A major revision of Iurus with a new genus and two new species

In 2010, Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & yagmur published a major revision on the genus Iurus Thorell, 1876 (Iuridae) from Greece and Turkey. The same authors have now published a new phylogenetic revision based on both morphological characteristics (especially from the hemispermatophore) and DNA studies. Several additional specimens from multiple geographical locations were used in the analysis.

Iurus is now split into two genera, based on the structure of the hemispermatophore.

Iurus Thorell, 1876

Protoiurus Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & Yagmur, 2012

The two genera have now the following composition and distribution:

Iurus dekanum (Roewer, 1943), stat. nov. (Greece: Crete)

Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) (Greece: Peloponnese and Kythira Island)

Iurus kinzelbachi Kovařík, Fet, Soleglad & Yağmur, 2010 (Turkey: Aydın and Izmir Provinces; Greece: Samos Island)

Protoiurus asiaticus (Birula, 1903), comb. nov. (Turkey: Adana, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Mersin and Niğde Provinces)

Protoiurus kadleci (Kovařík, Fet, Soleglad & Yağmur, 2010), comb. nov. (Turkey: Antalya, and Mersin Provinces)

Protoiurus kraepelini (von Ubisch, 1922), comb. nov. (Turkey: Antalya, Isparta, Konya, Karaman, Mersin, and Muğla Provinces; Greece: Megisti Island)

Protoiurus rhodiensis Soleglad, Fet, Kovařík & Yağmur, sp. nov. (Greece: Rhodes Island)

Protoiurus stathiae Soleglad, Fet, Kovařík & Yağmur, sp. nov. (Greece: Karpathos Island)

The paper, which is freely available on the Internet, has a identification key and many illustrations and distribution maps.

Abstract:
Iurus populations from the Aegean area are studied, including the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos, Kythira, Rhodes, and Samos. A new genus, Protoiurus gen. nov., and two new species, Protoiurus rhodiensis sp. nov. and P. stathiae sp. nov., are described. The two genera, Iurus and Protoiurus, are diagnosed by their hemispermatophore structure; a cladistic analysis based on this structure is presented. Genus Iurus Thorell, 1876 includes three species: I. dekanum, I. dufoureius, and I. kinzelbachi; genus Protoiurus includes five species: P. asiaticus comb. nov., P. kadleci comb. nov., P. kraepelini comb. nov., P. rhodiensis sp. nov., and P. stathiae sp. nov. The type specimen of Chaerilomma dekanum Roewer, 1943 has been studied and determined to be a valid species Iurus dekanum (Roewer, 1943) representing the population from Crete. New diagnoses for subfamilies Calchinae (genus Calchas) and Iurinae (genera Iurus and Protoiurus) are provided as well as keys to the species of Iurus and Protoiurus.


Reference:
Soleglad ME, Fet V, Kovarik F, Yagmur EA. Etudes on iurids, V. Further revision of Iurus thorell, 1876 (scorpiones: Iuridae), with a description of a new genus and two new species. Euscorpius. 2012 (143):1-70. [Free full text]

Family Iuridae