Compsobuthus turieli Kovařík & Lowe & Stockmann & Šťáhlavský 2020, sp. n.
Creators: name: Kovařík, František
name: Lowe, Graeme
name: Stockmann, Mark
name: Šťáhlavský, František
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Arachnida
Scorpiones
Buthidae
Compsobuthus
Compsobuthus turieli

description: Compsobuthus turieli sp. n.
(Figures 110–163, Table 1)
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1BCCBD64-
4FB0-45ED-B1E1-0C1A6DC01E50
TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Western Sahara, 70 km S of Ad-Dakhla, 23°04.13'N 016°05.08'W; FKCP.
TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Western Sahara: 70 km S of Ad- Dakhla, 23°04.13'N 016°05.08'W, 7.II.2005, 1♂ (holotype) 1juv. (paratype), leg. R. et H. Fouquè & S. BečvÁř. Morocco: At Akka, 29.390083°N 8.268220°W, IX.2013, dry, barely vegetated farmland nr Qued Akka, collected by day under rock left from road construction, 1♀ (paratype), leg. C. Turiel and M. Stockman, FKCP; N of Zag, 28.24872°N 09.33291°W (Fig. 156), X.2016, in sandy flats with large black rocks, loose cover of shrubs and solitary trees, collected by day under rocks and UV detection by night sitting on rock, 2♀ 1juv. (paratypes), leg. M. Stockmann, FKCP.
ETYMOLOGY. It is a pleasure to name this species after Carlos Turiel (Neuss, Germany).
DIAGNOSIS. Total length 29–31 mm. Sexual dimorphism minor, pedipalp fingers straight in females, almost straight in male holotype, male chela slightly more robust, chela L/W ratio: ♂ 5.39, ♀ 5.59; metasomal segment proportions similar in both sexes. Base color uniformly yellow to yellowish brown. Carapace and tergites densely, finely granular. Anterior margin of carapace bearing 8 symmetrically distributed spinules. Pedipalp femur L/ Carapace L ratio: 0.86–0.93. Movable finger of pedipalp chela with 9–11 rows of granules, without external accessory denticles, with 10 internal accessory granules (‘ acutecarinatus ’ group; Levy & Amitai, 1980). Manus of pedipalp chela shorter than fixed finger. Pedipalp chela L/movable finger L ratio: 1.38–1.43. Metasoma I–II with 10 carinae, III with 8–10 carinae, IV with 8 carinae. All metasomal segments longer than wide; metasoma L/W ratios: III 1.85–1.92, IV 2.20–2.27, V 2.50–2.68. Metasoma V W/D ratio: 1.07–1.09. Ventral intercarinal surfaces of metasoma lacking macrosetae. Pectine teeth: ♂ 16, ♀ 13–14. Pectine L/ Metasoma V W ratio: ♂ 2.00, ♀ 1.46. Sternites and metasoma granulated, more strongly in females. Sternites VI–VII with 4 crenulate carinae. Telson rather elongate, aculeus shorter than vesicle. Subaculear tubercle absent.
DESCRIPTION. Total length 29–31 mm in both sexes. The habitus is shown in Figs. 110–113. Trichobothriotaxy of pedipalps is shown in Figs. 135–142.
Sexual dimorphism. Sex differences are minor, fingers of pedipalps straight in females and almost straight in the male holotype. No sex differences in proportions of metasomal segments. Female with considerably shorter pectines, smaller pectine teeth and larger genital opercula.
Coloration (Figs. 110–113, 157–159). The base color is uniformly yellow to yellowish brown. Weak fuscosity may be present on anterior interocular triangle.
Carapace and mesosoma (Figs. 123–126). The entire carapace is covered by granules of different sizes. The carinae are moderately to strongly developed and granular. The anterior margin of the carapace is weakly concave medially, and bears 8 symmetrically distributed spinules (macrosetae). The tergites are strongly granulated. Tergites I–VI are tricarinate, with strong, denticulate median and lateral carinae. Each carina terminates in a spiniform process that in the lateral carinae extends well past the posterior margin of the tergite. Tergite VII is pentacarinate, with lateral pairs of carinae strong, serratocrenulate, and median pairs moderate, crenulate; the median carina is weak and confined to the anterior half of the segment. Pectinal tooth counts: ♂ 16, ♀ 13–14 (3×13, 3×14). The pectine marginal tips extend barely to the posterior margin of sternite III in females, and to half the length of sternite IV in the male. The pectines have 3 marginal lamellae and 7–9 middle lamellae. The lamellae bear numerous dark setae, and each fulcrum bears 2–3 dark setae. All sternites are granulated. The posterior areas of sternites lack a broad glabrous patch. Sternites VI–VII bear 4 crenulate carinae, which are more strongly developed on VII. The other sternites bear one pair of carinae on the medial side of the spiracles.
