A new Chaerilus from the Himalayas (Nepal)

Lourenco & Duhem have described a new species of Chaerilus (Chaerilidae) from Nepal:

Chaerilus annapurna Lourenco & Duhem, 2010

The article also discuss the status of the different Chaerilus species reported from the Himalaya region.

Abstract:
A new species is described belonging to the genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877. Chaerilus annapurnaChaerilus truncatus Karsch, 1879, originally described from an imprecise locality in Himalaya. This species has recently been discussed by several authors: nevertheless, it has the subject of misidentification. sp. n. was discovered in the high plateaux of the Himalayas in Central-Western Nepal. For comparative purposes a precise re-diagnosis is proposed for

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Duhem B. The genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877 (Scorpiones, Chaerilidae) in the Himalayas and description of a new species. ZooKeys. 2010;37:13-25. [Free fultext]

Family Chaerilidae

A new Mesobuthus from China

The scorpion fauna of China has been quite unknown and not studied for many years. Fortunately, a group of Chinese researchers are now working on updating our knowledge about the scorpion fauna of China. A new species of Mesobuthus (Buthidae) has now been described from Xinjiang, China:

Mesobuthus longichelus Sun & Zhu, 2010

The article has an identification key for the Mesobuthus species in the region.

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 is described, based on specimens collected in the northern piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang. It is characterized by a slender chela, general coloration yellow to pale brownish-yellow, elongate aculeus and 2–4 markedly large and moderately extroversive lobed granules of the ventrolateral carinae of metasoma segment V. With the description of this new species, the number of known Chinese species of Mesobuthus is raised to five.

Reference:
Sun D, Zhu MS. A new species of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Xinjiang, China. ZooKeys. 2010;37:1-12. [Free fulltext]

Family Buthidae

New Euscorpiops from China

Zhi-Young Di and co-workers have recently described a new species of Euscorpiops (Euscorpiidae) from Yunnan in China.

Euscorpiops validus Di, Cao, Wu & Li, 2010

Abstract:
A new species of scorpion, Euscorpiops validus sp. nov. (Euscorpiidae) is described from Honghe Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. The new species can be characterized by having 18 (rarely 17) external trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 5 et), and 9 or 10 (rarely 8 or 11) ventral trichobothria in the pedipalp patella; a pair of strong chela with a length/width ratio average of 3.0 on males and 3.1 on females; chela fingers strongly curved; cheliceral movable fingers with 6 or 7 (rarely 4 or 5) basal teeth on ventral edge; and pectinal fulcra present.

Reference:
Di Z-Y, Cao Z-J, Wu Y-L, Li W-X. A new species of the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae, Scorpopinae) from Yunnan, China. Zootaxa. 2010 (2361):13-22. [Subscription required for fulltext]

Family Euscorpiidae

New data on larval orientation in Vaejovis

It is well known that female scorpions carry first instar and pre-dispersal second instars scorplings on their back. The orientation of the instar on the female's back vary. In the genus Vaejovis, scorplings have been arranged in a longitudinal pattern of orientation.

Luc Ross now reports of a random larval orientation in Vaejovis confusus (Vaejovidae), which is the first in the genus. The paper also presents previously unreported cases of dorsal orientation in Vaejovidae.

A table with all data on larval orientation of Vaejovidae is presented.

Abstract:


Reference:
Ross LK. First report of random larval orientation in the genus Vaejovis C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009 (45):531-2.

Family Vaejovidae

A new Scorpio species from Sudan

Wilson Lourenco has previously published a paper where African subspecies in the genus Scorpio where raised to species level. Lourenco and Cloudsley-Thompson have now described a new Scorpio species from Sudan:

Scorpio sudanensis Lourenco & Cloudsley-Thompson, 2009

Abstract:


Reference:
Lourenco WR, Cloudsley Thompson JL. A new species of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus 1758 from Sudan (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae). Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009 (45):123-6.

Family Scorpionidae

A new Ananteris from Brazil

Lourenco and co-workers have recently described a new species of Ananteris (Buthidae) from Brazil:

Ananteris bianchinii Lourenco, Aguiar-Neto & Limeira-de-Oliveira, 2009

The species was collected in a savannah-like habitat.

Abstract:


Reference:
Lourenco WR, Aguiar-Neto MB, Limera-de-Oliveira F. A new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from the state of Maranhao, Brazil. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009 (45):91-4.

Family Buthidae

A new Compsobuthus from Egypt

Lourenco and co-workers have investigated the Compsobuthus (Buthidae) of The Middlea East and described a new species from Egypt:

Compsobuthus egyptiensis Lourenco, Sun & Zhu, 2009

Updated distribution data for the genus in the region is also given.

Abstract:


Reference:
Lourenco WR, Sun D, Zhu MS. About some Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 from Africa and The Middle East with the description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009 (45):53-8.

Family Buthidae