e ser„ n° 140, Zool. 104: 857-958. sent. Chelicerae: Basal denticles of movable finger ab V ACHON, M. (1975): Sur l'utilisation de la trichobothrio sent; basal denticles of fixed finger flattened at apex taxie du bras des pedipalpes des Scorpions (Arachni (Vachon, 1963). Pedipalps: Trichobothrial pattem or des) dans le classement des genres de la famille des thobothriotaxic, type A (Vachon, 1974); dorsal Buthidae Simon. Compte Rendu hebdomadaire des trichobothria of femur in ß (beta) configuration (Va Seances de l' Academie des Sciences Paris, ser. D 281: 1597-1599. chon, 1975). Femur pentacarinate; all carinae moder ately crenulate. Patella with 8 carinae; all carinae weak; dorsointemal carinae with one slightly spinoid granule. Author's address: Wilson R. LOUREN<;:O, Departement Chelae slender, with elongated fingers; all carinae weak de Systematique et Evolution, USM 0602, Section to vestigial. Dentate margins on movable and fixed fin Arthropodes (Arachnologie), Museum national d'His gers composed of 11/12 almost linear rows of granules. toire naturelle, CP 053, 61 rue Buffon 75005 Paris, Legs: Ventral aspect of tarsi with one row of thin setae. France, e-mail: [email protected] ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Bonn zoological Bulletin - früher Bonner Zoologische Beiträge. Jahr/Year: 2005 Band/Volume: 53 Autor(en)/Author(s): Lourenco Wilson R. Artikel/Article: A New Genus and Species of Scorpion from Afghanistan (Scorpiones, Buthidae) 111-114