A new Plesiochactas from Guatemala

Rony Trujillo and Luis de Armas have recently published a new species of Plesiochactas Pocock, 1900 (Euscorpiidae) from Guatemala.

Plesiochactas vasquezi Trujillo & Armas, 2012

Abstract:
A new species of the scorpion genus Plesiochactas Pocock, 1900 is described on the basis of a single female specimen from the Cerro San Gil Spring Protection Reserve, Izabal department, Guatemala. It differs from P. dilutus Karsch, 1881 by lacking the median carina of sternite VII and from P. mitchelli Soleglad, 1976 by having a higher pectinal tooth count and by the presence of fulcra.

Reference:
Trujillo RE & de Armas, LF. (2012). Nueva Especie de Plesiochactas Pocock, 1900
(Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) de Guatemala. Boletin de la SEA (50):263-266.

Thanks to Rony Trujillo for sending me this paper!

Family Euscorpiidae

Three new Pandinus from East Africa and a revision of the subgenus Pandinurus

Frantisek Kovarik his continuing his revision of the genus Pandinus Thorell, 1876 (Scorpionidae). He has now published a revision of the subgenus Pandinurus Fet, 1997 from East Africa. Three new species are described and one species is raised to species level from synonymization.

Pandinus awashensis Kovarik, 2012 (new species from Ethiopia)
Pandinus lowei Kovarik, 2012 (new species from Democratic Republic of Congo)
Pandinus somalilandus Kovarik, 2012 (new species from Somaliland)
Pandinus sudanicus Hirst, 1911 (raised to species status from synonymization with P. magrettii, 1901)

The paper has several high quality color photos of scorpions and habitats and also an updated key for the subgenus.

Abstract:
Pandinus (Pandinurus) awashensis sp. n. from Ethiopia, P. (P.) somalilandus sp. n. from Somaliland, and P. (P.) lowei sp. n. from Democratic Republic of Congo are described and compared with other species of the subgenus. P. (P.) sudanicus Hirst, 1911 stat. n. previously considered a synonym of P. (P.) magrettii Borelli, 1901 is recognized as a valid species. New data on taxonomic characters and distribution of the subgenus Pandinurus are presented. Also presented are a map of distribution, photos of the localities and a key to species using hitherto unpublished characters of the tarsomere spination formula and sexual dimorphism.

Reference:
Kovarik, F.(2012). Review of the subgenus Pandinurus Fet, 1997 with descriptions of three new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae, Pandinus). Euscorpius (141):1-22. [Free full text]

Family Scorpionidae

A new Buthus from Egypt

As I have mentioned several times in this blog, the taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Buthus Leach, 1815 (Buthidae) is a challenge, but fortunately there is an increasing research interest in this genus. Wilson Lourenco has now published a new species from Egypt.

Buthus egyptiensis Lourenco, 2012

Abstract:
During the last decade, the genus Buthus Leach, 1815 (family Buthidae) was the subject of several studies. These concerned in particular the ‘Buthus occitanus’ complex of species. Several populations previously considered as subspecies or varieties were raised to the rank of species and many new species were also described. Most of the species considered in these studies come from Northwest Africa. At present, therecords of the genus Buthus in Egypt from other regions than Sinai are questionable, but a new record from the region of Siwa is confirmed and the description of a new species, Buthus egyptiensis, is provided.

Reference:
L ourenco, WR. (2012). A new species of Buthus Leach, 1815 from Egypt (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Entomol. Mott. Zool. Mus. Hamburg 16(187):11-18.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me this paper!

Family Buthidae

The genus Brotheas in Brazil and a new species

Wilson Lourenco has recently published a geographical survey of the genus Brotheas C. L. Koch, 1837 (Chactidae) in Brazil. A new species is also described.

Brotheas tapajos Lourenco, 2012


Abstract:
A geographical survey is presented of the species of the genus Brotheas C. L. Koch, distributed in Brazilian Amazonia. Since some of these species are yet poorly characterized, diagnoses are proposed and their geographical distribution is discussed. A new species is also described on the basis of one male specimen collected in the state of Pará, Brazil. The new species, Brotheas tapajos, is characterized by reddish-brown coloration, the carapace only slightly convex and body and appendages with punctations.

Reference:
Lourenco, WR. (2012). The genus Brotheas C. L. Koch, 1837 in Brazilian Amazonia, with a description of a new species from the State of Pará (Scorpiones: Chactidae). Entomol. Mitt. Zool. Mus.Hamburg 16 (187):1-10.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me this paper!

