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| Leiurus hadb Al-Qahtni, Al-Salem, Alqahtani & Badry, in Al-Qahtni, Al-Salem, Mesfer, Al Balawi, Allahyani, Alqahtani et Badry, 2023. |
Abstract
A new species, Leiurus hadb Al-Qahtni, Al-Salem, Alqahtani & Badry, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the Majami al-Hadb Protected Area in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia. The new species is compared with species of Leiurus distributed in Saudi Arabia, especially L. arabicus Lowe, Yağmur & Kovařík, 2014. The integrated results indicate that the population found in Majami al-Hadb represents a distinct species, which is described herein. Moreover, the molecular analysis is conducted on the mitochondrial gene 16S rRNA to compare L. hadb sp. nov. with samples of L. arabicus and L. haenggii from Saudi Arabia. The analysis revealed a genetic divergence ranging from 6.0 to 12%. The combination of molecular evidence and morphological characteristics provides adequate support for recognizing the Majami al-Hadb population as a distinct species. Additionally, an identification key for the genus Leiurus found in Saudi Arabia is also provided.
Key words: Description, identification key, Majami al-Hadb Protected Area, molecular phylogeny scorpion, taxonomy
Family Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837
Genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828
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| Leiurus hadb sp. nov., from Wadi Rawdat al-hadb, Riyadh region Saudi Arabia. |
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| Habitus of Leiurus hadb sp. nov., male holotype and female paratype A male in dorsal view B male in ventral view C female in dorsal view D female in ventral view. Scale bar: 10 mm. |
Leiurus hadb Al-Qahtni, Al-Salem, Alqahtani & Badry, sp. nov.
Diagnosis: Medium to large Leiurus, 66.5–113.00 mm in length, carapace L 6.7–10.6 mm; base color is yellow or yellow-orange, carapace and tergites with extensive dark pigmentation; ventromedian carinae of metasomas II and III with some vestigial blackish spots over ventral carinae; metasoma IV fuscous except anteriorly; metasoma V heavily blackish; carapace with area between anterior median carinae bearing scattered fine to medium granules, area between posterior median carinae with deep median furrow of carapace moderately flanked by lateral granules by arcs; medial intercarinal surfaces of tergites II and III smooth or lightly shagreened; posterior margin of coxa III smooth or with sparse fine granules; metasoma moderately slender, metasoma II L/W 1.66–1.86, metasoma III L/W 1.81–2.07, metasoma IV L/W 2.02–2.36; ventromedian carinae of metasoma II and III with 23–33 denticles (16/16 carinae); metasoma V with enlarged subtriangular or lobate denticles on ventrolateral carinae; pedipalps slender, patella L/W ♂ 3.62, ♀ 3.08–3.74; leg III patella L/D ♂ 4.10, ♀ 4.16–5.55; pectin teeth ♂ 36–37, ♀ 29–32; pectines long, narrow, pectine L/carapace L ♂ 1.40, ♀ 1.03–1.33, mid-pectine sensillar margin L/metasoma I W ♂ 0.22, ♀ 0.107–0.163; pectin basal piece smooth in females, smooth or slightly shagreened in males; leg III basitarsus with 8–10 retrosuperior setae; pedipalp chela fixed finger with trichobothrium db distal to est; sternite VII with area between median carinae smooth or with sparse fine granulation anteriorly, more heavily in males; sternite carination: males, sternite III with median carinae weak to obsolete, sternites IV and V with weak, finely granulated lateral carinae, obsolete median carinae; females, sternite III with median carinae weak or obsolete, sternites IV and V with lateral carinae moderate, median carinae weak or obsolete.
Etymology: The specific name is placed in apposition to the generic name and refers to Majami al-Hadb protected Area, National Center for Wildlife, where the new species was found.
Abdulmani H. Al-Qahtni, Abdullah M. Al-Salem, Fahad Mesfer, Manal S. Al Balawi, Wasayf S. Allahyani, Abdulaziz R. Alqahtani and Ahmed Badry. 2023. A New Species and A Key to the Genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Saudi Arabia. ZooKeys. 1178: 293-312. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1178.109083
