Androctonus stockmanni, Kovařík & Lowe & Šťáhlavský, 2025

Androctonus stockmanni sp. n.

( Figures 84–129 View Figures 84–87 View Figures 88–91 View Figures 92–95 View Figures 100–107 View Figures 108–129 , 167, 172 View Figures 165–172 , 175–176 View Figures 173–177 , 178 View Figures 178–179 , Table 2) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F22390FC-

8285-40A9-954D-8677168EBF3E

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Morocco, High Atlas Mts , Route N 9 between Quarzazate and Ait Ourir ; FKCP.

MATERIAL EXAMINED ( FKCP). Morocco, High Atlas Mts , Route N 9 between Quarzazate and Ait Ourir, 2017, 1♂ ( holotype, 1268) 1♀ ( paratopotype), leg. M. Stockmann ; High Atlas , 31.365439°N 7.371300°W, 1♀ ( paratype, 1188), leg. M. Stockmann. GoogleMaps

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet is a patronym honoring Mark Stockmann who collected the type specimens.

DIAGNOSIS ♂ ♀. Adults 52–61 mm in length; base color uniformly black to reddish brown; pectine teeth 26 in male, 22–27 in females; metasoma I–V with ventral and lateral surfaces smooth and punctate; metasoma I–V with 10-8-8-8-5 carinae; metasoma IV length/ width ratio 1.06–1.07 in both sexes; metasoma IV with dorsal carinae composed posteriorly of blunt denticles, posterior-most denticle enlarged; sternite V with smooth patch, large in adult males, slightly smaller in females; 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 7.3–7.6 in both sexes; tarsomere I of legs I–III with bristle combs; telson slender, vesicle small and flat, aculeus about as long as vesicle; telson length/width ratio 2.50 in male.

DESCRIPTION ♂ ♀. The adults 52 mm (male) to 61 mm (female) in length; habitus as shown in Figs. 88–91 View Figures 88–91 ; distribution and positions of trichobothria on pedipalps as shown in Figs. 108– 112, 114–115 View Figures 108–129 .

Coloration ( Figs. 88–91 View Figures 88–91 ). Base color is uniformly black to reddish brown.

Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 92–95 View Figures 92–95 ). Carapace trapezoidal, wider than long, surface covered with granules of different sizes; carinae typical for the genus, granulose; anterior margin convex medially, bearing 10–12 symmetrically distributed, stout spiniform macrosetae. Tergites granulated in male, more sparsely in females; tergite VII granulated, pentacarinate, with paired lateral carinae strong and serratocrenulate; tergites I–VI tricarinate. Pectinal tooth count 26 in male, 22–27 in females; pectine marginal tips extend to posterior margin of sternite IV in male, and to half of sternite IV in females; 3 marginal lamellae, 7–8 middle lamellae; lamellae and fulcra with numerous dark macrosetae. Sternum standard for the genus. Sternite III–VI finely granulate, more so along margins, sternite VII smooth, sternites VI–VII with 4 smooth carinae; spiracles very elongate, slit-like; sternite V with large, widely subtriangular, conspicuously pale smooth patch, more developed in male.

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 84–87 View Figures 84–87 ). Flagelliform, moderately elongate; trunk ca. 6.3 times length of capsule as measured from flagellum base to apex of sperm duct; flagellum well separated from posterior lobe of capsule; pars recta broad, laminate, ca. 2.3 length of capsule; pars reflecta narrow, cylindrical, hyaline, ca. 6 times length of capsule; sperm hemiduct with 3 lobes: a longer posterior lobe with truncate apical margin is partially fused to a shorter median lobe; the anterior lobe is of intermediate length and apically acuminate; a basal lobe is present in the form of a rather short, distally angled, blunt hook; left and right hemispermatophores were similar.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 100–107 View Figures 100–107 ). 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 5 carinae; dorsal carinae of metasoma I–IV composed posteriorly of blunt denticles, posterior-most denticle enlarged; 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. 108–129 View Figures 108–129 ). Pedipalps very long and slender, very sparsely setose, orthobothriotaxic type A-β; femur with 4 carinae; patella granulate mainly dorsally, with 7 carinae; chela sparsely granulated, 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 both sexes with inner side of base smooth, tubercle absent; fingers elongated, chela narrow, length/width ratio 7.3–7.6 in both sexes.

Legs (Figs. 96–99). Legs III and IV with tibial spurs, long on leg IV, reduced 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 on legs I–III.

Measurements. See Table 2.

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