04 November, 2024

Updated records of scorpion stowaways discovered in United Kingdom

 


In 2023, Daniella Sherwood and Luis de Armas published an article presenting old and new records of scorpions detected as stowaways in the United Kingdom. In a recent article, Daniella Sherwood and co-workers present updated information on scorpion stowaways discovered in the UK.

Abstract:
No abstract.

Reference:
Sherwood D, De Armas L, Tchilinguirian J. Additions to the list of scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) intercepted as stowaways in the United Kingdom. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society. 2024(161):3-5. [Access supplied by authors]

Thanks to Daniella for sending me link to the article!

A new species of Isometrus from India

 


Mahesh Bangar and co-workers have recently described a new species of Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from The Deccan Plateau in India.

Isometrus dnyandeoi Bandgar, Kininge, Bhosale, Bandgar & Bhosale, 2024

Abstract:
We described a new species of the scorpion genus Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 based on six specimens near Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Isometrus dnyandeo sp. nov. represent the eighteenth described species, and the first new species described from the agricultural land outside of Ghat region. Genetically I. dnyandeo sp. nov. is distinct from I. amboli with a genetic divergence of 8.6% (COI) and shows a high divergence with I. palani (16.2%).

Reference:
Bandgar M, Kininge S, Bhosale A, Bandgar K, Bhosale D, Suryavanshi A, et al. A new species of Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Maharashtra, India. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 2024;121(3). [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

25 October, 2024

A new species of Scorpiops from Laos

 


Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers have recently described a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiopidae) from Laos. 

Scorpiops tangae Kovarik, Stahlavsky & Stockmann, 2024

Abstract:
A new species Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is described from Laos, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Scorpiops tangae sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of the following five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb3 located in distal half of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11 ventral and 17 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 45 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 3.7 in male. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the information about the karyotype of S. tangae sp. n. (2n=105).

Reference:
Kovarik F, Stahlavsky F, Stockmann M. Scorpiops tangae sp. n. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from Laos. Euscorpius. 2024(399):1-15. [Open Access]

Family Scorpiopidae

24 October, 2024

Survival strategies of first-instar scorplings of Olivierus martensii

 


Ecdysis (molting, changing skin) is the way that scorpions and many other arthropods grow. This is a risky part of an young scorpions life, especially during the first molts. Yiyuan Guo and co-workers have recently published a study on the strategies used by first-instar scorplings of Olivierus martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Buthidae) to optimize survival (the article use the old name for this species, Mesobuthus martensii). 

The study shows that newborn scorpions exhibit special aggregate molting behavior, which increases their chances of survival. This aggregating behavior makes it easier for the mother scorpion to keep the scorplings on her back, even though this behavior is also observed when scorplings molt away from the mother's back. The cooperative nature of aggregate molting in first-instars combined with staying on the mother's back and in her care is probably an essential role in increasing the survival of the young scorplings.

Abstract:
Ecdysis is a well-known developmental feature among arthropods. Because the aggregate and synchronous molting of first-instar scorpions is markedly different from the common independent molting behavior of older scorpions and most arthropods, knowledge on the biological benefits of the unusual behavior of first-instar scorpions remain limited. Before the molting of newborn scorpions, their mothers exhibited a remarkable ability to efficiently locate the fallen offspring and help them climb onto their back, which was supported by strong maternal behavior because they climbed more swiftly than the 7-day postpartum scorpions. Most newborn scorpions molted and survived on the mother’s back, with a survival rate of approximately 100%, and most newborn scorpions survived via aggregate molting behavior on sand in the absence of mothers (89.83% ± 1.91%). The important role of the mother scorpion was further highlighted in mothers with one to five first-instar scorpions.While all first-instar scorpions individually or reciprocally molted and survived on the mother’s back, only 52.00% ± 7.14% to 79.20% ± 4.24% of newborn scorpions isolated from the mother could individually or reciprocally molt and survive on the sand, and the aggregated states of first-instar scorpions strengthened as their numbers on sand increased before molting. These results highlight collaborative molting as an evolutionary driving force for newborn scorpions. Taken together, both maternal care and collaborative aggregate molting behavior enhanced the survival of first-instar scorpions before and after molting, and these benefits for first-instar scorpions play essential and evolutionary roles in scorpion survival.

