A New Species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from Northwestern Egypt (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Rolando Teruel, František Kovařík & Carlos Turiel November 2013 — No. 177 Euscorpius Occasional Publications in Scorpiology EDITOR: Victor Fet, Marshall University, ‘[email protected]’ ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael E. Soleglad, ‘[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. 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Publication date: 20 November 2013 http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C7848172-1569-4F21-BD7E-64E905B9CF6D Euscorpius — Occasional Publications in Scorpiology. 2013, No. 177 A new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from northwestern Egypt (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Rolando Teruel 1, František Kovařík 2 & Carlos Turiel 3 1 Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), Museo de Historia Natural "Tomás Romay", José A. Saco # 601, esquina a Barnada, Santiago de Cuba - 90100, Cuba. [email protected] 2 P. O. Box 27, CZ - 145 01, Praha 45, Czech Republic. www.kovarex.com/scorpio 3 Niederrheinstrasse 49, 41472 - Neuss, Germany. http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C7848172-1569-4F21-BD7E-64E905B9CF6D Summary Androctonus tenuissimus sp. n. from two coastal localities placed in northwestern Egypt is herein described, an addition that represents the fifth species of this genus confirmed to occur in this North African country. It is most closely related only to Androctonus bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828, which is widely distributed across northeast Africa and the Middle East and also occurs in Egypt. Both are the only species in the genus whose adults of both sexes show the following combination of three diagnostic characters: coloration uniformly blackish, pedipalp chelae con- spicuously narrower than patella in adults, and pedipalp fingers with basal lobe/notch combination entirely absent. However, these two taxa can readily be distinguished by very marked differences in appendage attenuation, body sculpture and counts of principal rows of denticles on pedipalp fingers, among other characters. Introduction Methods & Material The genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828, is a typ- The specimens were studied, measured and photo- ical Saharo-Sindian taxon which occurs continuously graphed under a Zeiss Stemi 2000-C stereomicroscope, from the Atlantic coast of North Africa through western equipped with line scale and grid ocular micrometers. India; it includes several of the largest known buthid The high-resolution digital images obtained were then scorpions and some of them have venom extremely toxic slightly processed with Adobe Photoshop®CS, only to to humans (Fet & Lowe, 2000). It was partially revised remove background and to optimize brightness and con- by Vachon (1952), but since then it has been catalogued trast for print. first by Fet & Lowe (2000) and last by Turiel (2013). Nomenclature and measurements follow Stahnke Between these two compilations, many species were (1970), Kovařík (2009), and Kovařík & Ojanguren described as new, resurrected from synonymy, or raised Affilastro (2013), except for trichobotriotaxy (Vachon, from subspecies to species level (Lourenço, 2005, 2008; 1974), metasomal carinae (Francke, 1977), pedipalp che- Lourenço & Qi, 2006, 2007; Lourenço et al., 2009, la carinae (Acosta et al., 2008, as interpreted by Armas 2012; Kovařík & Ahmed, 2013). et al., 2011), and sternum (Soleglad & Fet, 2003). Un- The most recent of the two catalogues (Turiel, less otherwise noted, all morphologically diagnostic 2013), listed 21 species as valid and four of them were characters mentioned in the text refer to adults of both recorded to occur in Egypt: Androctonus amoreuxi (Au- sexes. douin, 1826), A. australis (Linnaeus, 1758), A. bicolor Specimens studied herein are preserved in 80% Ehrenberg, 1828, and A. crassicauda (Olivier, 1807). ethanol and deposited in the personal collections of the Very recently, an undescribed species most closely authors abbreviated as: RTOC, the first author’s collec- related to A. bicolor was collected in two coastal local- tion (followed by catalogue number, with collecting and ities of northwest Egypt. The description of this new identification labels originally written in Spanish), and species is the main objective of the present paper. FKCP, the second author’s collection. 2 Euscorpius — 2013, No. 177 Systematics reddish after preservation; ocular tubercles, eyes and distal part of aculeus blackish. Chelicerae deeply infus- Androctonus tenuissimus Teruel, Kovařík et cate to very densely reticulate. Pedipalps and legs pro- gressively lighter apically, becoming yellowish, but with Turiel, sp. n. all carinae infuscate and dark reticulations between (Figs. 1–7, Tables 1–3) carinae. Pectines yellowish. Sternite V with the smooth http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B5EBC patch pale yellowish. Metasoma with all carinae plus the 809-E9BE-4D05-8CA1-D3ED447A66F9 apical portion of all segments infuscate. Telson with vesicle and basal half of aculeus somewhat paler. TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Egypt, Matruh Chelicerae with dentition typical for the genus; tegument Province, Marsa Matruh [= Marsá Maţrūh]; RTOC. polished and smooth except on dorsodistal portion of manus, which possesses coarse granules arranged in TYPE MATERIAL. Egypt, Matruh Province, Marsa longitudinal ridges. Matruh [= Marsá Maţrūh], 2011, leg. A. Tolba, 1♂ holo- CARAPACE. Trapezoidal, wider than long and with all type (Figs. 1–2, RTOC: Sco.0552), 2♀♀ paratypes carinae strongly granulose, but not fused into any par- (RTOC: Sco-0553). Matruh Province, Ad Dabah [= Ad ticular configuration; tegument very densely covered by Dab`ah], 2011, leg. A. Tolba, 2♀♀ paratypes (RTOC: uniformly small granules; anterior margin straight, with Sco-0554), 1♂, 2♀♀ paratypes (Figs. 3–16, FKCP). five pairs of stout macrosetae; median eyes separate by more than one ocular diameter; five pairs of lateral eyes: ETYMOLOGY. The selected name is the superlative grade three large and aligned, plus two small and slightly of a Latin adjective that means “slender”. It alludes to offset. the extreme pedipalp attenuation of this species, which is MESOSOMA. Tergites very densely covered by uniformly by far unmatched amongst all described members of the small granules; I–VI with three carinae (median and genus. submedians), which are strong and finely granulose and projected beyond posterior margin as conical granules; DIAGNOSIS. Adult size moderately large (males 65–72 VII with five carinae (median, submedians and laterals) mm, females 63–87 mm) for the genus. Coloration which are strong and finely granulose. Sternum standard basically very dark to blackish brown; pedipalps and for the genus: type 1, relatively small, and markedly legs apically yellowish, but with carinae infuscate and triangular in shape. Pectines very long (extending well intercarinal dark reticulations; metasoma with all carinae beyond coxa-trochanter joint of leg IV), narrow and infuscate. Pedipalps very long and slender, with hand densely setose; tooth count 27/27; basal plate heavily conspicuously narrower than patella and strongly cari- sclerotized and about as long as wide, anterior margin nate; fixed and movable