Notes on the types of scorpions in the British Museum (Natural History), London Buthus socotrensis Pocock, 1889 (Family: Buthidae) Max Vachon Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire des Arthropodes, 61 rue de Buffon, 75005 Paris Resume L'etude des syntypes de Buthus socotrensis Pocock et de specimens conserves au British Museum (Natural History) et au Museum national d'Histoire naturelle de Paris confirme la validite de cette espece jusqu'alors non retenue par les Specialistes. Buthus socotrensis doit etre place dans le genre Buthotus Vachon, 1949, mais les caracteres particuliers de sa trichobothriotaxie necessitent la creation d'un nouveau sous-genre: Balfourianus, creation confirmant Pendemisme de la faune scorpionique de 1'ile Socotra. Introduction Buthus socotrensis was first described by R. I. Pocock in 1889 on the examination of four specimens collected from Socotra Island by Prof. B. Balfour. The description was then completed by Pocock in 1903. His new diagnosis corroborated K. Kraepelin's statement (1899) concerning the classifica-tion of the species in the hottentota-group of the genus Buthus. In 1914, A. Birula, studying specimens collected by Franz Werner from North Africa, re-examined the species belonging to Kraepelin's hottentota-group (which he considered of sub-generic value). As noted by Pocock Buthus socotrensis is not referable to the sub-genus but must be placed close to Buthus acutecarinatus Simon, 1883 and B. gibbosus Brulle, 1832. Pocock's species socotrensis was omitted from our revision of the family Buthidae and its classification was considered to be uncertain (Vachon & Stockmann, 1968). On the basis of the study of four specimens belonging to the type-series and kept in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) and of specimens from Socotra Island, deposited either in the Museum national d'Histoire naturelle Paris (M.N.H.N.) or in the British Museum (B.M.), socotrensis could be referred to the genus Buthotus Vachon, 1949; nevertheless, a new name becomes necessary for the new sub-genus. Balfourianus, named after the first collector of the species: Prof. Baillie Balfour, is thus proposed. Material examined Consists of 1 1 females, three of these belonging to the type-series, Prof. T. B. Balfour, B.M. reg. no. 18, 81-106: 1 female lectotype (B.M.), registered as VA 1621-1. Among the four specimens studied by R. I. Pocock, none has been designated as the type; therefore, the female, the measurements of which correspond to the specimen originally described by R. I. Pocock (he. cit., 1889 : 339) has been designated as the lectotype. 2 female paralectotypes (B.M.): VA 1621-2 and VA 1621-3. 3 females (B.M.): VA 1218, VA 1220, VA 1222, Oxford University Exp., Hadibu Plain, 22.ix.1956, Socotra Island. 1 female (B.M.): VA 1695, Oxford University Exp., August 1956, Adho Dimellus, only under rock in damp areas, Socotra Island. Bull. Br. Mus. not. Hist. (Zool.) 36 (4) : 233-237 Issued 25 October 1979 233
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