Reference:
Guo Y, Li S, Lu S, Wang X, Cao Z, Wu Y. Special Survival Strategy of First-Instar Scorpions Revealed by Synchronous Molting Behavior from Social Facilitation of Maternal Care and Reciprocal Aggregation. Insects. 2024;15(9). [Open Access]

16 October, 2024

A checklist of the scorpion taxa reported from Africa

 


Gerard Dupre has recently published a checklist of all scorpion taxa reported from Africa. The article also specify endemic taxa for the different countries.

Abstract:
No abstract.

Reference:
Dupre G. Les scorpions d'Afrique. Arachnides. 2024(117):1-72. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard for sharing the online archive of Arachnides with The Scorpion Files. Also thanks to ChatGPT/DALL-E for the illustration.

10 October, 2024

Clustered setation on the pedipalps of buthid scorpions - morphology, taxonomic significance and a cleaning tool

 


The skin (exoskeleton) of scorpions has many different types of hairs (e.g. trichobothrias and setae). These have many functions, especially as sensory detectors of chemical substances and mechanical vibrations. For taxonomists they are also important morphological characters that can be used to identify taxa.

Trichobothriotaxy is already in great use in diagnosis  and description of many taxa (from species level to family level), but the usefulness of the setae (chaetotaxy) is less investigated. Graeme Lowe and Victoria Tang have now published a extensive study of chaetotaxy in scorpions with morphological descriptions of the different setation patterns in different taxa and the possible applications of these in taxonomy.

Interestingly, observations of Olivierus martensii (Karsch, 1879) (Buthidae) seem to indicate that this species uses setae clusters on pedipalps to brush the median ocelli (eyes) during sponge-bathing (cleaning behavior).

Abstract:
Chaetotaxy of the external pedipalp femur and distal ventral pedipalp movable finger was studied in 120 species, 69 genera and 17 families of scorpions. Setation was generally denser in the ‘Buthus’ group, a major arid-adapted buthid lineage distributed across Palearctic deserts. On the external femur, macrosetae formed a prominent cluster, the ‘distal external macrosetal cluster’ (DEMC); on the distal ventral movable finger they formed a dense patch, the ‘distal ventral macrosetal cluster’ (DVMC). In other buthids and non-buthids, the DEMC and DVMC were mostly absent, except in a few arid-adapted genera. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC in different species depended strongly on size, being denser in larger species and sparser in smaller species, while absolute density varied only weakly with size (mean spacing of setae ~200 μm in DEMC, ~40 μm in DVMC). Ontogenetic variation followed similar trends. Multivariate morphometric analyses revealed taxonomic differences in setation patterns. The ‘Buthus’ group, other buthids, and non-buthids, were partially separable according to their spatial profiles of setation. In the ‘Buthus’ group, major genera were separable by spatial and density profiles of setation. In buthids, there were taxonomic differences in external femoral trichobothriotaxy. The ‘Buthus’ and Tityus’ groups were largely separable by proximodistal positioning of trichobothrium e1. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC were positively correlated, in that species with dense DEMCs also tended to have dense DVMCs. In the buthid Olivierus martensii, DEMC and DVMC were observed to brush the median ocelli during sponge-bathing. In all examined buthids, the DEMC was located where it would contact the ipsilateral median ocellus during femoral articulation. Both DEMC and DVMC may assist in the ocular grooming of desert buthids, by removing sand and dust from surfaces of the median ocelli.

Reference:
Lowe G, Tang V. Clustered setation on the pedipalps of buthid scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2024(398):1-77. [Open Access]

09 October, 2024

A new species of Alpiscorpius from western Turkey

 


Ersen Yagmur recently published an article describing a new species of  Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999 (Euscorpiidae) from western Turkey.

Alpiscorpius orgeli Yagmur, 2024

Abstract:
A new species Alpiscorpius orgeli sp. nov. is described based on morphological evidence from Demirci District of Manisa Province in western Turkey. With this addition, the number of scorpion species recorded in Turkey now stands at 22 for the Euscorpiidae family and five for the genus Alpiscorpius.

Reference:
Yagmur EA. Alpiscorpius orgeli sp. nov., a new scorpion species from Manisa Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Zoology in the Middle East. 2024;Published online: 07 Oct 2024. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Ersen and Victoria for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae