05 July, 2012

New Urodacus from Australia

Its holiday time, but I'm trying to post a message on the blog using a shaky internet connection from our cabin.

Erich Volschenk and co-workers have published a new Urodacus (Scorpionidae*) from western Australia.

Urodacus butleri Volschenk, Harvey & Prendini, 2012

*The status of the family Urodacidae is under discussion. Some authors have included the Urodacus in Scorpionidae and abolish the family, while others have retained Urodacidae as a valid family.

Abstract:
A new urodacid scorpion, Urodacus butleri, n. sp., is described from Barrow Island and the Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia. This species is unusually dark in color; it is compared and contrasted with three morphologically similar species, Urodacus manicatus (Thorell, 1876), Urodacus novaehollandiae Peters, 1861, and Urodacus planimanus Pocock, 1893.

Reference:
Volschenk, ES, Harvey, MS & Prendini, L. (2012). A new species of Urodacus ((Scorpiones: Urodacidae) from Western Australia. American Museum Novitates (3748):1-18. [Free full text]

Thanks to Gerald Dupre for sending me this paper!

Family Scorpionidae

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