03 January, 2021

A new species of Euscorpius from the Lesvos Island, Greece

 
During a fantastic holiday in 2004 on the beatiful island Lesvos (Greece), I collected a few Euscorpius on three different locations. They were later sent to professor Victor Fet to be a part on his study of the genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Euscorpiidae) in Europe. Now, 16 years later, Gioele Tropea and co-worker's new article finally confirms what we suspected back then, that these belonged to a new species. 

Euscorpius lesbiacus Tropea, Fet, Parmakelis, Kotsakiozi, Stathi & Zafeiriou, 2020

Here are some pictures from my Lesvos trip that show the habitats of the new species:





My daughter Ingvild and our family friend Vebjørn pointing out a stone hiding several Euscorpius specimens.

Abstract:
A new scorpion species is described from Lesvos Island (Greece), Euscorpius lesbicus sp. n., based on morphological and molecular evidence. Identity and level of divergence of this taxon is confirmed by a phylogeny based on multiple DNA markers. Morphologically, the new species in mainly characterized by a trichobothrial numbers Pv = 7 and Pe-et = 6, and pectinal tooth numbers (Dp) usually 8 to 9 in males  and 7 in females.

Reference:
Tropea G, Fet V, Parmakelis A, Kotsakiozi P, Stathi I, Zafeiriou S. Euscorpius lesbiacus sp. n., a new species of scorpion from Lesvos Island, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2020(37):185-95. [No full text available]

Thanks to professor Victor Fet and Gioele Tropea for both sending me their article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

 

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