Description of a new species of Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Southеastеrn Turkey

Abstract

Leiurus abdullahbayrami sp. nov. is described from Southeastern Turkey and compared with other species of the genus, in particular with L. quinquestriatus, which was previously misidentified from Turkey. The new species is readily distinguished from other members of the genus by pedipalp chela and metasomal segments that are distinctly shorter than in L. quinquestriatus; metasomal segment V has large and rounded lobes; trichobothrium db on the fixed finger of pedipalp is located between trichobothria est and esb (in L. quinquestriatus it is located between et and est). All known Turkish populations of Leiurus were examined and found to represent the new species.

A review of the genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) with description of four new species from the Arabian Peninsula

“…Trichobothriotaxy has also been useful for differentiating some Leiurus species. The proximal location of chela fixed finger db relative to est was applied to diagnose L. nasheri (= L. brachycentrus) and L. abdullahbayrami (Kovařík, 2007;Yağmur et al, 2009). However, we have also observed this character state in ca.…”

“…II, fig. 38 (in part); Pocock, 1891: 242-243 (in part); Thorell, 1893: 359-360 (in part); Pocock, 1895: 299;Birula, 1898: 134;Kraepelin, 1899: 27-28 (in part); Kraepelin, 1901: 266-267;Werner, 1902: 598;Tullgren, 1909: 155; Lourenço et al 2002: 641;Lourenço et al 2006: 97;Yağmur et al, 2009: 12. Androctonus (Leiurus) quinquestriatus: : 33.…”

“…More recently, several distinctive species were described from widely disparate localities: L. jordanensis Lourenço et al, 2002, from sandstone cliffs isolated by dunes in Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia; L. savanicola Lourenço et al, 2006, from Sahel/ savannah in Cameroon; L. nasheri Kovařík, 2007, from the humid Tihamah coastal plain in Yemen (= L. brachycentrus (Ehrenberg, 1829) stat. n.); and L. abdullahbayrami Yağmur et al, 2009, from semi-arid rocky steppe in Turkey and northern Syria. Here we add four new species from the Arabian Peninsula: L. haenggii sp.…”

“…7 Sternite VII with medial intercarinal surface smooth ..... L. abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç et Kunt, 2009 Sternite VII with medial intercarinal surface shagreened .........…..…................................................ 8 8 Carapace with anteromedian intercarinal surface smooth or sparsely shagreened; posterior median furrow of carapace shallow or flat, lateral granule arcs reduced or absent; females with pectine basal piece heavily shagreened, median carinae of sternites IV-V moderate, usually granular; males with pedipalp patella L/W > 3. 1 (Ehrenberg, 1828) Carapace with anteromedian intercarinal surface shagreened; posterior median furrow of carapace moderately deep, flanked by lateral granule arcs; females with pectine basal piece smooth or lightly shagreened, median carinae of sternites IV-V weak, smooth or obsolete; males with pedipalp patella ♂, Ad Darb, 17°43'22''N 42°15'09''E, 70 m a.s.l., 10.IV.1979, leg.…”

“…n., female, Israel (NHMB 17a). H. L. abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç et Kunt, 2009, male, Eski Sarkaya Village, Turkey. Scale bars: 2 mm.…”