Scorpionism in Central America - a review

Tityus pachyurus is the species responsible for most sever envenomation cases in Panama. Photo: Dr. Carlos Viquez

Scorpionism in North America and South America is pretty well documented, but there have been few reports on scorpions of medical importance in Central America. This has probably been due to the scarcity of data for the region.

Borges and co-workers have now published a very good review article summing up the current knowledge of scorpionism in Central America with a special focus on Panama. Scorpions of medical importance includes species in the genera Centruroides (12 species) Marx, 1890 and Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (8 species). Species in the former genera seem to have minor medical importance in Central America, while at least four species in Tityus have been implicated in deaths and severe envenomations in Panama (and possible also in Costa Rica). Species of medical importance are:

Tityus asthenes Pocock, 1893
T. cerroazul Lourenço, 1986
T. festae Borelli, 1899
T. pachyurus Pocock, 1897

Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua have no documented cases of serious scorpion envenomations (but also lack the presence of Tityus).

Abstract:
 Scorpionism in the Americas occurs mainly in Mexico, northern South America and southeast Brazil. This article reviews the local scorpion fauna, available health statistics, and the literature to assess scorpionism in Central America. Notwithstanding its high toxicity in Mexico, most scorpion sting cases in Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica are produced by species in the genus Centruroides that are only mildly toxic to humans despite the existence of ion channel-active toxins in their venoms. Regional morbidity is low with the exception of Panama, where an incidence of 52 cases per 100,000 inhabitants was recorded for 2007, with 28 deaths from 1998 to 2006. Taxa belonging to the genus Tityus (also present in the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica) are responsible for fatalities in Panama, with Tityus pachyurus being the most important species medically. Most Tityus species inhabiting Panama are also found in northern South America from which they probably migrated upon closure of the Panamanian isthmus in the Miocene era. Incorporation of Panama as part of the northern South American endemic area of scorpionism is thereby suggested based on the incidence of these accidents and the geographical distribution of Panamanian Tityus species.

Reference:
Borges A, Miranda RJ, Pascale JM. Scorpionism in central America, with special reference to the case of Panama. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 2012;18(2):130-43. [Free full text]

Thanks to Jacek Szubert for informing me about this paper!

Rhopalurus junceus venom in alternative cancer treatment

Rhopalurus junecus from Cuba. Photo: Rick West (C)

The venom from the Cuban scorpion Rhopalurus junceus (Herbst, 1800) (Buthidae) has been used in alternative cancer treatment for several years, but there have been few if any systematic, scientific studies of the venom and its effects on cancerous conditions. Di Lorenzo and co-workers now report of a patient case where the patient experienced an unexpected total pain relief and other positive effects after using the medicine "Escozul" (based on the venom of R. junceus).

It is important to stress that this is no proof that the venom of Rhopalurus contains superior anti-cancer components, but it is an indication that it is important that the venom of this species is subjected to more research to uncover the working components and also to get clinical evidence for its therapeutic effects (similar to what has been done with the venom of Leiurus quinquestriatus and other species).

Abstract:
During the management of cancer pain sometimes patients ask for alternative, unusual, non recognized approaches. Last year we followed a cancer patient treated with an active substance that is the venom of blue scorpions endemic to Cuba, called Rhopalurus junceus “Escozul” that experienced an unexpected total pain relief with a good recovery of muscle strength, vital energy and capacity to cope with daily activities such as meal, walking and interacting with relatives and caregivers. Researchers' working on the blue scorpion venom published preliminary data online referring of postulate antitumoral activity in human tumors in vivo and analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activities in experimental models in vitro and in vivo but unfortunately actual available clinical data are not results coming from recognized Randomized Controlled Trials supervised by appropriate IRB regulatory bodies but in a recent paper published on Toxicon in July 2011 Garcia-Gomez et al. describe the first general biochemical, molecular and functional characterization of the venom. What it is sure is this venom certainly warrant further investigation.

Reference:
Di Lorenzo L, Chiara P, Antonio C, Calogero F. Cancer pain managment with a venom of blue scorpion endemic in Cuba, called rhopalurus junceus "escozul". Open Cancer Journal. 2012;5(1):1-2. [Free full text]

A new Buthoscorpio from India

Wilson Lourenco has described a new species of Buthoscorpio Werner, 1936 (Buthidae) from India. The genus' status so for is also discussed, including a redescription of B. sarasinorum (Karsch, 1891).

Buthoscorpio indicus Lourenco, 2012

Abstract:
Considerations regarding the taxonomy and distribution of the species belonging to the genus Buthoscorpio Werner, 1936 are proposed. A revised redescription is proposed for Buthoscorpio sarasinorum (Karsch, 1891) and a new species, Buthoscorpio indicus sp. n., is described from north-central India. Even with the description of this new species, Buthoscorpio remains a very enigmatic genus with a limited range of distribution in India and Sri Lanka. The total number of known species in this genus is raised to four: three in India and one in Sri Lanka.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. Further taxonomic considerations on the genus Buthoscorpio Werner, 1936 (Scorpiones, Buthidae), with description of a new species from India. Boletin de la SEA. 2012(50):187-92.

