Description of a new species of Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903 (Scorpiones, Heteroscorpionidae) from the Montagne des Français in extreme northern Madagascar

The endemic Malagasy genus Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903, of the family Heteroscorpionidae was monotypic for a century with H. opisthacanthoides (Kraepelin, 1896). Extensive field surveys conducted over the last 15 years in the different bioclimatic regions of Madagascar have resulted in the collection of numerous scorpions, including specimens belonging to the genus Heteroscorpion. These collections led to the description of three new species, H. goodmani Lourenço, 1996, H. magnus Lourenço & Goodman, 2002, and H. raselimanana Lourenço & Goodman, 2004. In this paper another species new to science is described from the extreme north of the island and is presumed to be locally endemic. With this taxon, the number of species in the genus Heteroscorpion is now five, and its distribution covers numerous zones of the island, including humid and dry forests. Aspects of the geographic distribution and ecology of the different species are also commented upon.