23 December, 2009

New fossil scorpion from Ukrainian amber

It is rare to find scorpions in amber, but some specimens are known from Baltic amber. Lourenco & Weitschat have now described a new fossil species in the genus Palaeoananteris (Buthidae) from Ukraine:

Palaeoananteris ukrainensis Lourenco & Weitschat, 2009

Abstract:
A new species of fossil scorpion, Palaeoananteris ukrainensis sp. n. is described based on a specimen found in Ukrainian amber. The new species is the third described for the genus Palaeoananteris and thus belongs to the same lineage as the majority of other scorpions known from Baltic amber, which is clearly associated with the extant scorpion fauna of tropical regions in America and Africa. This new find attests, however, to a considerable degree of diversity in the Baltic and Ukrainian amber-producing forests. This is the first fossil scorpion found in Ukrainian amber.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Weitschat W. A new species of Palaeoananteris Lourenco & Weitschat, 2001, fossil scorpion from Ukrainian amber (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009(45):231-5.

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