Six new species of Centruroides from Guatemala and Mexico

 

Aaron Goodman and co-workers have recently published a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology and genetics of the Neotropical “thorellii” clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae). Six new species have been described. All of them are tree- and bark living, some of them having been found more than 15 meters above the ground. 

Centruroides berstoni Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Guatemala)

Centruroides catemacoensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides chanae Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides cuauhmapan Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides hamadryas Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides yucatanensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Revised diagnosis are given for Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996, Centruroides rileyi Sissom, 1995, and Centruroides schmidti Sissom, 1995. A identification key for the species in the “thorellii” clade of Centruroides is also available.

Abstract:
The arboreal Neotropical “thorellii” clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890, bark scorpions (Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837) is revised, using a novel approach to species delimitation. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 112 morphological characters and 1078 aligned DNA nucleotides from the mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI) gene, provided the framework for placing singletons from geographically disparate localities (and often with suboptimal preservation) using COI minibarcodes, thereby enlarging the taxon sample for diagnosis and delimitation of morphological species. Six new species are described, tripling the known diversity in the clade to nine: Centruroides berstoni, sp. nov.; Centruroides catemacoensis, sp. nov.; Centruroides chanae, sp. nov.; Centruroides cuauhmapan, sp. nov.; Centruroides hamadryas, sp. nov.; Centruroides yucatanensis, sp. nov. Revised diagnoses are presented for Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996, Centruroides rileyi Sissom, 1995, and Centruroides schmidti Sissom, 1995. Comparative images, a key and distribution maps for all species of the clade are provided, along with a summary of available data for their ecology.

Reference:
Goodman AM, Prendini L, Francke OF, Esposito LA. Systematic Revision of the Arboreal Neotropical “Thorellii” Clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890, Bark Scorpions (Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837) with Descriptions of Six New Species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2021(452):1-92. [Open Access]

Thanks to Oscar Francke for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae