Buthus pyrenaeus Ythier, 2021

Buthus pyrenaeus Ythier, 2021 View in CoL

( Fig. 18, Tab. II-III)

Material examined (7 ex.)

- Pyrenées-Orientales, Cerbère, 1 ♂ holotype, 25/IX/1938 (A. Primot), MHNL (47036301).

- Pyrénées-Orientales, Cerbère, 2 ♀ paratypes, V/1950 (P. Cauchois), MHNL (47023075, 47023076).

- Pyrénées-Orientales, Montauriol, Mas Julia (St Michel), 1 ♀ paratype, 23/VIII/1980 (P. Cauchois), MHNL (47023076).

- Pyrénées-Orientales , Massif des Albères, 2 juvenile ♀ paratypes, ca. 1970-1980 (J.-B. Lacroix), J.-B. Lacroix leg. (No. 111), 1993, EYCP ( EY0244 ) .

Diagnosis. –Scorpion of medium to moderately large size for the genus,with a total lengthof 60-67 mm.General coloration pale yellowtoyellowishorange; carapace with ocular tubercle marked with dark pigments; tergites with dark spots on median carina forming a dark univittate pattern; metasoma and pedipalps yellowish with some carinae slightly infuscate; legs yellowish. Carinae and granulations moderately to strongly marked on carapace and tergites. Metasoma with carinae moderately marked; dorsal and dorsolateral vestigially to weakly subcrenulate on segments II-IV; ventral feebly raised distally on II-III, stronger in female; anal arc composed of two lateral lobes and 10 -12 ventral teeth; intercarinal spaces minutely granular, especially dorsally and more densely onV.Pedipalps with carinae moderately markedand all faces weakly granular on femur and patella; chela with carinae vestigial, smooth; femur with some macrosetae which are mostly concentrated along ventrodistal edge, patella with a few macrosetae scattered all over. Leg tibial spurs strongly developed. Pectines with 31 teeth in male, 26-28 in female. Sexual secondary dimorphism moderate inhabitus withmale more slender and slightlylarger than female (67mm inmale, 60-66 mm in female). Sexual secondary dimorphism conspicuous in pedipalps with chela manus slenderer in male (length/width ratio 1.42, length/depth ratio 1.42) than in female (length/width ratio 1.29- 1.42, length/depth ratio 1.21 -1.30) and slightly wider than patella in male (manus/ patella width ratio 1.04) while wider than patella in female (manus/patella width ratio 1.08 -1.14). Chela fingers with lobe/notch combination obsolete; fingers long, slightly longer in male (movable fingers/manus length ratio 1.91) than in female (1.64 -1.75); fixed finger with 12-13 rows of granules, movable finger with 13- 14 rows of granules. Sexual secondary dimorphism moderate in metasoma (size andshape standard for the genus but longer and heavier in male) and in telsonwithvesicle slightlylessgloboseinmale (deeper thanwide;length/ width ratio1.42, length/depth ratio 1.35, width/depth ratio 0.95) than in female (wider than deep; length/width ratio 1.11-1.17, length/depth ratio 1.18- 1.35, width/depth ratio 1.06 -1.18). Metasomal segment I longer than wide in male (length/width ratio 1.12), wider than long to as wide as long in female (length/ width ratio 0.97- 1.00).

Distribution. – France: Department of Pyrenées-Orientales. As suggested in Ythier (2021),the species is now also confirmed to occur in Spain (Cap de Creus, Gerona Province – Fig. 19). The specific identity of other records from the Provinces of Gerona, Lérida and Barcelona should be regarded as confirmation pending until specimens become available for study.