New fossil scorpion discovered from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany

As you probably know, scorpions are an old animal group dating back to the mid Silurian period (ca. 430 Ma). Around 131 fossil scorpion species are known so far. Jason Dunlop and co-workers have now discovered a new species based on two well-preserved specimens (together with several fragments) discovered within the early Permian (ca. 291 Ma) Leukersdorf Formation, the upper part of which contains the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz (Saxony, Germany).

Opsieobuthus tungeri Dunlop, Legg, Selden, Fet, Schneider & Røssler, 2016

This article is specially interesting because the authors have tried an appearance in life reconstruction of the new species and also discuss elements of its habitat and biology in the Perm period.

Abstract:
Background: Paleozoic scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) have been widely documented from the Carboniferous Period; which hosts a remarkable assemblage of more than sixty species including both putative stem- and crowngroup fossils. By contrast the succeeding Permian Period is almost completely devoid of records, which are currently restricted to a trace fossil from the early Permian of New Mexico, USA and some limb fragments from the late Permian of the Vologda Region, Russia.
Results: ?Opsieobuthus tungeri sp. nov. from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany represents the first complete body fossils of scorpions from the Permian. Explosive volcanism preserved these remarkable specimens in situ as part of the palaeosol horizon and bedrock of the Petrified Forest, immediately beneath the Zeisigwald tuff horizon. This dates to the early Permian (Sakmarian) or ca. 291 Ma. Intriguingly, the specimens were obtained from a palaeosol horizon with a compacted network of different-sized woody roots and thus have been preserved in situ in their likely life position, even within their original burrows. Differences in the structure of the comb-like pectines in the two fossils offer evidence for sexual dimorphism, and permit further inferences about the ecology and perhaps even the reproductive biology of these animals.
Conclusions: As putative members of a Coal Measures genus, these fossils suggest that at least some Carboniferous scorpion lineages extended their range further into the Permian. This contributes towards a picture of scorpion evolution in which both basal and derived (orthostern) forms coexisted for quite some time; probably from the end of the Carboniferous through to at least the mid Triassic.

Reference:
Dunlop JA, Legg DA, Selden PA, Fet V, Schneider JW, Rossler R. Permian scorpions from the Petrified Forest of Chemnitz, Germany. BMC Evol Biol. 2016;16(1):72. [Open Access]

Thanks to professor Victor Fet for sending me this article!

A new species of Grosphus from Madagascar

Late last year, Lourenco & Wilme published a new species in the endemic genus Grosphus Simon, 1880  (Buthidae) from the Ambatovy-Analamay humid forest in Madagascar.

Grosphus voahangyae Lourenço & Wilme 2015

Abstract:
Uplands areas of the central eastern Madagascar are not considered amongst the regions of the island that show high levels of scorpion diversity. Previous surveys conducted in the Ambatovy-Analamay-Torotorofotsy humid forests at around 1000 m, revealed the presence of different species of Grosphus. The detailed study of several individuals of one of these populations indicates the presence of a new species associated with Grosphus hirtus Kraepelin, 1900. This new species, G. voahangyae sp. n., is described in the paper. Some comments on biogeographic aspects linking the new species with both G. madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843) and G. hirtus are also provided.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Wilme L. Species of Grosphus Simon, 1880, associated to the group madagascariensis / hirtus (Scorpiones: Buthidae); description of a peculiar new species from the humid eastern forests of Madagascar. Entomologische Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum Hamburg. 2015;17(194):207-23.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me this paper!

Family Buthidae

A new genus and species from the Mitaraka Massif in French Guiana

Wilson Lourenco has discovered a new genus and species from the Mitaraka Massif in French Guiana.

Spinochactas Lourenco, 2016 (Chactidae)

Spinochactas mitaraka Lourenco, 2016

The biography of the family Chactidae in this regions is also discussed.

Abstract:
A new genus and species, Spinochactas mitaraka gen. n., sp. n. (Chactidae) are described from the Mitaraka Massif in French Guiana, a site located near the borders of French Guiana, Brazil, and Suriname. The description of the new genus and species brings further evidence of the biogeographic pattern of distribution presented by some elements of the family Chactidae endemic to the Tepuys or to the Inselberg formations of South America.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. Scorpions from the Mitaraka Massif in French Guiana: Description of one new genus and species (Scorpiones: Chactidae). C R Biol. 2016 Mar 16. [Subscription required for full text]

Family Chactidae

Major review of the scorpions of Sri Lanka with several taxonomcal changes

Frantisek Kovarik and several co-workers have recently published a major review of the scorpion fauna of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). A identification key for the 18 species in the island is provided, as are many color pictures of species and habitats.

Four new species are described and several taxonomical changes are proposed.

The subgenus Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 in Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) is elevated to genus level. Several species is transferred from Isometrus to Reddyanus. See the paper or the Buthidae family page for a list of the species now belonging til Reddyanus.

