A medium-sized scorpion ranging from 36–42 mm, Carapace, mesosoma and metasoma brown, legs and telson yellow; pedipalp in a shade of brown with carinae dark drown to black. Granulation on carapace coarse, with a few smooth patches; on mesosoma restricted to the posterior half. Anterior margin of carapace with a moderately deep “U”-shaped emargination medially lacking elevated edges. Pectines well developed 7/7. Trichobothria on ventral aspect of patella 13–16 in number. Pedipalp chela narrow and elongate in males, length-to-width ratio in males from 4.86 to 5.05.

Relationship:Neoscorpiops maharashtraensissp. nov. can be distinguished from its congers in bearing the following set of characters:

• (i) carapace, mesosoma and metasoma brown, legs and telson yellow; pedipalp in a shade of brown with carinae dark drown to black (versus overall back with only extremities of leg in a shade of brown in N. deccanensis and N. tenuicauda);
• (ii) pedipalp manus length-to-width ratio in males is 4.86–5.05 (versus 3.07 in N. sataraensis and 3.30 in N. tenuicauda);
• (iii) telson bulbous gradually tapering towards aculeus lacking constriction at aculear base (distinctly marked constriction at the base of aculeus in N. sataraensis);
• (iv) internal aspect of patella with one large and a small adjacent tubercle (a single large tubercle on internal aspect of patella in N. sataraensis, N. tenuicauda and N. deccanensis);
• (v) anterior margin of carapace with a moderately deep “U”-shaped emargination medially lacking elevated edges (anterior margin of carapace with a deep “U”-shaped emargination medially with elevated edges N. sataraensis, N. tenuicauda and N. deccanensis);
• (vi) dorsolateral carinae on segment II–IV terminate in a short spine (dorsolateral carinae on segment II–IV terminate in a distinctly long, thorn-like spine in N. sataraensis, N. tenuicauda and N. deccanensis).

Morphometric measurements in Table 1.

Colouration: (Figs. 1, 2 and 6, in life) overall in a shade of brown or tan, legs in a lighter shade of brown. Telson creamish yellow. Carinae on pedipalp segments and fingers of manus dark brown to black. Ocular region (median as well as lateral) black. Metasonal segment V paler than the preceding segments. Colouration more faded and paler in preservative. Legs and telson almost yellow. Chelicerae in the shade of tan with dark brown reticulation throughout.

Prosoma: carapace anterior margin with a moderately deep “U”-shaped emargination medially. Carapacial carinae absent; coarsely granular throughout with a few smooth patches. Three pairs of lateral eyes; anterior lateral eye placed well in advance of the median and posterior lateral eyes.

Mesosoma: mesosomal tergites I–VI with an obsolete median carinae and with two lateral smooth pits in the anterior portion; anterior half of tergites I–VI smooth, lacking granulation, posterior half coarsely granular. Tergite VII granular throughout, with two pairs of granular lateral carinae and lacking median carinae. Intercarinal spaces on tergite VII coarsely granular. Sternites III–VI lacking granulation, but not smooth and glossy; sternite VII granular throughout. Pectines well developed, 7/7 in number without fulcra (Fig. 4).

Metasoma: metasomal segment I bearing 10 carinae (paired ventral, ventrolateral, intermedian, dorsolateral and dorsal carinae), II–IV with eight carinae lacking intermedian carinae; segment V with five carinae (single ventral, paired ventrolateral and paired dorsolateral carinae). Dorsolateral carinae on segment II–IV terminating in a short spine. All carinae poorly developed; dorsal furrow on each metasomal segment well developed, shallow on segment V. Long setae sparsely arranged on each metasonal segment. Telson smooth, at least 6.5 times as the aculeus and lacks carinae (Fig. 4). Cheliceral dentition characteristic of sub-family. Pedipalp femur and patella pentacarinate, all carinae granular. Pedipalp patella with two large and a few small spinoid protrusions on the internal aspect. Trichobothrial pattern C, neobothriotaxic (Fig. 3) [7]; patella with 24 external trichobothria and 16 ventral trichobothria. Movable finger of manus with two rows of granules with 12 large granules including the terminal one on the outer row. Leg tarsi I–II with five spinules on its ventral aspect, III–IV with seven spinules on its ventral aspect, these between two thorn-like spurs. Pro- and retro-lateral pedal spurs well developed.

Hemispermataphore: lamelliform; pedicel 1.2 long and 0.3 wide. Trunk 1.4 long and 0.6 at its widest distal end. Capsule well developed with a single hook-like sperm duct; lamina 4 mm long and 0.1 mm wide at base curled at distal end (Fig. 5).

Variation: apart from morphometric values and trichobothria on ventral aspect of patella, the type series differ from the holotype in the following aspects, especially the female specimens: (i) distinctly darker in colouration and (ii) markedly short and stout pedipalp segments.

Natural history notes: the types were collected from under boulders along streams during the monsoon season from two localities Shidi Ghat located east of Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary and Ghodegaon to the west of Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary spread over the Satmal Hill range (Fig. 7). The forest of the type locality is of tropical dry deciduous and is contagious with Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary (Fig. 8). Based on the collection localities, it is likely that this species is distributed in three districts of the Maharashtra State: Aurangabad, Jalgaon, and Nashik. These scorpions are really fast and sting at the slightest provocation unlike their congers. A few specimens were found in rock crevices as typical of members of this genus. Local residents at the collection site of the holotype mentioned that the species is frequently seen during monsoons and rarely during the dry months of the year. The presence of the genus Neoscorpiops outside of Western Ghats further provides hints of the presence of this genus or perhaps in the adjoining hill ranges, like Satpura and Ajanta hill ranges.