Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço, 2011

Yağmur, Ersen Aydın, Kunt, Kadir BoğaÇ, Hadjiconstantis, Michael, Bağlar, Hasan & Gücel, Salih, 2025, The morphology of Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and first description of male with some ecological observations, Journal of Natural History 59 (25 - 28), pp. 1775-1805 : 1777-1780

Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço

( Figures 1–19 , 23–27 , Table 1)

Buthus kunti Yağmur, KoÇ & LourenÇo , 2011, pp. 29–33; fig. 1–12.

Buthus europaeus (Misidentification) : Simon, 1879, p. 97.

Buthus occitanus (Misidentification) : Kraepelin, 1891 (part), 199.

Buthus sp. Levy and Amitai,1980, p. 21.

Buthus kunti Kaltsas and John, 2016, pp. 509–510 ; fig. 3–5, 7, 10.

kunti . Abbreviations: length (L), width (W, posterior width), depth (D).

Type material

1 ♀ holotype, CYPRUS: Karpasia peninsula Region ( Karpaz – Καρπασία), Rizokarpasso Town (Dipkarpaz – ΡιζοΚΆρπασο), 2 km SE, 35°35 ʹ 05”N, 34°25 ʹ 23”E, 9 m ( AZMM /Sco-2007:187) . Paratypes : 1 subadult ♀, Karpasia Peninsula Region , Cape Apostolos Andreas (Zafer headland – ΑΚρωτήρι ΑποστόλοΥ Ανδρέα), 2 km west, 35°41 ʹ 29”N, 34°33 ʹ 43”E, 14 m, leg . M . Z . Yıldız & B .GÖÇmen ( AZMM /Sco-2007:188).(This paratype was given as ‘subadult male’ by Yağmur et al. (2011), but its pectinal teeth number indicates the specimen is a female according to this study.)

Material examined

CYPRUS: Karpasia peninsula Region (Karpaz – Καρπασία), Cape Apostolos Andreas (Zafer headland – ΑΚρωτήριο ΑποστόλοΥ Ανδρέα), 35°41 ʹ 34”N, 34°34 ʹ 48”E, 13 m, 3 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, 09.08 .2018, leg . E .A. Yağmur, S. Gücel & K.B. Kunt ( AZMM /Sco- 2018:216–227).

Photographic Records

Famagusta District (Gazimağusa – ΑμμόΧωστος), Agios Chariton Village ( Ergenekon – Άγιος Χαρίτων), 1 km southwest, 35°17 ʹ 39”N, 33°35 ʹ 50”E, 241 m . Photographed by H. Bağlar ( Figure 18 ).

Larnaca District (Larnaka – ΛΆρναΚα), Delikipos (ΔελίΚηπος) 34°55 ʹ 08”N, 33°19 ʹ 47”E, 7 specimens, leg . M . Aristophanous ( Figure 19 ).

Literature records

Nicosia District (Lefkosia – Lefkoşa – ΛεΥΚωσία), Athalassa 35°07 ʹ 57”N, 33°25 ʹ 17”E, Geri 35° 05 ʹ 50”N, 33°26 ʹ 21”E and Ergates 35°4 ʹ 06.13”N, 33°14 ʹ 18.10”E Areas, leg . M . Hadjiconstantis in Kaltsas and John (2016).

Limassol District (Λεμεσός), Akrotiri peninsula (Χερσόνησος ΑΚρωτηρίοΥ), leg. C. Makris in Kaltsas and John (2016).

Additional records

Famagusta District (Gazimağusa – ΑμμόΧωστος), Melounta ( Mallıdağ – Μελούντα), 35° 20 ʹ 19”N, 33°42 ʹ 59”E, 1 ♀, leg . M . Hadjiconstantis.

Larnaca District (Larnaka – ΛΆρναΚα), Xylotymbou ( Xylotymvou – ΞΥλοτύμβοΥ), 35° 00 ʹ 21”N, 33°44 ʹ 27”E, 1 ♀, leg . M . Hadjiconstantis.

Limassol District (Λεμεσός): Episkopi (ΕπισΚοπή), near Ancient Kourion Amphitheatre (ΑρΧαίο Θέατρο ΚοΥρίοΥ) 34°39 ʹ 52”N, 32°53 ʹ 29”E, 2 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Akrotiri peninsula (Χερσόνησος ΑΚρωτηρίοΥ) 34°35 ʹ 37”N, 32°57 ʹ 41”E, 1 ♀, leg . M . Hadjiconstantis.

Description

Description (Based on female holotype and newly collected female male and female specimens):

Male

Colouration ( Figures 1 (A,B), 3(B,D), 5(A,B), 17(A)). Prosoma: Carapace yellow/brown to dark brown, the area between centromedian carinae dark brown, between median eyes black to brown/black; carinae marked by brown-black pigmentation. Chelicerae lustrous red/yellow with yellow reticulations; fingers dark yellow with dark red to black teeth. Pedipalps: Femur light brown to red/brown, dorsoexternal carina marked by red/ black pigmentation. Patella light brown to dark brown and dorsal, dorsomedian and dorsoexternal carinae marked by reddish black pigmentation. Chela manus yellow/ brown. Fingers dark yellow with red/black denticles. Legs dark yellow to light brown. Mesosoma yellow/brown to dark brown, lateral carinae marked dark brown, but median carinae brown/black. Sternites III–VI brilliant dark yellow to red/yellow, VII brilliant dark yellow to yellow/red. Pectines pale yellow. Metasomal segments I–V dark yellow to red/ yellow, lateral supramedian carinae and ventral submedian carinae on segment II–IV and ventromedian carina and ventrolateral carinae on segment V marked by red/black pigmentation. Telson: Vesicle brilliant dark yellow; aculeus yellow at its base and dark red at its extremity.

