Barbaracurus kabateki Kovařík & Lowe & Šťáhlavský & Just 2022, sp. n.

Barbaracurus kabateki sp. n.

(Figures 1–33, 101–103, 107, Table 1)

http://zoobank.org/ urn: lsid: zoobank. org: act: B8A2A455- E0B9-48E6-820F-662F34B4E412

TYPE LOCALITY AND TYPE DEPOSITORY. Saudi Arabia, Rijal Almaa District, Ragal Almaa env., 18°12'54"N 42°17'47"E, 1900 m a. s. l.; FKCP.

TYPE MATERIAL EXAMINED. SaudiArabia, RijalAlmaa District, Ragal Almaa env., 18°12'54"N 42°17'47"E, 1900 m a. s. l., 18.–19.X.2022 (Locality No. 22 SL, Fig. 33), 2♂ (holotype and paratype, DNA Nos. 2390, 2430), leg. F. KovařÍk & P. Just, FKCP.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific epithet honors Petr Kabátek (Czech Republic) for his friendship and help with the Saudi Arabian expedition.

DIAGNOSIS (♂). Total length of adult male 35 mm, female unknown. Coloration yellowish brown to orange, chelicerae yellow with weak reticulation. Pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 4.07 in male; proximal margins of pedipalp fingers of male weakly undulate without gap with fingers closed; dentate margin of movable finger armed with 7 rows of granules, and a short subapical row of 4 denticles; most proximal granule row with one external accessory granule. Pectines with 20 teeth in males. Hemispermatophore basal lobe reduced to a broad, weak oblique ridge. Metasoma narrow, metasoma V length/ width ratio 2.71 in male; metasoma I with 10 carinae, II–IV with 8 carinae. Telson setose, bearing numerous long macrosetae and a short, spiniform subaculear tubercle; vesicle smooth, elongate, ellipsoidal in lateral profile, telson length/ depth ratio 2.91; aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

DESCRIPTION (♂). Total length of adult male 35 mm, female unknown. Measurements of the carapace, telson, segments of the metasoma and pedipalps are given in Table 1. Base color is pale yellowish brown to orange (Figs. 1–2). Chelicerae are yellow with weak reticulation (Fig. 3). Sexual dimorphism unknown, adult male with pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 4.07; the fingers of males are weakly undulate proximally without a gap with fingers closed.

Pedipalp (Figs. 7–17, 22–25). Pedipalp mostly very sparsely hirsute, but more densely so on ventral surface of movable finger. Femur dorsally granulated, with five granulose carinae. Patella smooth with seven granulose carinae developed, only median carina on external patella smooth. Chela smooth with traces of carinae visible; fingers long, curved; movable finger with 7 granule rows and short apical row of 4 denticles on dentate margins, the most proximal row with one external and no internal accessory granule; fixed finger with 8 granule rows. Fixed and movable fingers bearing pale, fluorescent setae of various lengths, as well as short, dark, non-fluorescent macrosetae of almost constant length with blunt tips.

Carapace (Figs. 3, 5). Slightly trapezoidal (narrower anteriorly) and slightly longer than wide; anterior margin concave, with some short microsetae. Carinae absent. Median and posterior lateral furrows wide and deep, others vestigial to absent. Tegument densely and coarsely granulose. Median eyes large and raised; four or five pairs of lateral eyes: three major ocelli aligned along each anterolateral corner, plus two minor ocelli that may be vestigial or absent.

Mesosoma (Figs. 3–6). Tergites I– VI bear a single conspicuous median carina; tergite VII bears five well-defined carinae (median, submedians and laterals); median carina granulate, submedian and lateral carinae long and serrate to crenulate. All tergites densely and coarsely granulose, bearing small granules on anterior surfaces and larger granules mainly on posterior surfaces. Sternum type 1, triangular in shape; medial depression large. Pectines extending to around a third or a quarter of sternite IV in male. Pectinal tooth count 20 in males. Pectines with 3 marginal lamellae and 7–8 middle lamellae. Sternites III– VI lacking carinae, surfaces smooth and sparsely setose. Posterior margin of sternite V without smooth median patch, weakly concave. Sternite VII with four well-defined carinae, which are long and serrate to crenulate.

Hemispermatophore (Figs. 101–103). Flagelliform, trunk long and narrow, widening basally. Capsule region short, length measured from basal lobe is 10% of trunk length. Flagellum folded, pars recta thicker, 3.3 times length of capsule, pars reflecta tapering to thin filament 1.7 times length of pars recta. Sperm hemiduct with two elongated lobes, posterior lobe broad, spatulate, with distinct fold or carina extending along its length, anterior lobe narrower, tapered. Basal lobe obsolete, reduced to a broad, weak oblique ridge (Figs. 102–103).

Legs (Figs. 29–32). Tarsomeres bearing two rows of macrosetae on their ventral surface and numerous macrosetae on other surfaces; bristle combs absent. Femur bearing only solitary macrosetae. Femur surface coarsely granulose, femur and patella with carinae developed. Reduced tibial spurs present on leg IV.

Metasoma and telson (Figs. 19–21, 26–28). Metasomal segments I–IV with granulate, completely developed carinae, segment V with carinae indicated. Carinae composed of minute, rounded, equal-sized, evenly spaced granules. First metasomal segment with a total of 10 carinae, the second through fourth segments with eight carinae, and the fifth segment with five indicated carinae. All metasomal segments very sparsely granulated. Metasoma very sparsely hirsute. Telson smooth with a dense cover of long setae. Subaculear tubercle short and spiniform. Vesicle elongate, ellipsoidal, telson length/ depth ratio 2.91. Aculeus slender, curved, shorter than vesicle.

COMMENTS ON LOCALITIES AND LIFE STRATEGY. The type locality, 22SL is a rocky mountain area (Fig. 33). The types of Barbaracurus kabateki sp. n. were recorded at night during UV collecting together with Compsobuthus manzonii (Borelli, 1915) and Nebo sp. Two of the authors (F.K. and P.J.) visited the locality on 18–19 October 2022 and recorded a minimum nighttime temperature of 8 ºC. The recorded humidity was between 20% and 50%.