Most scorpion researchers agree that the most remarkable scorpion discovery in the last century was the discovery of the very special scorpion Pseudochactas ovchinnikovi Gromov, 1998 in a remote, mountainous region of southeastern Uzbekistan and southwestern Tajikistan. This species "gave birth" to the family Pseudochactidae. Later one more species in the genus was discovered and the family was further increased two more genera with a few more species. Most of the latter are cavernicolous (found in caves), but not all of them have troglomorphisms like reduced eyes and pigmentation. All of the species in the family are rare and have a relictual distribution.
Lorenzo Prendini and co-workers have now conducted a thorough review of the family Pseudochactidae. Based on morphological and phylogenetical analysis they have concluded the following:
New subfamily:
Troglokhammouaninae Prendini, Ehrenthal & Loria, 2021.
New genus:
Aemngvantom Prendini, Ehrenthal & Loria, 2021.
New species:
Aemngvantom thamnongpaseuam Prendini, Ehrenthal & Loria, 2021.
New combination:
Aemngvantom lao (Lourenço, 2012).
Synonymizations:
Troglokhammouanus louisanneorum Lourenço, 2017 is synonymized with Troglokhammouanus steineri Lourenço, 2007.
Vietbocap thienduongensis Lourenço and Pham, 2012 is synonymized with Vietbocap canhi Lourenço & Pham, 2010.
Vietbocap aurantiacus Lourenço et al., 2018 is synonymized with Vietbocap canhi Lourenço & Pham, 2010.
Vietbocap Vietbocap quinquemilia Lourenço et al., 2018 is synonymized with Vietbocap canhi Lourenço & Pham, 2010.
The family consists now of three subfamilies, four genera and six species. The article has revised descriptions of all species, pictures and habitat information with conservation status. An identification key for the family is also provided.
The article also provide a review of the global diversity of cavernicolous, troglomorphic and troglobitic scorpions and an ecological key to the classification of this kind of scorpions is also presented.
Abstract:
The first integrative systematic revision of the relictual Asian scorpion family Pseudochactidae Gromov, 1998, making use of an unprecedented collection of material acquired during several expeditions to most of the type localities, is presented. The subfamilies, genera and species of Pseudochactidae are revised based on a phylogenetic analysis of 140 morphological characters and 8608 nucleotide base pairs of concatenated DNA sequence from two nuclear and three mitochondrial gene loci, and a multivariate statistical analysis of 22 ratios and 8 counts for 60 specimens. Three subfamilies, four genera and six species are recognized in the family. Troglokhammouaninae, subfam. nov., is created to restore the monophyly of the nominotypical subfamily Pseudochactinae Gromov, 1998. Aemngvantom, gen. nov., is created to accommodate Aemngvantom lao (Lourenço, 2012), comb. nov., and Aemngvantom thamnongpaseuam gen. et sp. nov. Four new synonyms are presented: Troglokhammouanus louisanneorum Lourenço, 2017 = Troglokhammouanus steineri Lourenço, 2007, syn. nov.; Vietbocap thienduongensis Lourenço and Pham, 2012 = Vietbocap canhi Lourenço and Pham, 2010, syn. nov.; Vietbocap aurantiacus Lourenço et al., 2018 = V. canhi, syn. nov.; Vietbocap quinquemilia Lourenço et al., 2018 = V. canhi, syn. nov. Revised diagnoses of the subfamilies, genera and species, with comparative images, a key and distribution maps are provided, along with a summary of available data on ecology and conservation status, where applicable. Among the Southeast Asian pseudochactids, all of which appear to be obligately cavernicolous, the three species of Vietbocapinae Lourenço, 2012, are highly troglomorphic whereas the sole species of Troglokhammouaninae is barely so. Applying recently revised definitions of the Schiner-Racovitza system for the classification of subterranean organisms, only Vietbocapinae can be considered troglobitic. The global diversity of cavernicolous, troglomorphic and troglobitic scorpions is similarly revisited and a key to ecological classification of cavernicolous and troglomorphic scorpions presented. The world totals of troglomorphic vs. troglobitic scorpions are currently 58 vs. 28 species, in 29 vs. 17 genera and 15 vs. 13 families, respectively.
Reference:
Prendini L, Ehrenthal VL, Loria SF. Systematics of the relictual Asian scorpion family Pseudochactidae Gromov, 1998, with a review of cavernicolous, troglobitic, and troglomorphic scorpions. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2021(453):1-149. [Open Access]
Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this article!
No comments:
Post a Comment