07 March, 2024

A new species of Scorpiops from Thailand

 


 Wasin Nawanetiwong and co-workers have recently published a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiopidae) from Thailand.

Scorpiops krachan Nawanetiwong, Kosulic, Warrit, Lourenço & Ythier, 2024

Abstract:
A new species, Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan sp. nov., belonging to the family Scorpiopidae Kraepelin, 1905 is described based on three adult males and one adult female collected in the Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. The new species presents most features exhibited by scorpions of the subgenus Euscorpiops and can be characterized notably by a very small size, a sexual dimorphism strongly marked with male pedipalps elongated, a distinct trichobothrial pattern and other morphological features. This new taxon may represent one endemic element for the scorpion fauna of Thailand. Aspects of the ecology and distribution of the new species are discussed and compared with that of other relative Scorpiops species.

Reference:
Nawanetiwong W, Kosulic O, Warrit N, Lourenco WR, Ythier E. A new species of the genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861, subgenus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 from Thailand (Scorpiones, Scorpiopidae). ZooKeys. 2024(11943):161-70. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about the new paper!

Family Scorpiopidae

A new high altitude species in the genus Hottentotta from Tibet

 


Eric Ythier has recently described a new species of Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Buthidae) from Tibet, China. 

Hottentotta leetzi Ythier, 2024

The new species was collected at an elevation of 4920 and this probably an elevation record for scorpions in Asia and possible in the world (see discussion about this in the article).

Abstract:
A new species belonging to the genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (family Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837) is described on the basis of one adult female specimen collected in Wāgya La, Kangmar County, Tibet (Xizang), China. Hottentotta leetzi sp. n. was collected at an elevation of 4920 m, representing to our knowledge the highest elevation record for a scorpion species in Asia, and maybe in the World. This new scorpion taxon represents the 61st described species among the currently recognized species for the genus Hottentotta and the second reported from China. It is the 30th scorpion species reported from Tibet.

Reference:
Ythier E. A new high-elevation scorpion species of the genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Tibet, China. Arachnides. 2024(114):1-9. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric Ythier and Gerard Dupre for informing me about this article!

26 February, 2024

A new species of Buthacus from Algeria

 


Salah Eddine Sadine and co-workers have recently published a new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 (Buthidae) from Central Algeria.

Buthacus deserticus Sadine, Souilem, Lourenço & Ythier, 2024

Abstract:
A new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 is described on the basis of specimens collected in the region of Ghardaïa, Central Algeria. Buthacus deserticus sp. n. belongs to the Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg 1829) complex of species. It is compared with the two other species of the “leptochelys” complex occurring in the region, namely B. spinatus Lourenço, Bissati & Sadine, 2016 and B. elmenia Lourenço & Sadine, 2017. This new taxon represents the 12th known Buthacus species reported from Algeria. A map of the geographical distribution of the Algerian Buthacus species is presented. Emended diagnosis is also provided for Buthacus spinatus Lourenço, Bissati & Sadine, 2016 based on additional material.

Reference:
Sadine SE, Souilem Z, Chedad A, Bahri C, Zebsa R, Houhamdi M, et al. A new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 from the Algerian Saharan Desert (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Faunitaxys. 2024;12(9):1-9. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre and Eric Ythier for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

19 February, 2024

A new species of Scorpio from Algeria

 


Eric Ythier and co-workers recently published an article describing a new species of Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758(Scorpionidae) from Atakor volcanic field in the Hoggar massif in the south of Algeria.

Scorpio atakor Ythier, Sadine, Bengaid & Lourenço, 2024

The authors also raise Scorpio trarasensis Bouisset & Larrouy, 1962 to species status after it previously was synonymized with Scorpio maurus maurus Linnaeus, 1758 (it was originally described as a subspecies of S. maurus.

Abstract:
A new species of Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 is described from the Atakor volcanic field in the Hoggar massif, located in the South of Algeria. Scorpio atakor sp. nov. most certainly represents a vicariant element of Scorpio tassili Lourenço & Rossi, 2016, species equally described from a massif formation, the Tassili N’Ajjer, in the South of Algeria. Both species are distributed in high altitudes in these massifs. Scorpio trarasensis Bouisset & Larrouy, 1962 stat. rev., stat. nov. is also restored from its synonymy with Scorpio maurus maurus Linnaeus, 1758 and raised to species level. The number of confirmed species of Scorpio in Algeria is raised to six.

