13 March, 2022

Major revision of the genus Mesobuthus with 14 new species

 


After a revison by Frantisek Kovarik i 2019, the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) became a mainly Asian genus. Frantisek Kovarik and several co-workers have now published a comprehensive review of the genus. The genus consists now of 29 species and no subspecies. Here are the major taxonomical changes:

New species:

Mesobuthus birulai Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus crucittii Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus farleyi Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus fomichevi Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan).

Mesobuthus galinae Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkmenistan).

Mesobuthus kaftani Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus marusiki Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Uzbekistan).

Mesobuthus mirshamsii Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus navidpouri Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus rahsenae Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus turcicus Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus vignoli Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus yagmuri Kovarik & Fet, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus zonsteini Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Uzbekistan).

New status:

Mesobuthus barszczevskii (Birula, 1904) (Uzbekistan). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus kirmanensis (Birula, 1900) (Iran). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) (Iraq, Syria, Turkey). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus philippovitschi (Birula, 1905) (Iran). Raised from subspecies status.

See abstract or article for synonymizations

The article has an updated identification key for the genus Mesobuthus

Abstract:
The Asian genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, s. str. (Buthidae) (also known as an informal ‘M. eupeus complex’), which includes the most common scorpion species found from Turkey to China, is revised based on new collections, mainly from Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran, using both morphological and mitochondrial DNA data. Available type specimens of all species were studied; neotypes and lectotypes were designated when necessary. The type species Mesobuthus eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839), s. str., is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Currently, the genus includes 29 valid species. Fifteen previously described taxa are recognized as species: Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, 1889) (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan) (= ?Buthus agnetis Werner, 1936, syn. n.), M. barszczevskii (Birula, 1904), stat. n. (Uzbekistan), M. bogdoensis (Birula, 1896) (=Buthus eupeus volgensis Birula, 1925, syn. n.) (Kazakhstan, Russia), M. eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Armenia, Azerbajjan, Georgia, Iran, Russia [North Caucasus], Turkey), M. haarlovi Vachon, 1958 (Afghanistan, Pakistan), M. iranus (Birula, 1917) (Iran), M. kirmanensis (Birula, 1900), stat. n. (Iran) (= Buthus pachysoma Birula, 1900, syn. n.), M. macmahoni (Pocock, 1900) (Pakistan), M. mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912), stat. n. (Iraq, Syria, Turkey), M. persicus (Pocock, 1899) (Azerbaijan, Iran), M. philippovitschi (Birula, 1905), stat. n. (Iran), M. phillipsii (Pocock, 1889) (Iran), M. thersites (C.L. Koch, 1839) (=Buthus eupeus mongolicus Birula, 1911, syn. n.) (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia), M. vesiculatus (Pocock, 1900) (Iran), and M. zarudnyi Novruzov et al., 2022 (Azerbaijan). Fourteen new species are described: Mesobuthus birulai sp. n. (Iran), M. crucittii sp. n. (Iran), M. farleyi sp. n. (Iran), M. fomichevi sp. n. (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), M. galinae sp. n. (Turkmenistan), M. kaftani sp. n. (Iran), M. marusiki sp. n. (Uzbekistan), M. mirshamsii sp. n. (Iran), M. navidpouri sp. n. (Iran), M. rahsenae sp. n. (Turkey), M. turcicus sp. n. (Turkey), M. vignolii sp. n. (Iran), M. yagmuri sp. n. (Turkey), and M. zonsteini sp. n. (Uzbekistan). No subspecies are currently recognized. A key to all studied species is given. A DNA phylogeny based on COI marker is presented including 25 species.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Fet V, Gantenbein B, Graham MR, Yagmur EA, Stahlavsky F, et al. A revision of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, with a description of 14 new species (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2022(348):1-188. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

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