24 April, 2023

A new species of Androctonus from Cameroon

 


Wilson Lourenco has recently published a new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from the savanna formations of Sanguéré-Djoi in Cameroon.

Androctonus cacahuati Lourenco, 2023

Abstract:
A new species of scorpion belonging to the genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (family Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837), is described on the basis of one adult female and seven males and six females juveniles collected in the savannah formations of Sanguéré-Djoi, Cameroon. The material was collected with the use of Barber traps what explains a predominance of immature individuals in the sample. This Androctonus population is the first record of the genus for Cameroon and can be associated with Androctonus hoggarensis (Pallary, 1929), species originally described from the Hoggar Mountains in Algeria. The analysis of a several morphological characters of both species confirms some differences. More conclusive however are the characteristics of endemic populations of the two species. Respectively in a Saharan Massif, major endemic centres within the Sahara desert, and in a savannah-like formation.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from the Northern savannas of Cameroon (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Serket. 2023;19(2):111-20. [Open Access]

Thanks to Dr. Hisham K. El-Hennawy for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

19 April, 2023

All you need to know about the medical important buthid Tityus obscurus from Brazil and French Guiana

 


South America hosts a number of medical important scorpions, mainly in the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Buthidae) and knowledge about the biology and distribution of these species is important so the we can prevent and reduce the negative impact scorpions have on the human population.

Jonas Gama Martins and several co-workers have put together "a review" summing up most of the knowledge that is available for Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843). This species is distributed in Brazil and French Guiana and is known to cause both. mild, moderate and serious symptoms in humans. 

The present study sums up information about taxonomy, distribution, habitat, epidemiology of sting cases, reproduction for this species. Treatment of sting cases is also discussed and especially the challenges of producing an effective anti-venom for this species.

Abstract:
Tityus obscurus has caused mild, moderate and severe accidents of medical relevance in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Tityus obscurus has sexual dimorphism although males and females have uniform black coloration. In the Amazon, one of the habitats of this scorpion is seasonally flooded forests (igap´os and v´arzeas). However, most stings occur in terra firme forest areas (non-flooded region), where most rural communities are located. Adults and children stung by T. obscurus may experience an “electric shock” sensation for more than 30 h after the sting. Our data shows that people inhabiting remote forest areas, including rubber tappers, fishermen and indigenous people, with no access to anti-scorpion serum, use parts of native plants, such as seeds and leaves, against pain and vomiting caused by scorpion stings. Although there is a technical effort to produce and distribute antivenoms in the Amazon, many cases of scorpion stings are geographically unpredictable in this region, due to the lack of detailed knowledge of the natural distribution of these animals. In this manuscript, we compile information on the natural history of T. obscurus and the impact of its envenoming on human health. We identify the natural sites that host this scorpion in the Amazon, in order to warn about the risk of human envenoming. The use of specific antivenom serum is the recommended treatment for accidents involving venomous animals. However, atypical symptoms not neutralized by the available commercial antivenom are reported in the Amazon region. Facing this scenario, we present some challenges to the study of venomous animals in the Amazon rainforest and possible experimental bottlenecks and perspectives for establishing a method aimed at producing an efficient antivenom.

Reference:
Martins JG, de Castro Figueiredo Bordon K, Moreno-González JA, de Almeida BRR, Pardal PPO, Lira AFdA, et al. On the noxious black Amazonian scorpion, Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Taxonomic notes, biology, medical importance and envenoming treatment. Toxicon. 2023;228:107125. [Subscription required for full text]

Family Buthidae

14 April, 2023

A new buthid genus and species from China

 


Victora Tang and co-workers have recently published an extensive study describing a new genus and species from Xizang (Tibet), China. 

Langxie Tang, Jia & Liu, 2023

Langxie feti Tang, Jia & Liu, 2023

The new species seems to be extremely abundant in the region.

I would like to compliment the authors for this work, which was completed despite of major challenges!

Abstract:
A new monotypic genus, Langxie gen. n., is described from Xizang (Tibet), China. The new genus shares an important morphological character with Afrolychas Kovařík, 2019: absence of external accessory denticles (EADs) along the sixth row of median denticles (MDs) on the pedipalp movable finger. Langxie gen. n. is different from Afrolychas in the following aspects: loss of EAD near the proximally enlarged MD within each row (i. e., loss of all EAD on the movable finger; this also distinguishes the new genus from other related genera in the “(Ananteris + Isometrus)” clade (Štundlová et al., 2022)), subaculear tubercle armed with or without a secondary tubercle dorsally, immaculate color pattern, more slender appendages and metasoma, and less sexually dimorphic pectines. Langxie gen. n. further differs from another geographically close genus, Himalayotityobuthus Lourenço, 1997, by the presence of highly developed pectinal fulcra (vs. absent in Himalayotityobuthus), six rows of MDs on the pedipalp movable finger (vs. 7–8 in Himalayotityobuthus) and five pairs of lateral ocelli (vs. 3 in Himalayotityobuthus). The new species, Langxie feti sp. n., is small and slender, exhibiting no obvious sexual dimorphism in pedipalp and metasoma, but the sexes are visibly different in the relative size of median ocelli and coarseness of carapacial granulation. Lattice microstructures are prominently developed on its cuticle.

Reference:
Tang V, Jia Q, Liu L. A new monotypic genus and species from China, Langxie feti gen. et sp. n. (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2023(370):1-101. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae