Ananteridae is raised to family status

 

In a recent article, Eric Ythier has raised the subfamily Ananterinae Pocock, 1900 (in family Buthidae) to family status. Seven extant genera with associated species are transferred to the new family (see family page for more details).

Ananteridae Pocock, 1900

        Ananteris Thorell, 1891

        Ananteroides Borelli, 1911 

        Himalayotityobuthus Lourenço, 1997

        Lychasioides Vachon, 1974

        Microananteris Lourenço, 2003

        Tityobuthus Pocock, 1893

        Troglotityobuthus Lourenço, 2000 

Three extinct genera are also included in this family.

        Palaeotityobuthus Lourenço & Weitschat, 2000

        Palaeoananteris Lourenço & Weitschat, 2001

        Archaeoananteroides Lourenço, 2016

A new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Ananteridae) from Brazil is described in the article.

        Ananteris lourencoi Ythier, 2024

Abstract:
A new species belonging to the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (family Ananteridae Pocock, 1900, stat. n.) is described on the basis of one male specimen collected at the Pico da Neblina, Brazil. Ananteris lourencoi sp. n. was collected between 2000-2300 m altitude, representing to our knowledge the highest altitude record for the genus Ananteris. The description of this new species brings further evidence about the biogeographic patterns of distribution presented by most species of the genus Ananteris, which are highly endemic in most natural formations of South America. This new scorpion taxon represents the 97th described species among the currently recognized species for the genus Ananteris (the 31st described from Brazil) and the 128th species described for the family Ananteridae stat. n. which is hereby confirmed as a valid family. The composition, distribution and altitude for the members of this family are discussed.

Reference:
Ythier E. A new high-altitude scorpion species of the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones: Ananteridae) from the Pico da Neblina, Brazil. Faunitaxys. 2024;12(19):1-9. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for sending me this article!

Family Ananteridae

Family Buthidae

A new species of Mesobuthus from southeastern Turkey

 

Ersen Yagmur and co-workers have recently published a new species of Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) from southeastern Turkey. This population has previously been classified as M. mesopotamicus Penther, 1912.

Mesobuthus faiki Yagmur, Kovarik & Fet, 2024

Abstract:
New locality records for Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) are given from Iraq. The populations from southeastern Turkey, earlier identified as M. mesopotamicus by Kovařík et al. (2022) are examined and compared with the specimens from type locality of M. mesopotamicus. These populations are described as a new species, Mesobuthus faiki sp. n. Detailed illustrations of both species and a map are given.

Reference:
Yagmur EA, Kovarik F, Fet V, Hussen FS, Kurt R, Al-Khazali AM, et al. New records of Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) in Iraq and Mesobuthus faiki sp. n. from Turkey (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2024(388):1-22. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new species of Leiurus from Mali

 

The number of African members of the medical important genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) is still growing. A new species was recently described from the mountain system of Adrar des Iforas, Cercle of Kidal, in Mali by Wilson Lourenco and Eric Ythier.

Leiurus tamajeq Lourenco & Ythier, 2024

Abstract:
A new species of Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 is described on the basis of one male specimen collected in the mountain system of Adrar des Iforas, Cercle of Kidal, in Mali. The new species, Leiurus tamajeq sp. n. is most certainly associated to Leiurus hoggarensis, described from the Hoggar mountain system in Algeria, both species presenting an almost parapatric geographic distribution. Nevertheless, these closed related mountain systems have been isolated during past palaeoclimatic vicissitudes leading to possible differentiation processes. The two species can be distinguished by a number of morphological characters which clearly suggest that the new species population is distinct from the one found in the Hoggar mountain system. Differences are noticeable notably for morphometric values as well as the relative position of several trichobothria. As for L. hoggarensis, the new species seems to inhabit a more mesic zone when compared to the central compartment of the Saharan desert and, apparently, do not present characteristics of a psamophilic species and may be considered as a lithophilic species.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Ythier E. A new African species of the genus Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 from Mali (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Serket. 2024;20(2):58-67. [Open Access article will be available later]

Thanks to Eric for sending me the new article!

Family Buthidae

A new species of Barbaracurus from Djibouti

 

The Horn of Africa is a treasure chest filled with undescribed species. In the latest issue of Euscorpius, Frantisek Kovarik describes a new species in the genus Barbaracurus Kovarik, Lowe & Stahlavsky, 2018 (Buthidae) from Djibouti.