Morphology

Prosoma ( Figures 5 (a,b), 6(a,b)). Carapace trapezoidal, wider than long; anterior margin very slightly concave, slightly crenulate with a medium-sized granule row and several stout setae. Carapace carinae strong and bear coarse and rounded granules. Centrolateral and posteriomedian carinae fused in ‘lyre’ shape configuration. The areas between the posteriomedian, centrolateral and anteriomedian carinae covered with scattered medium and minute granules, and rest surface covered coarse or medium, rounded granules. Between anteriomedian carinae and lateral eyes (around anterior corners of carapace), two granule groups consist of large and rounded granules. Furrows shallow and wide. Median ocular tubercle located at the centre of carapace. Median eyes separated by nearly three ocular diameters. Five pairs of lateral eyes: three large and two small, four aligned, and one small eye is above of third large eye. Posterior margin has small and spaced granules, the lateral ones somewhat prolonged.

Chelicerae ( Figures 5 (a,b)). Cheliceral dentition is as typical in the family Buthidae ; external distal and internal distal teeth approximately the same length, considerably discrete in fixed finger; basal teeth on movable finger small but not fused; surface of manus smooth with fine granules arranged in longitudinal rows; ventral surfaces of both fingers and manus covered with long dense setae.

Figures

Figure 1. Buthus kunti, habitus: (A, C) dorsal view, (B, D) ventral view, (A, B) male from Karpasia peninsula, (C, D) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 2. Buthus kunti, the habitus of a female from Karpasia peninsula: (A) dorsal view, (B) ventral view. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 3. Buthus kunti, under white light: (A, B) carapace and mesosoma dorsal, (C, D) mesosoma ventral and sternopectinal area, (A, C) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (B, D) male from Karpasia peninsula. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 4. Buthus kunti, under UV light: (A, B) carapace and mesosoma dorsal, (C, D) mesosoma ventral and sternopectinal area, (A, C) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (B, D) male from Karpasia peninsula. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 5. Buthus kunti, under white light: (A, C) carapace, (B, D) sternopectinal area, (A, B) male from Karpasia peninsula, (C, D) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 6. Buthus kunti, under UV light: (A, C) carapace, (B, D) sternopectinal area, (A, B) male from Karpasia peninsula, (C, D) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 7. Buthus kunti, female holotype, pedipalp segments, under white light: (A) chela ventral view, (B) chela dorsal view, (C) chela internal view, (D) chela external view, (E) pedipalp ventral view, (F) pedipalp dorsal view, (G) fixed fingers dentition, (H) movable fingers dentition. Red circles indicate trichobothrial pattern.

Figure 8. Buthus kunti, female holotype, pedipalp segments, under UV light: (A) chela ventral view, (B) chela dorsal view, (C) chela internal view, (D) chela external view, (E) pedipalp ventral view, (F) pedipalp dorsal view, (G) fixed fingers dentition, (H) movable fingers dentition.

Figure 9. Buthus kunti, male from Karpasia peninsula, pedipalp segments, under white light: (A) chela ventral view, (B) chela dorsal view, (C) chela internal view, (D) chela external view, (E) pedipalp ventral view, (F) pedipalp dorsal view, (G) fixed fingers dentition, (H) movable fingers dentition. Red circles indicate trichobothrial pattern.

Figure 10. Buthus kunti, male from Karpasia peninsula, pedipalp segments, under UV light: (A) chela ventral view, (B) chela dorsal view, (C) chela internal view, (D) chela external view, (E) pedipalp ventral view, (F) pedipalp dorsal view, (G) fixed fingers dentition, (H) movable fingers dentition.

Figure 11. Buthus kunti, metasoma and telson, under white light: (A, C, E) male from Karpasia peninsula, (B, D, F) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (A, B) ventral views, (C, D) dorsal views, (E, F) lateral views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 12. Buthus kunti, metasoma and telson, under UV light: (A, C, E) male from Karpasia peninsula, (B, D, F) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (A, B) ventral views, (C, D) dorsal views, (E, F) lateral views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

Figure 13. Buthus kunti, metasoma V and telson, under white light: (A, B) male from Karpasia peninsula, (C, D) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (A, C) ventral views, (B, D) lateral views.

Figure 14. Buthus kunti, metasoma V and telson, under UV light: (A, B) male from Karpasia peninsula, (C, D) female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, (A, C) ventral views, (B, D) lateral views.

Figure 15. Buthus kunti, male from Karpasia peninsula, tarsus and basitarsus of right legs I–IV.

Figure 16. Buthus kunti, female holotype from Karpasia peninsula, tarsus and basitarsus of right legs I– IV.

Figure 17. Live specimens of Buthus kunti from Karpasia peninsula: (A) male, (B) female.

Figure 18. The specimen from Famagusta.

Figure 19. One of the specimens from Delikipos. Photo by M. Aristophanous.

Figure 23. An adult Buthus kunti specimen in a sandy habitat.

Figure 24. An adult Buthus kunti specimen under branches of a Cistus salviifolius bush.

Figure 25. Subadult Buthus kunti specimens on the branches of Cistus salviifolius bushes. Red arrows indicate specimens.

Figure 26. An adult Buthus kunti specimen preyed upon a subadult specimen in Karpasia peninsula.

Figure 27. An adult female Buthus kunti eating an adult male specimen in Episkopi.