Four new species are described from Sri Lanka:

Charmus saradieli Kovarik, Loewe, Ranawana, Hoferek & Jayarathne 2016

Reddyanus ceylonensis Kovarik, Lowe, Ranawana, Hoferek, Jayarathne & Stahlavsky, 2016
Reddyanus jayarathnei Kovarik, 2016
Reddyanus ranawanai Kovarik, 2016

The following species is elevated to species status from synonymization:

Heterometrus serratus (Pocock, 1900) - Previously in synonymy with H. indus (Geer, 1778)

The following species are synonymized:

Charmus minor Lourenco, 2002 is synonymized with Charmus laneus Karsch, 1879

Isometrus garyi Lourenco, & Huber, 2002 is synonymized with Reddyanus loebli (Vachon, 1982)

Abstract:
Data about all 18 known scorpion species of Sri Lanka are summarized. All previously known species were newly collected and four new species discovered during a scorpiological expedition in 2015. Information is provided about their taxonomy, distribution, ecology, and reproductive biology, fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved specimens, as well as their habitat. Subgenus Isometrus (Reddyanus) Vachon, 1972 is elevated to genus level, Reddyanus stat. n., supported by new characters of setation on leg tarsomere II and hemi-spermatophore morphology. Charmus saradieli sp. n., Reddyanus ceylonensis sp. n., R. jayarathnei sp. n., and R. ranawanai sp. n. are described, compared with other species and fully illustrated. Heterometrus serratus (Pocock, 1900) is restored and differentiated from H. indus (Geer, 1778). Charmus minor Lourenço, 2002 is synonymized with Charmus laneus Karsch, 1879; Isometrus garyi Lourenço et Huber, 2002 is synonymized with Reddyanus loebli (Vachon, 1982) comb. n., and Heterometrus spinifer solitarius Couzijn, 1981 is synonymized with Heterometrus indus (Geer, 1778). A key and distribution maps for all 18 Sri Lankan scorpion species are presented. Hemispermatophores of Buthoscorpio sarasinorum (Karsch, 1892), Charmus laneus Karsch, 1879, Isometrus thwaitesi Pocock, 1897, Lychas srilankensis Lourenço, 1997, Reddyanus basilicus (Karsch, 1879) comb. n., R. ceylonensis sp. n., R. loebli comb. n. and Heterometrus gravimanus (Pocock, 1894) are illustrated and described for the first time. In additional to morphological analysis, we also describe the karyotype of Buthoscorpio sarasinorum (2n=14); Charmus laneus (2n=9); Isometrus thwaitesi (2n=8); Lychas srilankensis (2n=16); Reddyanus basilicus comb. n. (2n=15–16); R. ceylonensis sp. n. (2n=16); and R. loebli comb. n. (2n=17). The significance of cytogenetics and hemispermatophore morphology in buthid taxonomy are discussed.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Lowe G, Ranawana KB, Hoferek D, Jayarathne VAS, Pliskova J, et al. Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpionidae) with Description of Four New Species of the Genera Charmus Karsch, 1879 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972, stat. n. Euscorpius. 2016 (220):1-133. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

First documented envenomation from the medical important species Leiurus abdullahbayrami from Turkey

Michael Seiter and co-workers have recently published a case report involving the sting of the recently described species Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009 (Buthidae) from Turkey.This report is the first documented envenomation from this potential dangerous species.

Abstract:
Scorpion stings are very common in Turkey. Nevertheless, they are not well documented in the literature and were never reported for the recently described scorpion species Leiurus abdullahbayrami Yağmur, Koç & Kunt, 2009. Here, we report a case in which a 30-year-old male was stung by a L. abdullahbayrami scorpion in the field. He was directly brought to the emergency department of the local hospital. The symptomatic process was observed and documented. In this case, no antivenom was necessary; we hypothesize that the scorpion has used most of its venom in a previous incident (explained in further detail below) and was therefore not able to inject a normal dosage.

Reference:
Seiter M, Koc H, Ullrich A, Yagmur EA. The case history of a toxic sting of a Leiurus abdullahbayrami scorpion in Turkey.  Arachnologische Mitteilungen. 2016;51:64-6. [Open Access]

Thanks to Alex Ullrich for sending me a copy of their article!

On the distribution of Butheoloides littoralis in Morocco

Oulaid Touloun and co-workers have recently published an article on the distribution of the endemic species Butheoloides littoralis Lourenço, Touloun & Boumezzough, 2011 (Buthidae) in Morocco.

Abstract:
Morocco is the region in Africa with the highest diversity of Butheoloides Hirst, 1925 species. Until now, the total number of species of this genus known from Morocco is raised to five. A field study conducted in southern Morocco discovered a new specimen of Butheloides littoralis in the Tighmi region (southeast of Tiznit), the most continental site of this species in Morocco. This specimen is the third of this endemic species of Morocco but it is the first male discovered.

Reference:
Touloun O, El Hidan MA, Boumezzough A. New Data on the Distribution of Butheoloides littoralis Lourenço, Touloun et Boumezzough, 2011 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2016 (219):1-4. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new Centruroides species from Mexico

Ana Quijano-Ravell and Javier Ponce-Saavedra have recently published a new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae) from Mexico.

Centruroides ruana Quijano-Ravell & Ponce-Saavedra, 2016

Abstract:
Centruroides ruana sp. nov. is described from Felipe Carrillo Puerto, from the Buenavista Municipality in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. The new species was compared with C. balsasensis Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2004, C. infamatus Koch, 1844, and C. limpidus (Karsch, 1879), which are both morphologically its closest relatives and geographically proximate. The description includes the male holotype, with 7 male and 8 female paratypes. A supplementary morphometric analysis is also presented allowing to distinguish the 4 species.

Reference:
Quijano-Ravell AF, Ponce-Saavedra J. A new species of scorpion of the genus Centruroides (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad. 2016;In Press, Corrected Proof. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae