Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009

Afifeh, Bassam Abu, Al-Saraireh, Mohammad & Amr, Zuhair, 2025, Revision of the genus Leiurus in Jordan, with a description of a new species and a new record (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 86, pp. 81-118 : 82-87

Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009

( Figures 3 , 7-26 , 91 , 97 ; Tables 1, 3)

Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009: 2–16 , figs. 1–22, tab. 1–2.

Type locality and type depository. Holotype adult ♂, Türkiye, hill 1 km E of Sarısalkım Village , 37°05'46.5"N 37°16'51.3"E, 1029 m a.s.l., 14.VIII.2004, leg. E.A. Yağmur ( MTAS /But:0908-01).

Material examined. Jordan: 1 juv. ♀, Al Husayneiah-Al Qadesiah Road , Ma'an Governorate, 30° 35' 14.1" N 35°46' 29.2" E, 1087 m a.s.l., 7 September 2013, leg. Z. Amr and RSCN ; 1 subadult ♀, 2 km SW Daba'a , Amman Governorate, 31° 35' 52.6" N 35° 59' 28.3" E, 739 m a.s.l., 7 September 2013 ,

leg. Z. Amr and RSCN; 1 ♀, Madounah , Amman Governorate, 31°54'26.5"N 36°04'26.8"E, 731 m a.s.l., 14 October 2019 , leg. M. Al-Saraireh; 1♀, Qasr Bshir / 11 km NW Al Qatrana, Karak Governorate, 31°20'16.3"N 35°58' 49.5"E, 790 m a.s.l., 19 April 2021 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and M. Al-Saraireh; 1 ♂, 1 subadult ♂, 1 ♀, 3 juv. ♀♀, 4 km SE Al Manakher , Amman Governorate, 31°52'00.7"N 36°07'49.3"E, 730 m a.s.l., 1 September 2022 , leg. M. Abualrobe; 2 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, 4 km NW Ayl , Ma'an Governorate, 30°13'30.6"N 35°29'56.5"E, 1622 m a.s.l., 7 Sep. 2023 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and M. Al-Saraireh; 4 ♀♀, 2 km NW Basta , Ma'an Governorate, 30°14'48.2"N 35°31'42.4"E, 1539 m a.s.l., 7 September 2023 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and M. Al-Saraireh; 1 subadult ♂, 1 juv. ♀, 4 ♀♀, 2 km SW Daba'a , Amman Governorate, 31°35' 52.6"N 35°59' 28.3"E, 739 m a.s.l., 15 September 2023 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and R. Abu Afifeh; 4 ♂♂, 9 subadult ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 7 subadult ♀♀, 4 km NW Ayl , Ma'an Governorate, 30°13'30.6"N 35°29' 56.5"E, 1622 m a.s.l., 10 May 2024 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh, R. Abu Afifeh, and H. Al-Bdareen; 2 subadult ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 1.5 km N Al Hashemiya , Zarqa Governorate, 32°09'11.3"N 36°06'52.8" E, 556 m a.s.l., 17 May 2024 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and M. Al-Saraireh; 12 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, 2.1 km S Al Ekaider / 3.7 km S Syrian border, Mafraq Governorate, 32°28'46.9"N 36° 04' 50.4"E, 682 m a.s.l., 28 June 2024 , leg. B. Abu Afifeh and M. Al-Saraireh.

.