Reference:
Ythier E, Sadine SE, Bengaid Y, Lourenco WR. A new species of Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 from Algeria (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) and a new case of vicariance. Arachnides. 2024(113):1-11. [Open Access]

Family Scorpionidae

15 February, 2024

Two new species of Euscorpius from Bulgaria and Greece

 


Parts of Europe still seem to be an inexhaustible source of new Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Euscorpiidae) species. Gioele Tropea and co-workers have recently published a new article describing a new species from Bulgaria and from Greece based on morphological and molecular evidence.

Euscorpius petaberoni Tropea, Fet, Parmakelis & Stathi, 2024 (Known only from Kovachevitsa in the Western Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria)

Euscorpius trichasi Tropea, Fet, Parmakelis & Stathi, 2024 (Known only from the Mt. Olympos massif in Thessaly in Greece)

Abstract:
Two scorpion species, Euscorpius petarberoni sp. n. (Bulgaria) and E. trichasi sp. n. (Greece), are described based on morphological and molecular evidence; E. petarberoni sp. n. is related to E. popovi Tropea et al., 2015, E. drenskii Tropea et al., 2015, and E. thracicus Kovařík et al., 2020, while E. trichasi sp. n. is related to E. kabateki Kovařík & Šťáhlavský, 2020.

Reference:
Tropea G, Fet V, Parmakelis A, Stathi I. Two New Species of Euscorpius (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) from Bulgaria and Greece. Zoodiversity. 2024;58(1):1-18. [Open Access]

Thanks to Victor Fet and  Siegfried Huber for informing me about this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

07 February, 2024

An extensive revision of the genus Olivierus in Xinjiang, China

 


Victoria Tang a co-workers recently published a thorough revision of the genus Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 (Buthidae) in Xinjiang, China.

Based on both morphological and molecular evidence, Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010) and O. przewalskii (Birula, 1897) are the only representatives of this genus in this region. The authors also have made the following taxonomical conclusions:

Olivierus (Mesobuthus) bolensis (Sun et al., 2010) is synonymized with Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010).

Olivierus (Mesobuthus) karshius (Sun & Sun, 2011) is synonymized with Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010).

Olivierus tarabaevi Fet et al., 2021 is synonymized with Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010).

Some information about the genus' habitat, distribution and biology is also included.

Abstract:
The genus Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, is revised based on recently collected topotypes and other populations from 12 localities. Brief differential diagnoses are provided, with colored illustrations and photos in vivo habitus, emphasizing the key characters. Chinese appellations, conservation status, and documentation of behavior and post-envenomation symptoms are also included. Only two species are now recognized for this genus in Xinjiang: O. longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010) and O. przewalskii (Birula, 1897), based on both morphological and molecular evidence. The two species exhibit extensive distribution in Xinjiang (China) while also occurring in adjacent countries. Three new synonyms are proposed: Mesobuthus bolensis Sun et al., 2010 = Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010), syn. n.; Mesobuthus karshius Sun & Sun, 2011 = Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010), syn. n.; Olivierus tarabaevi Fet et al., 2021 = Olivierus longichelus (Sun & Zhu, 2010), syn. n. Two species, Olivierus extremus (Werner, 1936) and O. hainanensis (Birula, 1904), are likely synonymous with O. martensii (Karsch, 1879). Should future examination confirm this assumption, the total number of species in genus Olivierus would be reduced to 16.

Reference:
Tang V, Liu Z, Graham MR, Fet V, Kovařík F, Šťáhlavský F. Revision of the genus Olivierus in Xinjiang, China, with comments on Mesobuthus thersites (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2024;2024(383):1-58. [Open Access]

Thanks to Victoria for informing me about the article and for sharing the illustration picture with us!

Family Buthidae


10 January, 2024

New scorpion taxa in 2023

 


Gerard Dupre has published a list of all new scorpion taxa described in 2023. He has identified 57 new species and two species that has been re-validated to species status. The list includes only extant taxa.

Abstract:
Pour l’année 2023, nous avons recensé 57 espèces nouvelles plus 2 espèces revalidées sans compter les fossiles. Sur un plan géographique ces nouvelles espèces sont réparties comme suit : Asie +29, Afrique +12, Amériques +11, Océanie +3 et Europe +3.

Reference:
Dupre G. Nouveaux taxa de scorpions pour 2023. Arachnides. 2024(112):1-26. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard for sending me this article!