18 August, 2017

The holotype of Pandinus imperator has been rediscovered


The Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator (C. L. Koch, 1841) (Scorpionidae), is probably the most famous scorpion species due to its impressive size and its history in the pet industry. The holotype was considered lost for a long time, but has now been rediscovered and redescribed by Joachim Holstein and co-workers in a recent article.

Abstract:
The holotype of the Emperor Scorpion Pandinus imperator (C.L. Koch, 1841) was long believed to have been lost. In 2015, as scientists at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart were digitizing its entomological collections, they rediscovered the specimen on which Koch had based his description of the scorpion in 1841.

Reference:
Holstein J, Wendt I, Rossi A. The Emperor is back! Rediscovery and redescription of the holotype of Pandinus imperator (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae). Arachnologische Mitteilungen. 2017;54:44-7.

Thanks to Andrea Rossi and Ingo Wendt for both sending me this article!

Family Scorpionidae

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