A revision of the genus Odontobuthus with three new species from Iran

 

Members of the clay-loving genus Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) are distributed from central-eastern Iraq to north-western India. Hossein Barahoei and co-workers have recently published a review article with a morphometric and phylogenetic analysis of the genus. The validity of the current known species (six) are confirmed and three new species from Iran are described.

Odontobuthus baluchicus Barahoei, Prendini, Navidpour, Tahir, Aliabadian & Siahsarvie, 2021 

Odontobuthus chabaharensis Barahoei, Prendini, Navidpour, Tahir, Aliabadian & Siahsarvie, 2021 

Odontobuthus kermanus Barahoei, Prendini, Navidpour, Tahir, Aliabadian & Siahsarvie, 2021 

The article has an updated identification key for the genus.   

Abstract:
The ‘tooth-tailed’ scorpions of the buthid genus Odontobuthus comprises six species with an allopatric or parapatric pattern of distribution in the Middle East, but the diversity of Odontobuthus in Iran appears to be underestimated, with the limits of several species remaining unclear. In the present contribution, an integrative approach to the systematics of Odontobuthus was applied, to determine the taxonomic validity and phylogenetic relationships among its species. Statistical analyses of five meristic characters, 38 morphometric characters and 21 morphometric ratios, combined with molecular phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, were conducted. All previously described species of Odontobuthus were found to be well supported, and new morphological diagnoses are here presented. Additionally, three new species: Odontobuthus baluchicus sp. nov. from the Makkoran Mountains, Odontobuthus chabaharensis sp. nov. from the coast of the Gulf of Oman (Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces) and Odontobuthus kermanus sp. nov. from Kerman Province, are described, raising the total number of Odontobuthus species to nine, six of which are endemic or subendemic to the Iranian Plateau. A distribution map and identification key to the species of Odontobuthus are also provided.

Reference:
Barahoei H, Prendini L, Navidpour S, Tahir HM, Aliabadian M, Siahsarvie R, et al. Integrative systematics of the tooth-tailed scorpions, Odontobuthus (Buthidae), with descriptions of three new species from the Iranian Plateau. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2021;XX:1-44. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Dr. Hossein Barahoei for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

 

The genus Hottentotta may have become established in Spain

 

Non-native species have been reported from many countries, but most of these are introduced and usually have not become established a a viable population. Spain are known for several introduced species, most notable the buthid Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) in the island Tenerife that seems to be an established population.

Rolando Teruel and Carlos Turiel now report of several findings of the African species Hottentotta hottentotta (Fabricius, 1787) (Buthidae) from northwestern Spain. The independent findings of three live, female specimens from two different locations may suggest that this species have become established in this part of Spain. 

Hottentotta hottentotta is an ideal candidate for colonization as its widespread distribution in tropical West Africa indicates a species with high ecological plasticity. In addition, the species is known for the ability to asexual reproduction by parthenogenesis.

It will be interesting to see if there will be further findings that can confirm the occurrence of this genus in Spain and in Europe.

Abstract:
The present note reports on the occurrence of the buthid scorpion Hottentotta hottentotta (Fabricius, 1787) at two localities in north-western Spain: Nieves (Galicia) and Gijon (Asturias). This species is markedly synanthropic and native to western Africa, where it is widespread and consists largely of parthenogentic populations. The finding of three live adult females independently at two different localities , but within the same geographical region (The Iberian northwest), suggests that this species could have successfully become established here. Spain now harbours four introduced species: one confirmed as established and two others seemingly so as well.

Reference:
Teruel R, Turiel C. "New kid on the block": The West African scorpion Hottentotta hottentotta (Frabricius, 1787) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) may have become established in Spain. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2021(39):107-9.

Thanks to Rolando, Carlos and Luis for all sending me this article!

A new species of Buthus from Central Spain

 

Happy New Year!

I have received quite a few new articles during the last month, but due to a long and well-deserved holiday I now have a long queue of interesting articles waiting. Please be patient, I will blog about them soon. :)

The Iberian scorpion fauna have exploded in the last year with the description of many new species with limited distribution. Now Rolando Turiel and Carlos Turiel have discovered another one from Serrania de Cuenca in central Spain.

Buthus pedrosousai Teruel & Turiel, 2021

The articles presents also updated distributional data for nine other Buthus Leach, 1815 (Buthidae) species in the region.

