Neobuthus osoli, Euscorpius & No., 2024

Neobuthus osoli sp. n.

( Figs. 76–121 View Figures 76–79 View Figures 80–81 View Figures 82–83 View Figures 84–91 View Figures 92–99 View Figures 100–121 , 160 View Figures 160–161 , Table 2) http: //zoobank. org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B3EAA91-

F739-4C7A-A292-E286953AAEBD

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Somaliland , Awdal Region, Osoli, 10.4372736° N 43.7051653° E, FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. Somaliland , Awdal Region, Osoli, 10.4372736° N 43.7051653° E, XI.2023, 1♂ (holotYpe, DNA No. 792) 1♀ (paratYpe, DNA No. 794), leg. Hassan Elmi.

ETYMOLOGY. Named after the tYpe localitY, near Osoli town.

DIAGNOSIS (♂ ♀). Total length 19 mm (male), 25 mm (female); carapace with area between anterior median carinae orange to partiallY fuscous; tergites with 3 dark stripes, median stripe flanked on either side bY broad longitudinal Yellow bands that maY be broken bY fuscositY extending across anterior tergites; pedipalp, male with femur L/ W 1.95, patella L/ W 2.55, chela L/ W 4.50; chela movable finger with 5–6 subrows of primarY denticles, 4 external accessorY denticles flanking proximal end of each subrow; dorsoexternal carina on pedipalp patella in female weaklY indicated, ventroexternal carina absent; posterior margins of tergites without or with 1–2 pairs of macrosetae; pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson with verY short, stout macrosetae in male, and long, fine setae in female; male with sternite VII denselY granular with 4 vestigial median carinae; female with sternites III–VI smooth, sternite VII finelY granular with 4 carinae; metasoma I–III with median lateral carinae absent in both sexes; lateral surfaces of metasoma I–IV denselY granulated in both sexes; lateral surface of metasoma V in males denselY granulated, with granules separated; tarsi with relativelY sparse setation, leg III of adults with 12–14 ventral macrosetae on telotarsus; pectine teeth: 16 in male, 14 in female.

DESCRIPTION. Total length of adult male 19 mm, of adult females 25 mm; measurements of carapace, telson, segments of metasoma and pedipalps given in Table 1; positions and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps shown in Figs. 112–115, 117–118 View Figures 100–121 ; trichobothrium d 2 present on pedipalp femur and patella; base color Yellow to light orange with variable fuscous pigmentation and extensive patterns of dark maculation on mesosoma, metasoma, partiallY on pedipalps and legs; chelicerae Yellow with dark reticulation on anterior manus, dentition reddish. Sexual dimorphism: strong, adult male substantiallY smaller, but without differences in shapes of pedipalps, metasoma and telson; pedipalp patella and femur granulate and matte in males, smooth and glossY in females; macrosetae on pedipalps, legs, metasoma and telson much longer and finer in females than males; other sex differences cited below.

Pedipalp ( Figs. 100–121 View Figures 100–121 ). Pedipalp mostlY sparselY hirsute; finelY granulated in males and smooth in females; femur with five conspicuouslY granulose carinae, more stronglY developed in male; patella with seven granulose carinae, well developed in male and reduced or absent in females; dorsoexternal carinae on pedipalp patella in female weaklY indicated; chela with carinae present but smooth in females; chela movable finger with 5–6 and fixed finger with 5 subrows of primarY denticles, 3 (fixed ginger) or 4 (movable finger) external accessorY denticles flanking proximal end of each subrow.

Carapace ( Figs. 84, 86 View Figures 84–91 ). StronglY trapezoidal (narrower anteriorlY), wider than long (L/ W 0.89 –0.96); posterior median postocular area flat, anterior median preocular area gentlY sloped downwards towards anterior margin; lateral flanks steeplY sloped; ocular tubercle broad, prominent, located slightlY anterior of carapace; anterior margin straight, finelY microdenticulate, with coarser granules overlapping edge, bearing 8 macrosetae; anterior median carinae present, coarselY granular, other carinae indistinct; dense granulation covering most of carapace.

Chelicera. Fingers with tYpical buthid dentition ( Vachon, 1963; Lowe & KovařÍk, 2016; KovařÍk et al., 2018); fixed finger with large distal denticle, 1 subdistal denticle and 2 basal denticles fused into bicusp, single denticle on ventral surface at level of bicusp; dorsal margin of movable finger with 5 denticles: 1 large distal denticle, medium-sized subdistal and medial, and 2 small, partiallY fused basal denticles; ventral margin with 2 denticles.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 82–87 View Figures 82–83 View Figures 84–91 ). Tergites I–VI bear three carinae of which the lateral pair maY be less conspicuous mainlY on tergites I–IV; tergite VII bears five well-defined carinae (median, submedians and laterals); tergites I–VI denselY granular, with coarser granules on posterior lateral areas; tergite VII denselY granular; sternites III–VI smooth in female, and finelY granulated in male; sternite VII granulated in both sexes, more so in males, with four well-defined carinae; sternum tYpe 1, triangular in shape, smooth, with deep posteromedian invagination; genital opercula smooth; genital papillae present; pectines extending to around end of sternite IV in male and around end of sternite III in female; pectine teeth 16 in male, 14 in female; combs with 3 marginal lamellae and 7–8 middle lamellae; marginal lamellae, middle lamellae and fulcra with dense cover of short dark reddish macrosetae; fulcra with 2–4 setae.

Legs ( Figs. 88–91 View Figures 84–91 ). Coxa, femora, patella and tibia of all legs bearing variable numbers of short to medium length, straight, dark-reddish macrosetae; tarsi with mix of short and longer, dark-reddish macrosetae; basitarsi I–III slightlY compressed with flat retrolateral surfaces, with bristle combs consisting of retrosuperior series of longer macrosetae, plus retroinferior and proinferior series of shorter macrosetae; telotarsi with two rows of short macrosetae on ventral aspect, 12–14 macrosetae on telotarsus III; moderate tibial spurs present on leg IV and reduced on leg. III.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 92–99 View Figures 92–99 ). Metasoma and telson sparselY hirsute, macrosetae verY short, stout in male, and long, fine setae in female; metasomal segments I–IV with 8 carinae, V with 2 carinae; all carinae relativelY well developed; segment V with strong, granulate to dentate-lobate ventrolateral carinae; segments I–V with dense granulation on all intercarinal surfaces except dorsal surfaces which are sparselY granulated in female; segment V denselY granular on lateral and ventral surfaces, more coarselY so on ventral surface, granules not arranged along anY traces of carinae; telson smooth, ventral surface sparselY, weaklY granular; vesicle slightlY elongated; aculeus stout, shorter than vesicle, tip of aculeus almost verticallY directed.

Measurements. See Table 2.

AFFINITIES. The described features distinguish N. osoli sp. n. from all other species of the genus. TheY are recounted in the keY below and confirmed bY DNA phYlogenY (paper in preparation). The new species is most similar to N. amoudensis , from which it is distinguished mainlY according to two important characters. Metasomal macrosetae are moderatelY short in male, not verY spiniform in N. amoudensis , while metasomal macrosetae are verY short in male, stout and spiniform in N. osoli sp. n. (Fig. 426). Sternite III with ca 25 macrosetae (fig. 10 in KovařÍk et al., 2018: 7) in N. amoudensis versus sternite III with lesser than 10 macrosetae ( Fig. 83 View Figures 82–83 ) in N. osoli sp. n.