As readers of this blog will know, there have been major increase of Buthus Leach, 1815 (Buthidae) species in Europe in the last two decades. Initially, the only species known from the Iberian Peninsula was Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789). But this species complex was split into several new species, and in 2025 the number had reached almost 20.
Recently, Javier Blasco-Aróstegui and co-workers published a major systematic revision based on samples collected across the known distribution, rigorous phylogenetic analyses combining morphology, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, morphometric analyses, and ecological data. Their analysis has concluded with the synonymization of 10 species from the Iberian Peninsula.
Buthus gonzalezdelavegai González-Moliné and Armas, 2024 is synonymzed with Buthus delafuentei Teruel and Turiel, 2020.
Buthus (Androctonus) ajax C.L. Koch, 1839 is synonymized with Buthus halius (C.L. Koch, 1839).
Buthus gabani Ythier, 2021 is synonymized with Buthus halius (C.L. Koch, 1839).
Buthus castellano Teruel and Turiel, 2022 is synonymized with Buthus halius (C.L. Koch, 1839).
Buthus baeticus Teruel and Turiel, 2020 is synonymized with Buthus ibericus Lourenço and Vachon, 2004.
Buthus alacanti Teruel and Turiel, 2020 is synonymized with Buthus manchego Teruel and Turiel, 2020.
Buthus serrano Teruel and Turiel, 2020 is synonymized with Buthus manchego Teruel and Turiel, 2020.
Buthus pedrosousai Teruel and Turiel, 2021 is synonymized with Buthus manchego Teruel and Turiel, 2020.
Buthus pyrenaeus Ythier, 2021 is synonymized with Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789).
Buthus balmensis Ythier and Laborieux, 2022 is synonymized with Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789).
The remaining nine valid species from the Iberian Peninsula are redescribed and data on distribution and habitats are given. A identification guide for the nine species is also available.
Abstract:
The Palearctic buthid scorpion genus Buthus Leach, 1815, distributed from southwestern Europe (southern France and the Iberian Peninsula) across Africa north of the Sahara, to the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, has undergone extensive taxonomic revision in the past two decades. Despite these efforts, its taxonomic composition remains confused, perhaps nowhere more so than in the Iberian Peninsula, where 20 putative species were recognized in the past two decades. Molecular phylogenetic studies of Buthus in northwestern Africa and southwestern Europe, based on a few, mostly mitochondrial gene loci, recovered a monophyletic origin for the European clade of Buthus and suggested the existence of several distinct lineages on the Iberian Peninsula. However, relationships with the species of Buthus from the North African Maghreb remained ambiguous. Morphological descriptions of new or revalidated species of Buthus, based in part on the molecular phylogenies but lacking robust diagnoses, and making little attempt to consider geographical variation, compounded the confusion. The present contribution provides a comprehensive, integrative revision of the European species of Buthus based on samples, including topotypes, collected across the known distribution, rigorous phylogenetic analyses combining morphology, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, morphometric analyses, and ecological data. Nine valid species of Buthus are recognized across France, Portugal, and Spain, and 10 new synonyms presented: Buthus delafuentei Teruel and Turiel, 2020 = Buthus gonzalezdelavegai González-Moliné and Armas, 2024, syn. n.; Buthus elongatus Rossi, 2021; Buthus garcialorcai Teruel and Turiel, 2020; Buthus halius (C.L. Koch, 1839) = Androctonus ajax C.L. Koch, 1839, syn. n. = Buthus gabani Ythier, 2021, syn. n. = Buthus castellano Teruel and Turiel, 2022, syn, n.; Buthus iaspis Teruel and Turiel, 2022; Buthus ibericus Lourenço and Vachon, 2004 = Buthus baeticus Teruel and Turiel, 2020, syn. n.; Buthus manchego Teruel and Turiel, 2020 = Buthus alacanti Teruel and Turiel, 2020, syn. n. = Buthus serrano Teruel and Turiel, 2020, syn. n. = Buthus pedrosousai Teruel and Turiel, 2021, syn. n.; Buthus montanus Lourenço and Vachon, 2004; Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789) = Buthus pyrenaeus Ythier, 2021, syn. n. = Buthus balmensis Ythier and Laborieux, 2022, syn. n. Revised, comparative diagnoses and illustrations are provided for each species, together with a distribution map and key to their identification.
Reference:
Blasco-Aróstegui J, Simone Y, Prendini L. Systematic revision of the European species of Buthus Leach, 1815 (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Bulletin of The American Museum of Natural History. 2025(476):1–131. [Open Access]
Thanks to Yuri for sending me their article!
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