Further review of Orthochirus Karsch, 1892 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Asia: taxonomic position of O. melanurus, O. persa, O. scrobiculosus, and description of six new species Author Kovařík, FrantIšek Author Fet, Victor Author Yağmur, Ersen Aydın text Euscorpius 2020 318 1 73 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5741618 1536-9307 5741618 2E8895C9-B3BC-41BD-8F1A-2B3E82186B8B Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . ( Figures 29–78 , 343 , Table 1 ) http : //zoobank . org/urn : lsid : zoobank . org : act : 95FAC49D - 4CD1-4CDE -8CAF -A883B353CA35 REFERENCES: Buheolus melanurus : Birula, 1900a: 13 ; Birula, 1903: 74 . Orthochirus scrobiculosus (in part; Turkmenistan , in part; Tajikistan , in part): Fet, 1989: 114–115 ; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 196–197 (complete reference list until 1998); Kovařík, 2004: 20 . Orthochirus scrobiculosus melanurus (in part; Turkmenistan ): Fet, 1989: 117–118 ; Fet, 1994: 531 ; Fet & Lowe, 2000: 198. TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Turkmenistan , Mary Province , Badkhyz Nature Reserve , ca 14–16 km SSW of Kyzyldzhar cordon (field station), near Eroilanduz Salt Lake , 35º40'33"N 61º49'18"E to 35º42'04"N 61º48’53"E , 340–350 m a. s. l.; FKCP . TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED ( FKCP ). Afghanistan , Balkh Province , Mazar-e Sharif City [ 36.70°N 67.08°E ], 2012, 1♂ ( paratype ), leg. M. Misch ; Kholm District , Kholm town area, 36°40'25"N 67°41'59"E , 550 m a. s. l. , 2013, 2♂ 1♀ ( paratypes , Table 5) leg. M. Misch. Iran , Razavi Khorasan Province , 10 km W of Baqbaqu , 36°05'N 60°25'E , 10 May 1997 , 680 m a. s. l., 2♀ ( paratypes ), leg. M. Kaftan ; Robat-e Sharaf , 36°15'51.54"N 60°39'25.1"E , 630 m a.s.l. , 6 April 2016 , 2♀ ( paratypes ). Tajikistan , Khatlon Province , Kyzyl- Kaly District , 40 km NW from Kurgan-Tyube, Ganjina, 37°34'59"N 68°33'32"E , 2 June 2002 , 1♀ ( paratype , destroyed), leg. A. Feodorov ; Aruktau Mt. Range , 6 km ENE from Garavuti Village , 37°35.130'N 68°31.659'E , 380 m a. s. l. , 7 April 2019 , 1♂ 5♀ ( paratypes ), leg. A. A. Fomichev. Turkmenistan , Akhal Province , Ashkhabad (now Ashgabat ) [ 37.96°N 58.11°E ], 27 April 1987 , 1♂ ( paratype ), leg. P. Slabý ; Ashkhabad , 1988, 1♀ ( paratype ), leg. Šeda ; May 1988 , 1♀ E, leg. M. Král ; S of Ashkhabad , May 1990 , 2♀ ( paratypes ), leg. Podhajský ; Ashgabat , Bagir , 800 m a.s.l. , 16 May 1996 , 1♂ ( paratype ), leg. Liehtfang. Mary Province , Badkhyz Nature Reserve , ca 14–16 km SSW of Kyzyldzhar cordon (field station), near Eroilanduz Salt Lake , 35º40'33"N 61º49'18"E to 35º42'04"N 61º48'53"E , 340–350 m a. s. l. , 7 April 2002 , 1♂ ( holotype ) 3♂ 2♀ 1♂ juv. 1juv. ( paratypes ), leg . V . Fet & A . V . Gromov . ETYMOLOGY. The species epithet is a patronym honoring a Russian zoologist Nikolay A. Formozov (b. 1955), a friend and colleague of V.F. and his family, in memory of our common field work in Turkmenistan back in the 1980s. DIAGNOSIS ( ♂ ♀ ). Total length of adults 26–36 mm . Trichobothrium d 2 on dorsal surface of pedipalp femur absent or reduced. Pectinal teeth number 18–21 in males and 15–19 in females. Movable finger of pedipalps with 9 rows of denticles, 7–9 ID and no OD. Dorsal carinae on pedipalp patella developed and smooth. Pedipalp femur dorsal smooth. Metasoma I –II with 10 carinae, metasoma III with 6–8 carinae, metasoma IV – V with 2 dorsolateral carinae and incomplete ventrolateral carinae. Ventral carinae of metasoma I– III consist of large granules in one or two rows. Metasoma III – V ventrally and laterally smooth with fine punctation developed, spaces among punctae smooth; metasoma I–II ventrally and laterally smooth sparsely granulated with punctation reduced. Metasoma V dorsal surface mesially smooth or with several fine granules only; metasoma I dorsally with 3–8 large granules. Tergites roughly to finely granulated. Sternite VII granulated, with four granulated carinae present. Pedipalp , metasoma and telson glabrous. Moderate to strong tibial spurs present on legs III and IV . Tarsomere I of legs I– III with 6–9 long setae in both sexes. Ratio length/width of metasoma V 1.11–1.15 in both sexes . DESCRIPTION. Total length of adults 26–36 mm in both sexes. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and segments of the pedipalps are given in Table 1 . For habitus, see Figs. 29–32 . Figures 29–32 : Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . Figures 29–30 . Holotype male, dorsal (29) and ventral (30) views. Figures 31–32 . Paratype female from type locality, dorsal (31) and ventral (32) views. Scale bar: 10 mm. Figures 33–53 : Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . , segments of pedipalps. Figures 33–43 . Holotype male. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (33), external (34), and ventral (35) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (36), external (37), and ventral (38) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, dorsal (39), internal (40) and ventral (41) views. Pedipalp chela, movable (42) and fixed (43) fingers dentate margin. Figures 44–53 . Paratype female from type locality. Pedipalp chela, dorsal (44), external (45), and ventral (46) views. Pedipalp patella, dorsal (47), external (48), and ventral (49) views. Pedipalp femur and trochanter, dorsal (50), internal (51), and ventral (52) views. Pedipalp chela, movable finger (53) dentate margin. The trichobothrial pattern is indicated in Figures 45–48, 50–51 (white circles). Figures 54–59 : Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . , metasoma and telson under white light. Figures 54–56 . Paratype female from type locality, lateral (54), ventral (55), and dorsal (56) views. Figures 57–59 . Holotype male, lateral (57), ventral (58), and dorsal (59) views. Scale bar: 10 mm. Figures 60–65 : Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . , metasoma and telson under UV light. Figures 60–62 . lateral (60), ventral (61), and dorsal (62) views. Figures 63–65 . Holotype male, lateral (63), ventral (64), and dorsal (65) views. Figures 66–67 . Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . , holotype male, carapace and tergites (66) and sternopectinal region and sternites (67) under UV light. Coloration ( Figs. 29–32 ). Carapace, tergites, and metasoma black. Pedipalps and legs usually yellow to yellowish brown only trochanter and femur of patella darker. Sternites yellowish brown. Telson reddish brown. Mesosoma and carapace ( Figs. 66–73 ). Tergites with a median carina and is roughly to finely granulated. Seventh sternite sparsely to densely granulated with four granulated carinae, the other sternites partly granulated but smooth in middle and posteriorly. Pectine teeth number 18–21 (2 x 18, 6 x 19, 4 x 20, 2 x 21) in males and 15–19 (1 x 15, 1 x 16, 11 x 17, 4 x 18, 3 x19) in females. Metasoma and telson ( Figs. 54–65 ). Metasoma I–II with 10 granulated carinae. Metasoma III–V lacks lateral, and metasoma IV–V, ventromedian carinae. Ventrolateral carinae are developed on metasoma I–III and indicated on metasoma IV–V, more on metasoma V, dorsolateral carinae are present on all metasomal segments. Ventral carinae of metasoma I– III consist of large granules in one or two rows. Metasoma I–III are very sparsely granulated laterally, metasoma III–V laterally punctate; granulation absent on dorsal surfaces of metasoma II–V but on metasoma V there could be several fine granules mesially. Dorsal surface of metasoma I with 3–8 large granules. Fine punctation on ventral surfaces of metasoma IV–V developed, spaces between punctae smooth. Entire metasoma and telson glabrous. Telson with punctation present but reduced. Figures 68–69 . Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . , paratype female from type locality, carapace and tergites (68) and sternopectinal region and sternites (69) under UV light. Pedipalps ( Figs. 33–53 ). Trichobothrium d 2 on dorsal surface of pedipalp femur absent or reduced; trichobothrium e 1 is situated between trichobothria d 2 and d 4 . Femur of pedipalps with five granulated carinae and is dorsally smooth. Patella has seven smooth carinae, and the chela has smooth carinae which may be discernible throughout the length of the fixed finger. The entire pedipalps are glabrous with only several setae. Movable fingers with 9 rows of denticles, 7–9 ID and no OD. Figures 70–78 : Orthochirus formozovi sp . n . Figures 70–71 , 74–77 . Holotype male, carapace and tergites (70), sternopectinal region and sternites (71), and distal segments of right legs I–IV, retrolateral aspect (74–77 respectively). Figures 72–73 , 78 . Paratype female from type locality, carapace and tergites I–III (72), sternopectinal region and sternites (73), and distal segments of right leg III, retrolateral aspect (78). Legs ( Figs. 74–78 ). Moderate to strong tibial spurs present on legs III and IV. Femur with four partly granulated carinae; patella with five rather smooth carinae; tibia smooth. Patella with only a few setae. Tibia with setae on the outer side of legs I–II. Tarsomere I of legs I–III with 6–9 long setae in both sexes, legs IV with 2–4 setae. Tarsomeres I–II internal of all legs with two rather irregular rows of setae. Measurements . See Table 1 . AFFINITIES. Species O. melanurus , O. formozovi sp . n . , and O. grosseri sp . n . could be considered as members of an “ O. melanurus group”, which is characterized by the absence of OD on the pedipalp movable finger ( Fig. 42 ) and glabrous metasoma. This combination is present also in O. scrobiculosus ( Fig. 291 ), which is differentiated from all these species by strongly granulated metasoma, especially the ventral surface of metasoma IV ( Fig. 281 versus Fig. 137 ). O. grosseri sp . n . and O. melanurus are characterized by presence of 11–22 large granules on the dorsal surface of metasoma I ( O. formozovi sp . n . has only 3–8 of these large granules); they also differ by color and other characters cited in the key below. DISTRIBUTION. Afghanistan , Iran , Tajikistan , Turkmenistan ( Fig. 343 ).