Integrative systematics of the widespread Middle Eastern buthid scorpion, Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), reveals a new species in Iran Author Amiri, Masoumeh https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9008-5500 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Author Prendini, Lorenzo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8727-7106 Scorpion Systematics Research Group, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, U. S. A. Author Hussen, Fenik Sherzad https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8748-0470 Department of Biology, College of Science, Salahaddin University, Erbil, Iraq Author Aliabadian, Mansour https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3200-4853 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Author Siahsarvie, Roohollah https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9207-7763 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran Author Mirshamsi, Omid https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1237-0634 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran omid.mirshamsi@gmail.com text Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 2024 2024-04-25 82 323 341 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.82.e98662 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/asp.82.e98662 1864-8312-82-323 0055057B9E61458789BE39C5ED906D05 514EF45B4F7D52F093FE6ED051D20A79 Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880) Figs 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 Buthus saulcyi Simon, 1880: 378 Buthotus saulcyi : Vachon 1949: 147, 1952: 233; Akbari et al. 1997 : 112. Hottentotta saulcyi : Kovarik 1997 : 40; Fet & Lowe 2000: 143; Crucitti & Vignoli 2002: 446; Kovarik 2007 : 61; Navidpour et al. 2008 : 5; Yagmur et al. 2008 : 1; Pirali-Kheirabadi et al. 2009 : 6; Navidpour et al. 2012 : 7-9, fig. 10; Kovarik & Ojanguren 2013: 159-180, figs. 978-982, 1131, 133-1135. Type material. Holotype (sex unknown) (MNHN), paratype (sex unknown) (ZMUH), IRAQ: Nineveh Governorate: Mosul, 36.34°N 43.13°E [not examined]. Material examined. IRAN : Lorestan Province : Borojerd , Vanui Village , 33°54′35″N 48°35′29″E , 2032 m , 22.vi.2019 , M. Amiri , 1 ♂ (ZMFUM 1994), 33°53′58″N 48°34′36″E , 2045 m , 29.ix.2019 , M. Amiri , 3 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ (ZMFUM 1998-2003); Aleshtar, 33°53′13″N 48°17′11″E , 1964 m , 15.vii.2017 , M. Amiri , 3 ♂♂ , 2 ♀♀ (ZMFUM 1907, 1910-1913), 28.iv.2020 , M. Amiri , 1 ♀ (ZMFUM 2046); Aleshtar, Gereiran Village , 33°54′58.3″N 48°13′46.8″E , 1762 m , 4.vii.2019 , M. Amiri , 1 ♂ (ZMFUM 2013); Aleshtar, Kahman Village , 33°57′40.7″N 48°20′19.7″E , 2087 m , 17.v.2019 , M. Danialy , 13.vii.2020 , M. Amiri , 3 ♂♂ (ZMFUM 1976, 2062, 2063); Aleshtar, Peresk Village , 33°49′12″N 48°22′32″E , 1894 m , 16.vii.2017 , M. Amiri , 1 ♂ (ZMFUM 1908); Khoramabad-Andimeshk road, 33°25′10″N 48°11′40″E , 1387 m , 5.vii.2019 , M. Amiri , 1 ♀ (ZMFUM 2014) . IRAQ : Erbil Governate : Qatawi , 36°07′37.2″N 43°57′32.4″E , 8.vi.2018 , F.S. Hussen , 1 subad. ♂ (AMCC [LP 16871]); Grd Mala, 36°00′32.89″N 44°03′40.59″E , 20.vi.2023 , F.S. Hussen , 5 ♀♀ , 1 subad. ♀ (ZMFUM 2094-2099) . Diagnosis. Hottentotta saulcyi may be distinguished from H. hatamtiorum sp. nov. by the narrower metasomal segments (MtIL/W Hsau 1.01 +/- 0.06; MtIL/W Hhat 1.17 +/- 0.11) and telson (TW Hsau 3.99 +/- 0.62; TW Hhat 4.25 +/- 0.70); and from H. akbarii and H. khoozestanus by the coloration, specifically the infuscate anterior part of the carapace, metasomal segment V and telson. Hottentotta saulcyi may be further separated from other species of the genus by the following combination of characters. Scorpions of medium to large size, adults 60-105 mm (♂) or 57-94 mm (♀) in total length (Figs 5 , 6 ). Base color yellow to yellowish-green or brown; chelicerae, anterior part of carapace, metasomal segment V, and telson infuscate, black; ventral carinae on metasomal segments III and IV may be also infuscate (Fig. 5 ). Median ocular tubercle situated in anterior half of carapace, distance from anterior carapace margin, 3.78 +/- 0.61. Median denticle rows of pedipalp chela fixed and movable fingers each comprising 14 or 15 oblique subrows of denticles. Pedipalp chela movable finger long relative to manus, 11.32 +/- 1.96. Pectinal tooth count, 30-34 (♂) or 25-29 (♀). Pedipalps, dorsal surface of mesosomal tergites, legs, lateral and ventral surfaces of metasomal segments, and telson vesicle moderately hirsute. Sternite VII with four ventral carinae. Telson large, narrow, vesicle oblong-ovoid, length to width, 2.72 +/- 0.21, and length to height, 2.84 +/- 0.2. Figure 5. Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), habitus, dorsal aspect ( A , C ), ventral aspect ( B , D ). A, B. ♂ (ZMFUM 2001); C, D. ♀ (ZMFUM 2063). Scale bars = 10 mm. Figure 6. Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), habitus (UV fluorescence), dorsal aspect ( A , C ), ventral aspect ( B , D ). A, B. ♂ (ZMFUM 2001); C, D. ♀ (ZMFUM 2063). Scale bars = 10 mm. Figure 7. Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), pedipalp segments (UV fluorescence): femur, dorsal aspect ( A , B ), patella, dorsal aspect ( C , D ), and chela, lateral aspect ( E , F ). A, C, E ♂ (ZMFUM 2001); B, D, F. ♀ (ZMFUM 2063). Scale bars = 2.5 mm. Figure 8. Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), metasomal segments (UV fluorescence), lateral aspect ( A , B ), ventral aspect ( C , D ). A, C ♂ (ZMFUM 2001); B, D ♀ (ZMFUM 2063). Scale bars = 10 mm. Distribution. Hottentotta saulcyi is recorded from the Baghdad and Nineveh provinces of Iraq ( Simon 1880 ; Kovarik 2007 ); the Alborz, Ardabil, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, East Azerbaijan, Hamadan, Ilam, Kermanshah, Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Markazi, Qazvin, Tehran, West Azerbaijan and Zanjan provinces of Iran ( Kovarik 2007 ; Navidpour et al. 2008 ; Pirali-Kheirabadi et al. 2009 ; Karatas et al. 2012 ; Moradi et al. 2018 ; Barahoei et al. 2021) and the Batman, Hakkari , Mardin and Sirnak provinces of Turkey (Crucitti & Vignoli 2002; Yagmur et al. 2008 ; Kovarik et al. 2018 ). Records from Afghanistan ( Kovarik 1997 ) and the Bushehr and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces of eastern Iran ( Nejati et al. 2014 ; Kovarik et al. 2018 ) are probably misidentifications.