Metasoma and telson (Figs. 114–122). Metasomal segments I–II with 10 carinae, III with 8–10 carinae, IV with 8 carinae, and V with 5 carinae. Median lateral carinae of metasoma III are indicated by isolated granules that may partially form carinae. All segments sparsely setose and densely granulate, more so in females. Accessory rows of granules are present on dorsal surfaces of segments as well as on the ventral surface of the fifth segment. The telson is rather elongate, with the aculeus a little shorter than the vesicle. A subaculear tubercle is absent.
Pedipalps (Figs. 135–155). The pedipalps are finely granulated and sparsely hirsute. The femur bears 5 carinae, the patella 7 granular carinae, the chela 5–7 carinae. The movable and fixed fingers bear 9–11 rows of granules, without external accessory granules, with 10 internal accessory granules on movable finger, 8–10 on fixed finger. Pedipalp chela L/W ratio: ♂ 5.39, ♀ 5.59. Manus of chela shorter than fixed finger. Pedipalp chela L/movable finger L ratio 1.38–1.43 in both sexes.
Legs (Figs. 127–134). Legs III–IV bear small to moderate tibial spurs. Retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs are present on all legs. The tarsomeres bear two rows of macrosetae on the ventral surface and several macrosetae on the other surfaces. Bristlecombs are absent. The femur bears 4 carinae, the patella 4–6 carinae. The femur and patella bear only solitary macrosetae and are granulated on prolateral surfaces, smooth on retrolateral surfaces. Tarsal ungues moderately elongated, curved.
Hemispermatophore (Figs. 160–163). Flagelliform, elongate and slender, trunk ca. 7.7 times length of capsule region. Flagellum separated from external lobe, pars recta ca. 60% of trunk length, broad with anterior lamina, pars reflecta long, about the same length as trunk, thick, hyaline. Capsule region with 4 lobes at base of flagellum: posterior lobe longest, triangular, apically rounded, median lobe shortest, apically truncate, anterior lobe acuminate with long thin terminus. Basal lobe strong with broad base and sharp, falcate hook. Left and right hemispermatophores were similar.
Measurements. See Table 1.
AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish C. turieli sp. n. from all other species of the genus. In the region, the only other known member of the ‘ acutecarinatus group’ is C. berlandi Vachon, 1950, from Mauritania (type locality: Fort Gouraud, 400 km E of Villa-Cisneros) which is characterized by the presence of 7–8 rows of granules on the pedipalp movable finger, and total length 38 mm (Vachon, 1950). In contrast, C. turieli sp. n. has 9–11 rows of granules on the pedipalp movable finger, and total length <31 mm.
ECOLOGY. Specimens were found under rocks, or on rocks at night, in arid sandy terrain with rather sparse vegetation. Water was available only in an oasis or date plantations, or transiently (a few hours) after a heavy storm. Loamy soil was present but C. turieli sp. n. was only found in sandy areas. Other scorpions observed together with C. turieli sp. n. were: in sandy areas, Androctonus amoreuxi (Audouin,1826), Buthacus stockmanni KovařÍk, Lowe & ŠťÁhlavský, 2016 and Lissothus occidentalis Vachon, 1950; in loamy areas, Buthus mariefranceae Lourenço, 2003.
description: Published as part of Kovařík, František, Lowe, Graeme, Stockmann, Mark & Šťáhlavský, František, 2020, Notes on Compsobuthus: redescription of C. arabicus Levy et al., 1973 from Arabia, and description of two new species from North Africa (Scorpiones: Buthidae), pp. 1-40 in Euscorpius 298 on pages 23-24, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5741445