 Barbaracurus hofereki Kovarik, 2024

Abstract:
Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. from Djibouti is described and compared with other species of the genus. B. hofereki sp. n. is the only species of the genus with pedipalp movable finger with 8 rows of granules and pectinal tooth count 27–28 in female. Also, its pedipalp chela with very narrow manus (chela length/width ratio 6.07 in female), narrower than in all other African species of the genus. A map of the distribution of the genus in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula is provided.

Reference:
Kovarik F. Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XXXII. Barbaracurus hofereki sp. n. from Djibouti. Euscorpius. 2024(387):1-12. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new micro-scorpion in the genus Microtityus from Brazil

 

 Even though large and dangerous scorpions often get the main focus, there are a lot of small and sometimes cryptic scorpions around. Many of these are unnoticed and undescribed. Jairo Moreno-Gonzalez and co-workers have now described a new micro-species in the genus Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 (Buthidae) from northern Brazil.

Microtityus adriki Moreno-Gonzalez, Bertani & Carvalho, 2024

The new species is only 12.39-19.47 mm long and is probably one of the smallest scorpions in the Amazonian region.

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Microtityus adriki n. sp., is described based on adult specimens collected in Cantá, state of Roraima (RR), northern Brazil. Microtityus adriki n. sp. is the second species of Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 known from Brazil and is one of the smallest scorpion species (12.39-19.47 mm) in the Amazonian region. In this study, we propose an amended generic diagnosis and a specific diagnosis, describe the male hemispermatophore of Microtityus, give the sequence of COI barcode, and present a potential distribution analysis for the genus. The morphology of the male hemispermatophore of Microtityus differs from that of other Neotropical buthid genera, except for the number of lobes (three lobes), which is a character state shared with several genera. The potential distribution model generated by MaxEnt suggests high environmental suitability for the genus in the Antilles and northern South America, with scattered high suitability in several regions of Central America. However, the model did not indicate high suitability in areas where Brazilian species occur (i.e., Microtityus adriki n. sp. and Microtityus vanzolinii Lourenço & Eickstedt, 1983), and this could be explained by a sampling bias. Therefore, future studies, including extensive sampling, are required to better understand the biogeographic processes behind the distribution of this genus.

Reference:
Moreno-González JA, Bertani R, Carvahlo LS. On one of the smallest Amazonian scorpions: a new species of Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Brazil, with amended diagnosis and potential distribution analysis for the genus. Zoosystema. 2024;46(10):245-68. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Two new buthid genera from Somaliland

 

Frantisek Kovarik has recently described two new genera in the Buthidae family from Somaliland.

Sahil Kovarik, 2024 (new genus)

Sahil elmi Kovarik, 2024 (new species)

Sanaag Kovarik, 2024 (new genus)

Sanaag maidensis (Kovarik, Lowe, Just, Awale, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2018) (new combination - previously in the genus Gint Kovarik, Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013)

Abstract:
Two new monotypic buthid genera are described: Sanaag gen. n. and Sahil gen. n. from Somaliland, both belonging to the ‘Buthus’ group. Sanaag gen. n. (type species Gint maidensis Kovařík et al., 2018) differs from Gint Kovařík et al., 2013 in the structure of its hemispermatophore, which has a large, tall, subtriangular hook-like basal lobe, and in the shape of its telson which is rather bulbous. Sahil gen. n. (type species Sahil elmii sp. n.) differs from all morphologically similar small-sized genera of the Horn of Africa in having the ventral aspect of cheliceral fixed finger with two denticles, and the movable finger of the pedipalp with 7 subrows of denticles.

Reference:
Kovarik F. Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones) Part XXXI. Two new genera from Somaliland: Sanaag gen. n. and Sahil gen. n. (Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2024(386):1-11. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023

 

Gerardo Contreras-Félix and José Navarrete-Heredia have recently published an article where they sum up all Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023. In addition to listing up the species and their associated genera and family, the article also presents an overview of the journals that these articles appear in.

Abstract:
Patterns of descriptions of new species of Mexican scorpions between 2000-2023 were analyzed. We based our study on the Zoological Record of Web of ScienceTM. We found 111 species in seven families described in 83 papers published in scientific journals from all over the world. Families with the most species described were Vaejovidae (52), Buthidae (26), Diplocentridae (23), Euscorpiidae (4), and Typhlochactas (3). The species of Mexican scorpions were described in Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, Zootaxa, Revista Ibérica de Aracnología, and 19 other publications. We also comment on issues to consider when Zoological Record was used for analysis in this study.

Reference:
Contreras-Félix GA, Navarrete-Heredia JL. Mexican Scorpions Described between 2000 - 2023: Analysis from Zoological Records of Patterns, Trends, and Effects of Lockdown Over Descriptions. Southwestern Entomologist. 2024;49(1):100-19. [Subscription required for full text]