Family Chactidae

A new species of Pseudochactas from Afghanistan

Photo: Michael Misch (C)

The discovery of the enigmatic Pseudochactas ovchinnikovi Gromov, 1998 from Central Asia and a new family, Pseudochactidae, was undoubtedly one of the most important discoveries in scorpion systematics in recent times. Now a second species of this genus has been described from south-central Afghanistan.

Pseudochactas mischi Soleglad, Kovarik & Fet, 2012 (Pseudochactidae)

The new species is named after Michael Misch, who collected the name species in Afghanistan and made it available to the authors of this paper. Congratulations, Michael, and thanks for your contributions to The Scorpion Files!

Abstract:
A new species of the rare genus Pseudochactas Gromov, 1998 is described from south-central Afghanistan. The species, P. mischi, sp. nov., is compared in detail to its northern sister species P. ovchinnikovi Gromov, 1998, known from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. P. mischi, sp. nov. is a smaller, lighter colored species and has a considerably more robust metasoma, telson, and pedipalp chelae. Biogeographical observations on the genus Pseudochactas are provided.

Reference:
Soleglad, ME, Kovarik F & Fet, V. (2012). A new species of Pseudochactas from Afghanistan (Scorpiones: Pseudochactidae). Boletin de la SEA, (50):89-98.

Thanks to Michael Soleglad for sending me this paper!

Family Pseudochactidae

New Urodacus from Australia

Its holiday time, but I'm trying to post a message on the blog using a shaky internet connection from our cabin.

Erich Volschenk and co-workers have published a new Urodacus (Scorpionidae*) from western Australia.

Urodacus butleri Volschenk, Harvey & Prendini, 2012

*The status of the family Urodacidae is under discussion. Some authors have included the Urodacus in Scorpionidae and abolish the family, while others have retained Urodacidae as a valid family.

Abstract:
A new urodacid scorpion, Urodacus butleri, n. sp., is described from Barrow Island and the Pilbara bioregion of Western Australia. This species is unusually dark in color; it is compared and contrasted with three morphologically similar species, Urodacus manicatus (Thorell, 1876), Urodacus novaehollandiae Peters, 1861, and Urodacus planimanus Pocock, 1893.

Reference:
Volschenk, ES, Harvey, MS & Prendini, L. (2012). A new species of Urodacus ((Scorpiones: Urodacidae) from Western Australia. American Museum Novitates (3748):1-18. [Free full text]

Thanks to Gerald Dupre for sending me this paper!

Family Scorpionidae

Density, spatial distribution and biomass of Hoffmannihadrurus gertschi

Ana Quijano-Ravell and co-workers have recently published an article on the density, spatial distribution and biomass of Hoffmannihadrurus gertschi (Soleglad, 1976) (Caraboctonidae)* in an area in Mexico.

The paper is written in Spanish so I have only read the English abstract.

[*The authors have placed this species in Hadrurus, but it was transfered to Hoffmannihadrurus by Fet & Soleglad i 2008 and this species is listed as Hoffmannihadrurus gertschi (Soleglad, 1976) in The Scorpion Files. Some scientists disagree on the validity of Hoffmannihadurus, as this paper is an example of. Also, some scientists choose to put Hadrurus in Iuridae and reject the validity of Caraboctonidae. See details here.]

Abstract:
Density, spatial dispersion and biomass of Hadrurus gertschi Soleglad 1976 were estimated from field data obtained during a year of observations at “La Coronilla” hill in the municipality of Tepecoacuilco de Trujano, Guerrero, Mexico. Five quadrants of 400 m2 with differing slope exposures were used. The highest density was recorded in the quadrant without slope or “flat quadrant” with 0.3450 burrows per m2 and the southern exposure quadrant (0.2300 burrows per m2). The lowest densities occurred in the quadrants with northern and western exposures (0.1325 and 0.0825 burrows per m2 respectively). The highest values of the year were recorded in the months of May to July. The spatial dispersion of burrows in all exposures studied corresponds with a clumped distribution according to the Morisita Index. Average dry weight of adults was 2.22 ± 0.73 g and 6.4 ± 0.89 g in fresh weight. The juveniles weighted 0.08 ± 0.05 g in dry weight and 0.2 of fresh weight instar II and 1.10 ± 0.41 g dry weight and 3.63 ±1.95 g in fresh weight in the preadult stage. The biomass per ha was estimated in 2471.26 g of dry weight and 6190.02 g of fresh weight.

Reference:
Quijano-Ravell AF, Ponce-Saavedra J, Francke OF. Densidad, distribucion espacial y biomasa de Hadrurus gertschi Soleglad (Scorpiones, Iuridae) en una localidad de Guerro, Mexico. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2012;20:35-43.

Thanks to Dr. Francke for sending me this paper!

Family Caraboctonidae