Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 67: 133–159, 2003 ISSN 1211-376X Scorpions of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia (Arachnida: Scorpiones), with a key and descriptions of three new species František KOVAŘÍK P. O. Box 27, CZ–145 01 Praha 45, Czech Republic Received October 15, 2002; accepted March 15, 2003 Published July 7, 2003 Abstract. Scorpions of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia are revised, with a key and geographic distributions given for all the species. Lectotypes are designated for Buthus minax L. Koch, 1875, Buthus hottentotta tigrinus Caporiacco, 1937, Parabuthus granimanus Pocock, 1895, Parabuthus granimanus fuscicauda Caporiacco, 1947, Parabuthus mixtus obscurior Caporiacco, 1941, Parabuthus mixtus Borelli, 1925, Scorpio cavimanus Pocock, 1888, Pandinus intermedius Borelli, 1919, Scorpio pallidus Kraepelin, 1894, and Scorpio smithi Pocock, 1897. Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 is synonymized with Butheolus Simon, 1882. The following species are synonymized: Neobuthus berberensis Hirst, 1911 with Butheolus ferrugineus Kraepelin, 1898; Buthus hottentotta tigrinus Caporiacco, 1937 with Hottentotta minax (L. Koch, 1875); Buthus fuscitruncus Caporiacco, 1936 with Hottentotta trilineatus (Peters, 1862); Parabuthus granimanus fuscicauda Caporiacco, 1947 with Parabuthus granimanus Pocock, 1895; Parabuthus heterurus stefaninii Caporiacco, 1927 with Parabuthus heterurus Pocock, 1897; Parabuthus leiosoma abyssinicus Pocock, 1901 and Parabuthus leiosoma dmitrievi Birula, 1903 with Parabuthus leiosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828); Parabuthus mixtus Borelli, 1925, Parabuthus mixtus obscurior Caporiacco, 1941, and Parabuthus zavattarii Caporiacco, 1939 with Parabuthus pallidus Pocock, 1895; Uroplectes fischeri caporiaccoi Fet, 1997 and Uroplectes patrizii Caporiacco, 1936 with Uroplectes fischeri (Karsch, 1879); Scorpio gregoryi Pocock, 1896 with Pandinus (Pandinurus) exitialis (Pocock, 1888); Brotheas hirsutus L. Koch, 1875 and Scorpio africanus subtypicus Kraepelin, 1894 with Pandinus (Pandinurus) magrettii Borelli, 1901; and Pandinus intermedius Borelli, 1919 and Pandinus citernii Borelli, 1919 with Pandinus (Pandinus) phillipsii (Pocock, 1896). Uroplectes pardii sp. n. from Somalia and Parabuthus eritreaensis sp. n. and Pandinus (Pandinops) eritreaensis sp. n. from Eritrea are described. Hottentotta minax niloticus Birula, 1928 is elevated to a full- species status. First records are established for Leiurus quinquestriatus Ehrenberg, 1828 in Somalia, Lychas obsti Kraepelin, 1913 in Ethiopia and Somalia, Pandinus (Pandinops) hawkeri Pocock, 1900 in Ethiopia, and Pandinus (Pandinurus) exitialis (Pocock, 1888) in Somalia. Taxonomy, description, revision, new species, new synonymy, new combination, checklist, key, Scorpiones, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia INTRODUCTION The main reason for conducting this revision is that it has never before been done for the region, and that especially in Somalia the current situation virtually precludes faunal exploration. Yet, that country is the source of rich collections housed principally in Italian museums, from which chiefly Caporiacco and Borelli described a number of species at the most part known only from types that remain to be revised. It is precisely these species that I have concentrated on, and have managed to find and revise also some types regarded by previous authors as lost or of unknown reposition; some were found in museums other than those given in the literature. Having the opportunity to examine types simultaneously with other material collected at the same localities enabled me to discern variation, which is the main reason why so many species are hereby synonymized. Unfortunately, certain types have not surfaced and must be considered lost. In some cases there 133 is enough evidence to synonymize such species at least equivocally, however six species are so dubious that they cannot be placed in the system and the key even tentatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS The institutional abbreviations listed below and used throughout are mostly after Arnett et al. (1993). BMNH – The Natural History Museum, London, U. K.; FKCP – František Kovařík Collection, Prague, Czech Republic; HNHM – Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary; MCSN – Museo Civico de Storia Naturale “Giacomo Doria”, Genua, Italy; MIZT – Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Turin, Italy; MNHN – Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France; MSNM – Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Milan, Italy; MZUF – Museo Zoologico “La Specola”, Florence, Italy; NMPC – National Museum (Natural History), Prague, Czech Republic; SMFD – Natur-Museum Senckenberg, Frankfurt, Germany; ZMHB – Zoologisches Museum, Humboldt Universität, Berlin, Germany; ZMUH – Zoologisches Institut und Zoologisches Museum, Universität Hamburg, Germany. This study was conducted in 1997–2002. It includes only specimens that I examined and found to come from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia or Somalia. Specimens from elsewhere are not included even though their examination enabled me to better understand the status of the species (e. g. large collections of Parabuthus pallidus Pocock, 1895 from Kenya and Tanzania, or Hemiscorpius socotranus Pocock, 1899 from the Socotra Island). This is why no material of e. g. Androctonus amoreuxi (Audouin, 1825) is listed, I was able to study many specimens but none from Ethiopia. However, there is no reason to doubt the presence of this species in Ethiopia. Conversely, examined type specimens are always included, although they may not come from the region covered by the revision. The checklist of species (Tab. 1) includes only those synonyms whose type localities are in the studied region. Commentaries and justifications for synonymizing species are always appended to the species deemed valid. Since literature and occurences for all species of scorpions were already summarized (Fet et al. 2000), I have considered it unnecessary to append references to the occurences given in Table 1 unless they represent new information or differ from those in Fet et al. (2000). Listed below are all specimens from the region present in collections which I have completely revised (FKCP, HNHM, NMPC, SMFD, MZUF) and in others named above. Emphasis has been placed on Italian museums. Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837 Androctonus australis (Linné, 1758) MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia, Sar Uanle, 30.V.1973, 1juv., MZUF. Babycurus multisubaculeatus Kovařík, 2000 TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia, Afgooye env., X. 1980, 1F (holotype) 1M (paratype), collector unknown, FKCP. Babycurus somalicus Hirst, 1907 TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia, Wagur Mts, behind Berbera, 2F (holotype and paratype), purchased by W. Bury, BMNH No. 1906.3.25.126. Babycurus subpunctatus Borelli, 1925 TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somalia, Cuban Cubu, IX.1923, 1F (holotype), leg. S. Patrizi, MCSN. 134 Tab. 1. Checklist of scorpions of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia with geographic distribution Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837 Androctonus amoreuxi (Audouin, 1825) – – x – Androctonus australis (Linné, 1758) – – – x Babycurus multisubaculeatus Kovařík, 2000 – – – x Babycurus somalicus Hirst, 1907 – – – x Babycurus subpunctatus Borelli, 1925 – – – x Babycurus wituensis taramassoi Borelli, 1919 – – x x = Babycurus johnstonii ochraceus Masi, 1912 = Babycurus crassimanus Caporiacco, 1936 = Babycurus patrizii Borelli, 1925 Babycurus zambonellii Borelli, 1902 – x ? – Buthacus calviceps (Pocock, 1900) – – – x Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg, 1829) – x x – Butheoloides polisi Lourenço, 1996 – – x – Butheolus ferrugineus Kraepelin, 1898 x – – x = Neobuthus berberensis Hirst, 1911, syn. n. Buthus occitanus berberensis Pocock, 1900 x x x x Compsobuthus abyssinicus (Birula, 1903) x x x x Compsobuthus maindroni (Kraepelin, 1901) – – x x Compsobuthus werneri (Birula, 1908) – – x x Hottentotta minax (L. Koch, 1875) – x x – = Buthus hottentotta tigrinus Caporiacco, 1937, syn. n. Hottentotta polystictus (Pocock, 1896) x x x x Hottentotta scaber (Ehrenberg, 1828) – x x – Hottentotta trilineatus (Peters, 1862) x x x x = Buthus trilineatus fuscatus Masi, 1912 = Buthus fuscitruncus Caporiacco, 1936, syn. n. Isometrus maculatus (De Geer, 1778) – ? x x Lanzatus somalicus Kovařík, 2001 – – – x Leiurus quinquestriatus Ehrenberg, 1828 – – x x Lychas asper (Pocock, 1891) – – – x Lychas obsti Kraepelin, 1913 – – x x Microbuthus pusillus Kraepelin, 1898 x – x x Nanobuthus andersoni Pocock, 1895 ? – – ? Odonturus dentatus Karsch, 1879 – – – x Orthochiroides vachoni Kovařík, 1998 – – – x Orthochirus aristidis (Simon, 1883) x – – x Parabuthus eritreaensis sp. n. –x–– Parabuthus granimanus Pocock, 1895 x x x x = Parabuthus granimanus fuscicauda Caporiacco, 1947, syn. n. Parabuthus heterurus Pocock, 1897 – – x x = Parabuthus stefaninii Caporiacco, 1927, syn. n. Parabuthus leiosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) x x x x = Parabuthus abyssinicus Pocock, 1901, syn. n. = Parabuthus liosoma dmitrievi Birula, 1903, syn. n. Parabuthus pallidus Pocock, 1895 ? x x x = Parabuthus mixtus Borelli, 1925, syn. n. = Parabuthus mixtus obscurior Caporiacco, 1941, syn. n. = Parabuthus zavattarii Caporiacco, 1939, syn. n. Sabinebuthus elegans Lourenço, 2001 – – – x Somalibuthus demisi Kovařík, 1998 – – – x Somalicharmus whitmanae Kovařík, 1998 – – – x 135 Tab. 1. Checklist of scorpions of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia with geographic distribution Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia Uroplectes fischeri (Karsch, 1879) – – – x = Uroplectes fischeri caporiaccoi Fet, 1997, syn. n. = Uroplectes patrizii Caporiacco,