03 April, 2020

Four new species in the endemic Cuban genus Tityopsis



Rolando Teruel and Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera have recently published a revision of the endemic Cuban genus Tityopsis Armas, 1974 (Buthidae). Four new species have been described from western Cuba, bringing the total number of species in the genus up to six.

Tityopsis canizaresorum Teruel & Rodríguez-Cabrera, 2020*
Tityopsis mulata Teruel & Rodríguez-Cabrera, 2020* 
Tityopsis pumila Teruel & Rodríguez-Cabrera, 2020*
Tityopsis sheylae Teruel & Rodríguez-Cabrera, 2020*

The article has many color pictures of the new species and their habitats.

Abstract:
The buthid scorpion genus Tityopsis Armas, 1974, endemic to western Cuba, is herein revised. In total, 428 specimens were examined from 127 localities, including the primary types of the two species currently recognized as valid; this led to realize that several populations actually represent taxa new to science. Four of them are described in the present paper: a presumed troglobite and three others from epigean habitats. A thorough photographic complement and data on natural history are given for each species and for the genus in general, for which known geographical distribution is verified and updated. With this contribution, the scorpion fauna of Cuba reaches now 61 species, with 56 of them (92%) being endemic to this Caribbean archipelago.

Reference:
Teruel R, Rodríguez-Cabrera TM. Revision of the genus Tityopsis Armas, 1974 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Part 1. General updates and description of four new species. Euscorpius. 2020(304):1-40. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

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