Thanks to professor Lourenco and Gerard Dupre for both sending me this paper!

Family Buthidae

Many scorpion articles published in Boletin de la S.E.A. is now available online

The journal Boletin de la S.E.A. published by Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.) regularly publish scorpion articles. The publisher has now made all articles published in the last six year freely available on their website. See message from editor Antonio Melic:


Dear Colleagues,

In the last 6 years the journal Boletín de la S.E.A. has published about 200
articles and papers on arachnology.

A complete index of all published articles (about 200: Vol. 37-49, October
2005 - December 2011) is available on the website of the SEA.
The articles include descriptions of 133 new taxa (including several genera
and 72 n. sp. of Scorpions, 5 genera and 15 new species of Schizomida, news
Araneae, Amblypygi, Thelyphonida, Solifugae, etc..).
Several studies dealing with ecology, biology, fauna, ethnology... on
Arachnida.
All items can be viewed in pdf format.

http://www.sea-entomologia.org/BOLETINARACNOLOGIA/boletinaracnologia.html

With warm regards

Antonio Melic
Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.)
Avda. Radio Juventud, 37
50012 Zaragoza (España)
amelic@telefonica.net
www.sea-entomologia.org

A great initiative from S.E.A.!

A new Buthus species from Spain

The study of the genus Buthus (Leach, 1815) (Buthidae) in Africa and Europe is really in focus these days. Andrea Rossi has now discovered a new Buthus species in Andalusia (Malaga province) in Spain. Spain has now four known Buthus species.

Buthus elongatus Rossi, 2012

The discovery of the new species is based both on molecular and morphological evidence. The paper has an identification key for all European Buthus species.

Abstract:
Two new species of the genus Buthus (Leach, 1815) were described in 2004 in Spain: B. montanus Lourenço & Vachon, 2004 and B. ibericus Lourenço & Vachon, 2004. Gantenbein & Largiadèr (2003) distinguished divergent clades among European Buthus in their phylogenetic analysis. Subsequently, Sousa et al. (2010) reported five distinct mtDNA lineages within Buthus from the Iberian Peninsula, two of which they reported for the first time. In the present work, a new species, Buthus elongatus n. sp., is described, which is most similar to one of the two lineages of Sousa et al. (2010): samples Sc 98 and Sc 99, lineage 3 in their study, from southern Spain, which resemble Buthus occitanus morphologically, but differ from the other specimens of this species by 8.6%. A key for all European Buthus and a summary of their distribution are provided.

Reference:
Rossi, A. (2012). Notes on the distribution of the species of the genus Buthus (Leach, 1815) (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in Europe, with a description of a new species from Spain. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 15(8):273–279.

Thanks to Andrea Rossi for sending me the paper!

Family Buthidae

A new Ananteris from Brazil

Wilson Lourenco has recently described a new species of Ananteris Thorell 1891 (Buthidae) from Northeastern Brazil.

Ananteris bonito Lourenco, 2012

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Ananteris Thorell has been discovered in Brazil. Ananteris bonito sp. n. is described from one single male collected in the region of the Parnaíba River delta in the state of Piauí, Brazil. This is the first record of an Ananteris species for this Brazilian state. The number of Ananteris species described from the Northeast region of Brazil is raised to seven. The number of Ananteris species known for the scorpion fauna of Brazil is now raised to 21.
Reference:
Lourenco, WR. (2012). The genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in the Northeastern region of Brazil and description of a new species. Boletin del la SEA (50):73-76.

Family Buthidae

A new Euscorpius from Central Italy

It is known that the Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Euscorpiidae) fauna of Greece and Balkans are unresolved, but it is for me a little surprising that a new species has now been described from Central Italy by Gioele Tropea. The total number of Italian Euscorpius species is now 10.

Euscorpius celanus Tropea, 2012

The new species is so far only know from the Celano area in the Abruzzo region in Central Italy.

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 is described based on specimens collected at the locality Celano (AQ), Abruzzo, central Italy. It is characterized by a peculiar trichobothrial pattern (eba = 5-5 + eb = 4-4), a large number of pectine teeth, and a general colouration which is dark brownish, with legs and telson yellowish. With the description of this new species a new trichobothrial pattern is described. The number of Euscorpius species in Italy is thus raised to ten, and the number of species in the subgenus Euscorpius to five.

Reference:
Tropea, G. (2012). A new species of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae) from Italy. Bulletin of the British Arachnological Society 15 (8):253–259.

Thanks to Gioele Tropea for sending me his article!

Family Euscorpiidae