Another new species of Pseudouroplectes Lourenço , 1995 from Madagascar ( Scorpiones , Buthidae )

A new species of the endemic Malagasy genus Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995 (family Buthidae) is described from spiny forests of the southwestern portion of the island. Th e holotype was obtained in the forests of Ifaty, north of Toliara. With the description of this species, the distributional pattern of this genus is confi ned to dry forest formations in the south and southwest. A key is proposed to the known species.


Introduction
As already discussed by Lourenço and Goodman (2006), the species of genus Pseudouroplectes, which are soil-dwelling scorpions of the family Buthidae (Lourenço 2004), are rare.In Madagascar the best-studied soil scorpions are represented by members of the endemic family Microcharmidae (Lourenço et al. 2006).Pseudouroplectes was originally described based on two females of P. betschi Lourenço, 1995, collected in the dry southwestern spiny bush formation at Andramanoetse Be, Plateau Mahafaly, Toliara Province (Lourenço 1995).Subsequently, a single specimen of another Pseudouroplectes species, P. pidgeoni Lourenço & Goodman, 1999, was collected in the extreme southeastern dry forests of the Parc National d'Andohahela (parcel 2), Toliara Province (Lourenço and Goodman 1999).Th is animal was collected in a soil litter sample from the spiny bush parcel of the reserve, within a few kilometers of the ecotone between dry and wet forest formations.Only several years later, additional material was obtained of the genus Pseudouroplectes.Th is led to the description of a third species, Pseudouroplectes maculatus Lourenço & Goodman, 2006.New specimens of Pseudouroplectes have been collected due to the eff orts of Dr. Brian Fisher and colleagues at the California Academy of Sciences (CAS).Over the past few years, the CAS fi eld team conducted systematic invertebrate inventories at various sites across Madagascar, including the dry vegetational formations, employing pitfall traps and diff erent methods of soil litter extraction.
More recently, examination of some scorpions collected by the senior author in the dry vegetation sites of Toliara Province (Lourenço et al. 2008), revealed one more new species of Pseudouroplectes, which is described here.

Distributional pattern presented by the genus Pseudouroplectes
Th e distributional pattern of the genus Pseudouroplectes was discussed in detail by Lourenço and Goodman (2006), who presented details and a list of known localities for members of this genus.In summary, members of this genus, including the new species described herein, are restricted to the extreme southern dry forest formations.Pseudouroplectes betschi and P. pidgeoni apparently present a parapatric or even a small sympatric zone of distribution in the extreme southern portion of the island.A similar situation is observed between P. maculatus and the new species described here, with the two species presenting, at least, a small zone of sympatry (Fig. 13).One species, Pseudouroplectes betschi, is known from a single locality.Th is very restricted distribution can eventually be attributed to incomplete sampling collections.At the same time, the totality of the southwestern portion of the island was extensively prospected by Brian Fisher and colleagues.A more plausible explanation is the existence of very particular habitats to which some species are specifi cally adapted.In the case of scorpions, the possible ecological gradients responsible for these microendemic habitats are vegetation cover and humidity.

Family
Etymology: Th e patronym is homage to Laly Ythier, daughter of the junior author.
Diagnosis: Small scorpions, when compared with the average size of most species of micro-buthid genera, and measuring up to 20.57 mm in total length (see morphometric values after the description).General coloration reddish-yellow with four longitudinal stripes starting on the posterior edge of carapace and running over tergites I to VII; dark spots over the pedipalps, legs and metasomal carinae.Carinae and granulations moderately to strongly marked.
Relationships: Th e new species can be readily distinguished from all the other species of the genus Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, by (i) presence of four longitudinal dark stripes running from the carapace and over all tergites, (ii) pedipalps, legs and metasomal carinae intensely spotted, (iii) moderately marked carinae on tergites and metasomal segments, and (iv) pedipalps strongly granular.
Description based on male holotype.Coloration.Reddish-yellow with four longitudinal dark stripes which start on the posterior edge of carapace and run over tergites I to VII.Carapace, pedipalps, and legs intensely marked with dark spots; carinae of metasomal segments densely spotted.Venter and chelicerae yellowish without spots.
Morphology.Carapace with a moderately to strongly marked granulation; anterior margin almost straight.Carinae weak; furrows inconspicuous.Median ocular tubercle distinctly on the anterior third of the carapace; median eyes separated by one ocular diameter.Th ree pairs of lateral eyes.Sternum subpentagonal.Mesosoma: tergites moderately granular.Median carina moderate to weak in all tergites.Tergite VII pentacarinate.Venter: genital operculum divided longitudinally, each plate having a more or less subtriangular shape.Pectines large: pectinal tooth count 16-15 (male paratypes with 15-16 and 16-16); basal middle lamellae of the pectines not dilated; fulcra inconspicuous.Sternites smooth with short semi-slit-like spiracles; VII punctuated and acarinated.Metasoma: segments I to IV with 10 carinae, moderately crenulate; ventral carinae reduced to vestigial on segments I to IV; intercarinal spaces weakly granular.Segment V rounded with fi ve carinae.Telson has a very elongated "pear-like" shape, smooth with strong setation; aculeus short, weakly curved; subaculear tooth absent.Cheliceral dentition characteristic of the family Buthidae (Vachon, 1963); fi xed fi nger with two moderate basal teeth; movable fi nger with two very weak and fused basal teeth; ventral aspect of both fi nger and manus with dense, long setae.Pedipalps: femur pentacarinate; patella with seven carinae; internal face of patella with 7-8 spinoid granules; chela with vestigial carinae; all faces moderately to strongly granular.Fixed and movable fi ngers with 7-8 almost linear rows of granules; two accessory granules present at the base of each row; extremity of fi xed and movable fi ngers with one long and sharp denticle.Trichobothriotaxy; orthobothriotaxy A-α (Vachon, 1974(Vachon, , 1975)) Figure 1.Habitus of Pseudouroplectes lalyae sp.n., male holotype.Scale bar = 2 mm.