Cretaceousbuthus fraaijeorum Lourenço, 2022,

Cretaceousbuthus fraaijeorum Lourenço, 2022 sp. n.

(Fig. 1-5 & 8-11)

ZooBank:http://zoobank.org/ 5AE24F06-8B2B-4A57-AE5D-2B8ACC90D604

Diagnosis. – The same as for the genus.

Holotype: Possibly a male, pre-adult or a juvenile depending on the number of molts yet necessary to reach adult stage. The scorpion is represented by an exuviae, incomplete but well preserved in a very clear block of pale yellow amber that measures 32.0 x 16.0 x 5.0 mm. A great amount of inclusions are also present represented by vegetal debris, some insect Coleopterans and dirts.

Type locality andhorizon. – Myanmar ( Burma), Kachin; precise locality unknown; Lower Cretaceous.

Patronym. – The specific name is a global homage to the family Fraaije for their support to the development of the Oertijdmuseum in Boxtel, The Netherlands.

Depository. – The type specimen is deposited in the collections of the Oertijdmuseum , Boxtel, The Netherlands, under the number MABk03774

Description

Coloration. – The scorpion is yellow to pale yellow; actually, the exuviae is embbebed in a very clear amber resin, consequently, most parts are translucid allowing even observations by transparency.

Morphology. – Carapace weakly granular to smooth; anterior margin with a strong concavity. Carinae inconspicuous; furrows weak. Median ocular tubercle anterior to the centre of the cararapace; median eyes large and separated by less than one ocular diameter; three pairs of conspicous lateral eyes. Sternum subpentagonal to triangular. Genital operculum with two semi-oval plates. Mesosomal tergites weakly granular to smooth, with one median carina; lateral carinae, if present, totally inconspicuous; VII with five carinae; the lateral weak and the internal inconspicous. Pectines large, with 18-19 teeth; fulcra inconspicuous. Sternites smooth, with large slit-like spiracles. Metasomal segment I with 10 strongly marked carinae; other segments and telson not present. Chelicerae not present. Pedipalp femur pentacarinate; patella without carinae, smooth; internal face of femur and patella with spinoid granules. Chela not present. Trichobothrial pattern similar to the extant buthid type A (Vachon 1974); dorsal trichobothria of femur in beta configuration (Vachon, 1975). See diagnosis for details. Legs tarsi with thin setae forming a brush. Tibial spurs present on legs III and IV, weakly marked; pedal spurs present on legs I-IV weak to moderate in size .

Morphometric values (mm), holotype of Cretaceousbuthus fraaijeorum Lourenço, 2022 sp. n.

– Total length, by extrapolation*, from 47.38 to 59.70.

– Carapace: length 4.34, anterior width 2.87, posterior width 3.94.

– Mesosoma length 8.94.

– Metasomal segment I: length 2.67, width 2.94.

– Pedipalp

femur length 2.94, width 0.82

patella length 3.41, width 1.62.

(*) Comments on the possible final total size of the new species. Taking in account the global size of 19.19 mm for Archaeoananteroides maderai Lourenço , species showing some similarities with Cretaceousbuthus fraaijeorum Lourenço , estimations show that the new species could reach a minimum global size of 37.60 mm. Considering however that the specimen is an exuviae, and applying the growing values estimated by Dyar (1890) and Przibram & Megusar (1912), which are 1.26, one can reach values of 47.38 mm in the case of one extra molt or 59.70 mm for two extra molts.