Androctonus vaneki, Kovařík & Lowe & Šťáhlavský, 2025

Androctonus vaneki sp. n.

( Figures 130–152 View Figures 130–131 View Figures 132–137 View Figures 138–152 , 160–161 View Figures 153–164 , 168, 171 View Figures 165–172 , 177–178 View Figures 173–177 View Figures 178–179 , Table 2) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EF8F5DF9-

936A-48BD-B142-BBA32444A529

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Morocco, Akka Nait , 29.9154600°N 7.3312725°W GoogleMaps ; FKCP.

MATERIAL EXAMINED ( FKCP). Morocco, Akka Nait , 29.9154600°N 7.3312725°W, 28.X.2024, 1♂ ( holotype, 2867), leg. O. Vaněk. GoogleMaps

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Ondrej Vaněk who collected the type specimen.

DIAGNOSIS ♂. Adult male 51 mm in length; base color uniformly black to greyish brown; pectine teeth 26–28 in male; metasoma I–V with ventral and lateral surfaces smooth and punctate; metasoma I–V with 10-8-8-8-4 carinae; metasoma IV length/ width ratio 1.08; metasoma I–V with dorsal carinae smooth, with denticles reduced or absent, sternite V with large smooth patch in adult male; sternite VI–VII with 4 carinae; pedipalp fixed and movable fingers with 14–15 subrows of denticles, each flanked by external and internal accessory denticles; fingers without basal lobe/notch combination; fingers elongated, chela narrow with length/width ratio 6.5 in male; tarsomere I of legs I–III with reduced bristle combs; telson slender, vesicle small and flat, aculeus about as long as vesicle; telson length/width ratio 2.19 in male.

DESCRIPTION ♂. Adult male 51 mm in length, female unknown; habitus as shown in Figs. 130–131 View Figures 130–131 ; distribution and positions of trichobothria on pedipalps as shown in Figs. 138–142, 144–145 View Figures 138–152 . Coloration ( Figs. 130–131 View Figures 130–131 ). Base color uniformly black to greyish brown.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 132–133 View Figures 132–137 ). Carapace trapezoidal, wider than long, surface covered with granules of different sizes, densely in anterior areas, sparsely in other areas; carinae typical for the genus, granulose; anterior margin convex medially, bearing 8 symmetrically distributed, stout spiniform macrosetae. Tergites smooth with several solitary granules; tergite VII pentacarinate, with paired lateral carinae strong and serratocrenulate; tergites I–VI tricarinate, with rather smooth carinae. Pectinal tooth count 26–28 in males; pectine marginal tips extend to posterior margin of sternite IV in male; 3 marginal lamellae, 7 middle lamellae; lamellae and fulcra with numerous dark macrosetae. Sternum standard for the genus. Sternite III finely granulate along margins, other sternites smooth, sternites VI–VII with 4 smooth carinae; spiracles very elongate, slit-like; sternite V with large, widely subtriangular, conspicuously pale smooth patch.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 134–137 View Figures 132–137 ). Metasoma smooth, all segments moderately robust, not extremely deep; metasoma I– III wider than long, IV–V longer than wide, all segments wider than deep; metasoma I with 10 granulated carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae, V with 4 carinae; dorsal carinae of metasoma I–V smooth with denticles reduced or absent; ventral and lateral carinae smooth without granules; metasoma I–V with ventral and lateral intercarinal surfaces punctate, dorsal surfaces smooth. Telson slender, vesicle small and flat, aculeus about as long as vesicle, curved.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 138–148 View Figures 138–152 ). Pedipalps very long and slender, very sparsely setose, orthobothriotaxic type A-β; femur with 4 carinae; patella granulate mainly dorsally, with 7 carinae; chela smooth, with 4 partly granulated carinae; fixed and movable fingers with 14–15 subrows of denticles, each flanked by external and internal accessory denticles; pedipalp fingers of male with inner side of base smooth, tubercle absent; fingers elongated, chela narrow, length/ width ratio 6.5 in male.

Legs ( Figs. 149–152 View Figures 138–152 ). Legs III and IV with tibial spurs, long on leg IV, moderate on leg III; all legs with retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs; tarsomeres with two rows of macrosetae on ventral surface, and other macrosetae on other surfaces; bristle-combs present but reduced on legs I–III.

Measurements. See Table 2.

AFFINITIES. The described characters distinguish A. vaneki sp. n. from all other species species of the genus, and are recounted in the key below. The new species is also confirmed by DNA phylogenetic analysis (in preparation).