The genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in South-Western Madagascar, with the description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae)
Author
Lourenço, Wilson R.
Musèum national d’Histoire naturelle, Dèpartement Systèmatique et … volution, UMR 7205, case postale 53, 57 rue Cuvier, F- 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France)
arachne@mnhn.fr
text
Zoosystema
2014
2014-09-26
36
3
631
645
http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2014n3a5
journal article
10.5252/z2014n3a5
1638-9387
4539572
Grosphus intertidalis
Lourenço, 1999
Grosphus intertidalis
Lourenço, 1999: 135
.
TYPE MATERIAL. —
Female
holotype
:
Madagascar
, South region,
Toliara
,
3.5 km
N of
Toliara (Coastal zone, on the beach sands),
IV.1998
(
N. Lutzmann
),
ZMH
.
DIAGNOSIS. — Scorpion of medium size with a total length of
55 to 60 mm
. General coloration pale yellow, without any spots. Carapace and tergites moderately to weakly granular. Pectines: pectinal teeth count
28-30 in
females and
32-34 in
males; basal middle lamellae of each pecten elongated and curved, widening only partially after the first internal tooth – this character is diagnostic of the species. Dorsal carinae on segments II to IV without any posterior spinoid granule. The telson vesicle is not globular in shape, but rather pear-like, particularly in males (
Fig. 3C, D
). Fixed and movable fingers with 10-10 oblique rows of granules.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. —
Grosphus intertidalis
was described based on a single specimen collected in the coastal zone
3.5 km
to the north of Tulear (
Toliara
). More recently, Lourenço (2004) described a male specimen collected in the Province of
Toliara
, Parc National de Tsimanampetsotsa,
21.5 km
NE d’Efoetse (
24°0.5’S
,
43°53.9’E
). The specimen was found at
100 m
of altitude under a stone, in a slightly disturbed zone of spiny bush. This species remains poorly known and was not represented in most recent samples coming from field inventories.