Abstract:
The present paper represents the third contribution to our taxonomic revision to the genus Buthus Leach, 1815 in the Iberian Peninsula. Herein, we describe a new species from the Serrania de Cuenca (central Spain) and present additional locality records to complement to known geographical distribution of a further nine species: Buthus alacanti Teruel & Turiel, 2020, Buthus baeticus Teruel & Turiel, 2020, Buthus delafuentei Teruel & Turiel, 2020, Buthus elongatus Rossi, 2012, Buthus ibericus Lourenco & Vachon, 2004, Buthus manchego Teruel & Turiel, 2020, Buthus montanus Lourenco & Vachon, 2004, Buthus occitanus (Amoreux, 1789) and Buthus serrano Teruel & Turiel, 2020. The West European diversity of Buthus now reaches 15 species, all of them being local endemics.

Reference:
Teruel R, Turiel C. The genus Buthus Leach, 1815 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iberian peninsula. Part 3: A new species from central Spain and new records. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2021(39):3-11.

Thanks to Rolando, Carlos and Luis for all sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

Season's Greetings from The Scorpion Files

 
Picture: The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, https://twitter.com/USCPSC/status/1464238132023504900 (Public domain).

I'm illustrating this Christmas holiday greeting with a tweet from The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, using a Heterometrus scorpion as an example of a "dangerous" Christmas present for children. Even though the purpose is well meant, this doesn't improve the image of scorpions in the general public. But it is also a little funny as I guess quite a few of you reading this blog would have loved to get a scorpion gift! :)

Thanks to Matt Simon for sending me the tweet!

I wish you all Merry Chistmas and a Happy New Scorpion Year!

Best wishes

Jan Ove Rein
Editor

A new species in the micro-scorpion genus Pseudouroplectes from Madagascar

 

Wilson Lourenco has recently described a new species of Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995  (Buthidae), a genus of micro-scorpions endemic to Madagascar. 

Pseudouroplectes jacki Lourenco, 2021

The article as an updated identification key for the genus.

Abstract:
Among Malagasy scorpion genera, Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995 (Buthidae) remains one of the less speciose. All species are extremely rare and known only by a few or even for a single individual. A new species is described from the tropical dry forest of Tsimembo in the Melaky Region, confirming the distribution of the genus to a further northern locality. As for several previous cases, the single holotype specimen was obtained by extraction with the use of Berlese method. The description of one more new species, confirms the distributional pattern of Pseudouroplectes as a typical element of dry forest formations which range from the south to the middle of the island.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A further new species for the Malagasy genus Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Faunitaxys. 2021;9(41):1-7. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new species of Buthus from Burkina Faso

 

Eric Ythier has recently described a new species of Buthus Leach, 1815 (Buthidae) from Burkina Faso.

Buthus bobo Ythier, 2021

Abstract:
A new species of Buthus Leach, 1815 is described on the basis of one adult female specimen collected in the savannas of Western Burkina Faso. The new species is mainly characterized by a brownish yellow coloration with dark brownish to blackish confluent spots on tergites forming a blurred dark trivittate pattern, most carinae and granulations marked with dark brownish to blackish pigment, ventral carinae of metasomal segments II-III strongly marked and pedipalp chela manus of female quite slender. This new taxon represents the 7th known scorpion species reported from Burkina-Faso and the 5th described species for the genus Buthus in the sub-Saharan region of Western Africa. The presence of B. elhennawyi Lourenço, 2005 in Mali is also herewith reported.

Reference:
Ythier E. A new species of Buthus Leach, 1815 from the savannas of Burkina Faso (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Faunitaxys. 2021;9(40):1-5. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Amphibians and reptiles as prey of Heteroctenus junceus in Cuba

 

Scorpions prey on a wide variety of invertebrate prey and generally you can say that they will catch and eat any prey they can subdue without to much risk.  As most of you probably know, they can catch and eat vertebrate prey too as long as the can subdue them. Cases of predation on amphibians, reptiles and even small mammals have been reported.

Tomás M. Rodríguez-Cabrera and co-workers recently publised an article presenting obervations of the Cuban scorpion Heteroctenus junceus (Herbst, 1800) (Buthidae) catching and eating frogs and lizzards.

Abstract:
Vertebrate predation by scorpions has been scarcely documented in the literature. Contrary to large scorpions of the genera Centruroides, Hadrurus, Opistophthalmus, and Pandinurus from North America and Africa, which are capable of subduing even small rodents and bats, West Indian scorpions of the genera Centruroides, Heteroctenus, and Tityus seem to limit their prey to amphibians and reptiles. Herein we present new cases of a frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis; Hylidae) and three lizards (Anolis allisoni, A. ophiolepis, and A. sagrei; Dactyloidae) preyed upon by Heteroctenus junceus (Herbst, 1800), at the time we summarize all cases of vertebrate predation by scorpions in the region.

Reference:
Rodriguez-Cabrera TM, Savall EM, Teruel R. Amphibians and reptiles as prey of Heteroctenus junceus (Scorpiones: Buthidae), with a summary of vertebrate predation by scorpions in the West Indies. Euscorpius. 2021(342):1-6. [Open Access]