Lanzatus fuscipalpis, Kovařík & Lowe, 2025

Lanzatus fuscipalpis sp. n.

( Figures 1–32 View Figures 1–2 View Figures 3–5 View Figures 6–11 View Figures12–18 View Figures 19–32 , 42–49 View Figures 37–42 View Figures 43–47 View Figures 48–49 , Table 1) http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8DE483F4-

BA91-44EB-9563-FC6976BBF1B4

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE REPOSITORY. Ethiopia, Somali Province, SE of Degehabur , 82011111°N 43.5691667°E, 1030 m a. s. l., (Locality No. 25EC, Fig. 49 View Figures 48–49 and fig. 129 in Kovařík et al., 2024) ; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL. Ethiopia, Somali Province, SE of Degehabur , 82011111°N 43.5691667°E, 1030 m a. s. l., (Locality No. 25EC), 17. VI.2025, 1♂ (holotype) leg. F. Kovařík , FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet refers to the dark coloration of the pedipalps (Latin: fuscus = dark, palpus = hand), a character that distinguishes it from the similar species, L. somalilandus .

DIAGNOSIS (♂). Total length of male 24.26 mm, female unknown. Base color uniformly yellowish orange with dark colored pattern on pedipalps; fifth metasomal segment slightly marbled in brownish. Pectinal tooth count 20. Pedipalp chela smooth and narrow; patella with carinae; dentate margins of chela fingers with distinct denticles divided into 7 rows (including short apical row of 4 denticles) on movable finger, 7 rows on fixed finger. Tergites densely granulated with one carina present to indicated; sternites smooth, without carinae. Metasomal segments smooth, setose, without developed carinae, only metasoma I–III dorsally and partly laterally finely granulated; carinae indicated but not developed on metasoma I–IV. Telson extremely elongated, smooth, without aculear ring; telson length/ width ratio 4.23 in male; aculeus weakly curved.

DESCRIPTION (♂). The adult male holotype is 24.26 mm in length; the female is unknown. The habitus is shown in Figs. 1–5 View Figures 1–2 View Figures 3–5 . For positions and distribution of trichobothria of pedipalps, see Figs. 19–23 and 25–26 View Figures 19–32 . Sexual dimorphism unknown, but adult male integument matte.

Coloration ( Figs. 1–2 View Figures 1–2 ). Base color uniformly yellowish orange with dark colored pattern on pedipalps and anterior margin of carapace; tarsomeres of legs white, femur and patella marbled in brownish; fifth metasomal segment slightly marbled in brownish; chelicerae yellow with dark reticulation. Carapace and mesosoma ( Figs. 6–7 View Figures 6–11 , 12–14 View Figures12–18 ). Carapace with entire surface densely granulated, carinae absent; anterior margin almost straight; median ocular tubercle large, median eyes prominent. Pectinal tooth count 20 in male holotype; pectine marginal tips extend to end of fourth sternite; 3 marginal lamellae and 10 middle lamellae, all lamellae and fulcra with numerous dark macrosetae. Tergites densely granulated with one carina present to indicated; all sternites smooth, setose, without carinae.

Hemispermatophore ( Figs. 43–47 View Figures 43–47 ). Flagelliform, trunk elongate, ca. 6.7 times length of capsule region; flagellum with linear pars recta and pars reflecta, separate from sperm hemiduct lobes. Pars recta thicker, tapering distally, pars reflecta thinner, hyaline, cylindrical, filiform. Sperm hemiduct divided into 3 lobes: posterior lobe long, broad, laminate, gently tapered; median lobe small, narrow, filamentous distally; anterior lobe intermediate in size, narrowed distally. Posterior margin of median lobe slightly overlapping posterior lobe, the two partially joined along axial suture or carina; basal lobe obliquely-angled at base of carina, broad, curved, scoopshaped. The scoop-like basal lobe is very similar to those of L. somalilandus and L. huluul (cf. Kovařík & Njoroge, 2020; Kovařík & Lowe, 2021), further confirming that this is a valid diagnostic character for the genus.

Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 3–5 View Figures 3–5 , 8–11 View Figures 6–11 , 14 View Figures12–18 ). Metasomal segments smooth and setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae, without developed carinae, only metasoma I–III dorsally and partly laterally finely granulated; carinae indicated but not developed on metasoma I–IV. Dorsal surfaces of metasoma I–IV bearing shallow longitudinal groove; posterior metasomal segments successively more narrow than anterior segments. Metasoma V non-uniform in width, tapering posteriorly. Telson extremely elongated, smooth, without aculear ring; posterior ventral aspect of vesicle concave in lateral profile; aculeus stout, weakly curved; telson length/ width ratio 4.23 in male.

Chelicerae ( Fig. 6 View Figures 6–11 ). Manus 1.4 times longer than wide, dorsal surface smooth, glossy, with anterior marginal and dorsointernal carinae; fingers robust, with typical buthid dentition (Vachon, 1963). Dorsal margin of movable finger armed with 5 teeth: dorsal distal tine, subdistal, median and apparently two small basal teeth fused into a bicusp. Ventral margin of movable finger with 3 teeth: ventral distal tine, median and basal teeth. Fixed finger margin with 4 teeth: distal tine, subdistal, median and basal teeth fused into bicusp. Ventral surface of fixed finger armed with a single tooth.

Pedipalps ( Figs. 19–32 View Figures 19–32 ). Pedipalps hirsute, with inconspicuous smooth carinae on chela; patella and femur with four carinae partly granulated, other smooth carinae indicated on patella. Chela narrow, chela length/ width ratio 5.06 in male holotype. Dentate margins of chela fingers with distinct denticles divided into 7 rows (including short apical row of 4 denticles) on movable finger, 7 rows on fixed finger; rows oblique except for proximal row, which is parallel to finger axis. Movable finger with 7 and fixed finger with 6 ID. Both fingers with enlarged terminal denticle.

Legs ( Figs. 15–18 View Figures12–18 ). Legs I–IV with tibial spurs absent, retrolateral and prolateral pedal spurs present; all legs smooth, without distinct carinae; telotarsi bear two rows of fine macrosetae on ventral surfaces, and several additional macrosetae on other surfaces. Basitarsi of legs I–III with 4 to 7 macrosetae, not arranged in regular rows (bristle combs absent).

Measurements. See Table 1.

AFFINITIES. Lanzatus fuscipalpis sp. n. is differentiated from L. somalicus and L. huluul mainly by the morphology of the telson, which is similar to the telson of L. somalilandus : without an aculear ring, with aculeus strongly curved, and with telson length/ width ratio 4.23 in the male ( Figs. 37–42 View Figures 37–42 ). L. somalilandus has telson length/ width ratio 3.94 in the male and L. huluul 6.02 in the male.

Lanzatus fuscipalpis sp. n. and L. somalilandus can be differentiated according to several characters:

– Dentate margins of pedipalp chela fixed fingers with denticles divided into 6 rows in L. somalilandus (fig. 19 in Kovařík et al., 2016) versus 7 rows in L. fuscipalpis sp. n. ( Fig. 29 View Figures 19–32 ).

– Pedipalp movable finger with 6 ID in L. somalilandus (figs. 15–16 in Kovařík et al., 2016) and 7 ID in L. fuscipalpis sp. n. ( Fig. 28 View Figures 19–32 ).

– Basitarsi of legs I–III have macrosetae arranged in regular rows (bristle combs present) in L. somalilandus , and irregularly (bristle combs absent) in L. fuscipalpis sp. n.

– Pedipalp femur smooth in L. somalilandus versus granulated with carinae in L. fuscipalpis sp. n. ( Figs. 25–27, 30–32 View Figures 19–32 ).

– Pedipalps uniformly yellowish orange in L. somalilandus versus pedipalps with dark colored pattern in L. fuscipalpis sp. n. (figs. 38–39 in Kovařík et al., 2016 and Figs. 1–4 View Figures 1–2 View Figures 3–5 , 19–32 View Figures 19–32 ).

COMMENTS ON LOCALITY AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 25EC is semi-desert with red sands ( Fig. 49 View Figures 48–49 and fig. 129 in Kovařík et al., 2024). The holotype was recorded at night during UV collecting together with Gint abshiri Kovařík et al., 2024 (type locality, most common scorpion species on the locality) and Parabuthus robustus Kovařík et al., 2019 .