Diagnosis of examined material.Small to medium Leiurus , adults 50-80 mm in total length, carapace length 5.76–7.32 mm in males, 7.92–9.00 in females, general colour yellow with variable dark reddish-brown pigmentation on carapace, mesosoma, and metasoma V; the interocular triangle on carapace is fuscous except the area between anterior median carinae lacking dark pigment Fig. (91), the ventromedian carinae of metasoma II–IV with dark pigment, metasoma V fuscous except for posterior end, anterior margin of carapace slightly concave, all carapace carinae strongly developed; central lateral and posterior median carinae fused to form lyre shaped row of granules, carapace anteromedian intercarinal surface smooth with few isolated granules, carapace posteromedian furrow shallow and moderately deep and flanked by arcs of fine or coarse granules Fig. (97), chelicerae with characteristic buthid dentition ( Vachon, 1963); tergites I–II, VII pentacarinate, III–VI tricarinate; medial intercarinal surfaces of tergites II-III shagreened, with variable medium to fine granulations; sternites III with obsolete median carinae in females; weak to moderate in males; sternite IV-V with median carinae weak to obsolete in males, obsolete in females; sternite IV-V with lateral carinae weak to moderate in males, weak in females, sternite VII medial intercarinal surface smooth, pectinal tooth counts ranging from 33- 40 in males, and 29-34 in females. Pedipalps stout; femur L/ W 3.00 - 3.33 in males, 2.85-3.22 in females; patella L/ W 2.76 -3.00 in males, 2.48-2.86 in females; chela L/ W 5.43 –5.92 in males, 4.92–5.81 in females; fixed and movable finger of pedipalps with 10-11 rows of granules and marked accessory granules; trichobothrial pattern orthobothriotaxic, type A-β ( Vachon, 1974, 1975); pedipalp chela fixed finger trichobothrium db basal to est; metasoma I–III with 10 carinae, median lateral carinae complete on I, reduced on II–III; metasoma IV with 8 carinae; metasoma V with 7 carinae; metasoma V with enlarged subtriangular or lobate denticles on ventrolateral carinae, metasoma robust; metasoma I L/ W 1.07 –1.17 in males, 1.04–1.12 in females, metasoma II L/ W 1.33 - 1.44 in males, 1.33–1.42 in females; metasoma III L/ W 1.46 – 1.62 in males, 1.44–1.54 in females; males, 2.09–2.31 in females. Lateral anal margin with 2 rounded lobes (one large and one small lobe but the large lobe can be partially subdivided into two lobes), and 5-6 irregular, wide transverse crenulations on ventral margin. metasoma IV L/ W 1.76 –1.88 in males, 1.71–1.83 in females; metasoma V L/ W 2.04 –2.27 in males, 2.09–2.31 in females. Remarks: the examined material from different localities in Jordan match the morphological description and the morphometrical ratios of Leiurus abdullahbayrami given by Yağmur et al. (2009) and Lowe et al. (2014). Yağmur et al. (2009) reported three colour variations between populations of Leiurus abdullahbayrami from Türkiye, Hatay population has darker coloration on prosoma, mesosoma and metasomal segment V than in Gaziantep, Kilis, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş populations; carapace in Hatay population has no yellow spots. On the other hand, background colour of prosoma, mesosoma and metasomal segment V in Şanlıurfa population is lighter than in Gaziantep, Kilis, Adıyaman and Kahramanmaraş populations (see Fig. 22 in Yağmur et al., 2009), Khalil & Yağmur (2010) reported two colour patterns of Leiurus abdullahbayrami from Syria; Homs population which resembles the colour pattern from Gaziantep, Kilis in Türkiye, and the population from Al-Hasakah east of Syria and Şanlıurfa population from Türkiye has the same grey light colour pattern. In this study we noticed two colour variations from Jordan; the colour pattern of Al Ekaider (3.7 km south Syrian border), Al Hashemiya, and Al-Madoona east of Amman populations from Jordan resembles the colour pattern of Hatay from Türkiye, also the same as Beka’a from Lebanon, which has a dark black pigment on carapace, and mesosoma, whereas the southern populations from Jordan in Daba'a, Al Qatrana, Al Husayneiah, Ayl, and Basta west of Ma'an has lighter colour on prosoma, mesosoma than the northern populations; carapace interocular triangle with light brown pigment except the area between anterior median carinae lacking pigment.

Measurements: See table 1.

Distribution: Türkiye, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan.

Figures

Figures 1–6. In vivo habitus. Figure 1. Leiurus aylaensis sp. n., female holotype from Aqaba. Figure 2. Leiurus aylaensis sp. n. male paratype from Aqaba. Figure 3. Leiurus abdullahbayrami, female from Ma’an southern Jordan. Figure 4. Leiurus hebraeus, female from Um Al-Dananeer, Balqa Governorate. Figure 5. Leiurus jordanensis, female with partial absence of dark pigmentation, from Al-Ghal area southern Jordan. Figure 6. Leiurus jordanensis, female with dark pigmentation, from Al Mudawwarah, southern Jordan.

Figures 7–10. Leiurus abdullahbayrami from Jordan, habitus under white light. Figures 7–8. Male, in dorsal (7) and ventral (8) views. Figures 9-10. Female, in dorsal (9), and ventral (10) views. Scale bar = 10 mm.

Figures 11–12. Leiurus abdullahbayrami male from Jordan under UV light. Figure 11. Carapace and mesosoma. Figure 12. Coxal and sternopectinal regions and sternites. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 13–14. Leiurus abdullahbayrami female from Jordan under UV light. Figure 13. Carapace and mesosoma. Figure 14. Coxal and sternopectinal regions and sternites. Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 15-20. Metasoma segments and telson under UV light. Leiurus abdullahbayrami from Jordan. (Figures 15-17). Male in dorsal (15), ventral (16), and lateral (17) views. (Figures 18-20). Female in dorsal (18), ventral (19), and lateral (20) views.

Figure 21-26. Leiurus abdullahbayrami female from Jordan, pedipalp segments under UV light. Figure 21. Femur internal view. Figure 22. Femur dorsal view. Figure 23. Patella dorsal view. Figure 24. Patella external view. Figure 25. Chela external view. Figure 26. Chela ventral view.

Figures 91–96. Comparsion of carapace of six Leiurus species under white light, Figure 91. Leiurus abdullahbayrami. Figure 92. Leiurus aylaensis sp. n. Figure 93. Leiurus hebraeus. Figure 94. Leiurus jordanensis. Figure 95. Leiurus quinquestriatus. Figure 96. Leiurus haenggii.

Figures 97–102: Comparison of carapace of six Leiurus species under UV light. Figure 97. Leiurus abdullahbayrami. Figure 98. Leiurus aylaensis sp. n. Figure 99. Leiurus hebraeus. Figure 100. Leiurus jordanensis. Figure 101. Leiurus quinquestriatus. Figure 102. Leiurus haenggii.