Formalization of a few taxonomcial decisions

 

Victoria Tang has previously published a number of nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic acts in a an article that is formally not valid according to the Code of Zoological Nomenclature. She has now published some of these decisions formally in the journal Euscorpius. Here are some main takeaways;

Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005 and S. pococki Qi et al., 2005 (Scorpiopidae) are declared nomina dubia are junior subjective synonyms of S. tibetanus Hirst, 191.

Reddyanus wenjieae Huang et al., 2025 (Buthidae) is considered  nomen dubium.

Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005 (Chaerilidae) is considered  nomen dubium.

Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiopidae) are not distributed in China.

The article has also an discussion about the status of some of the populations of Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911 in China.

The author encourages readers to also read the original article for a deeper understanding of the arguments for her decisions. Readers are also recommended to read her article "Misapplication of statistics in scorpiology: a case study" for more information about the challenges in scorpion taxonomy that Tang addressees.

The author has asked me to mention an error in the article: The term "ventral pectinal teeth count" should be "patella ventral trichobothrium count", as defined in Abbreviation. 

Abstract:
Several nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic decisions put forth in Tang (2026) are formalized herein: (1) four nomina dubia, Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005, Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005, S. pococki Qi et al., 2005, and Isometrus (Reddyanus) wenjieae Huang et al., 2025; (2) two junior subjective synonyms, Scorpiops langxian = S. pococki = S. tibetanus Hirst, 1911 syn. n.; (3) one new “aspidonym”, Scorpiops obluda Tang, 2026 sp. indet. nomen nudum; and (4) removal of Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 from the Chinese scorpiofauna. Reddyanus tibetanus (Lourenço & Zhu, 2008) is maintained as a junior subjective synonym of R. assamensis (Oates, 1888). Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974, Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Neoscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Plethoscorpiops Lourenço, 2017, Vietscorpiops Lourenço & Pham, 2015, and Alloscorpiops ( Laoscorpiops) Lourenço, 2013 are maintained as junior subjective synonyms of Scorpiops Peters, 1861.

Reference:
Tang V. Formalization of nomenclatural acts proposed in Tang (2026) (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpiopidae). Euscorpius. 2026(438):1–14. [Open Access]

Thanks to Victoria for sending me her articles and for alle her help and information with The Scorpion Files!

The scorpion fauna and distribution in the Oriental region of Morocco

 

Eric Ythier and co-workers have recently published an article with an update on the scorpion diversity and their distribution in in the Oriental region of Morocco. 12 species from four genera and two families are reported. 

Abstract: 
New faunistic and distributional data are provided on scorpion fauna from the Oriental region of Morocco, a poorly studied area, covering 90,130 km2. Altogether 119 specimens belonging to eight species are recorded, allowing an update on the distribution of these species. A total of 12 scorpion species from four genera are recognized to occur in the Oriental region of Morocco presented here. We also provide new distribution records for newly described and micro-endemic scorpion species which is a key element in promoting their conservation in the country.

Reference:
Ythier E, Mabrouki Y, Taybi FA. Update on the composition and distribution of the scorpion fauna of the Oriental region of Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae). Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici. 2026;35(1):13–62. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about their new paper! 

A new species of Lychas from Thailand

 

Wilson Lourenco and Eric Ythier have recently published a new species of Lychas C.L. Koch, 1845 (Buthidae) from Thailand.

Lychas saiyok Lourenco & Ythier, 2026

The article also restores Lychas kotao Lourenço, 2020 to valid species from synonymy with L. mucronatus (Fabricius, 1798).

Abstract:
A new species, Lychas saiyok sp. n., is described from a cave in the Sai Yok National Park in western Thailand, on the basis of an adult male. The specimen was found in the walls of this karstic cave, approximately 50-60 meters from the entry. The new species is characterized by a moderate to small size with respect to the genus (42.9 mm in total length), a general coloration from yellow to pale yellow marked by a strong pigmentation over the body and appendages, which however shows a distinct pattern from the one commonly observed in L. mucronatus, the most common Lychas species found in Southeast Asia, chelicerae showing a peculiar pigmentation formed by marked blackish spots which do not form any type of reticular structure, and pectines moderately long with 22-21 teeth. This new taxon represents the 35th described species among the currently recognized species for the genus Lychas. The number of known Lychas species in Thailand is increased to six. The species status of L. kotao Lourenço, 2020 stat. n. from Ko Tao island (Thailand) is also revalidated.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Ythier E. A new species of Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845 from a cave in the Sai Yok National Parc in Thailand (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2026(48):55–60. [Full text supplied by author]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about their new article!

Family Buthidae 

New book on the biology of neotropical scorpions

 

André Felipe de Araujo Lira and Edmundo González-Santillán are editors for a brand new book on the biology of neotropical scorpions. This book contains a comprehensive review of all aspects of the scorpions in the important neotropical region, which is known both for its high biodiversity and the high number of medical important species.

About the book [from the publisher]

The Biology of Neotropical Scorpions focuses on comprehensive aspects of scorpions of the Neotropical region, such as public health to biogeographic history. This innovative book is devoted to tackling that lack of knowledge and bringing together a bundle of studies to offer students, researchers, and professionals a comprehensive background to start their research with scorpions as model organisms.

Since 1990 the study of scorpions thrived following the tradition focusing on the Palearctic and Neartic fauna, leaving behind ancient and important scorpion fauna localised in the Neotropics. The Neotropical region encompasses the tropical areas from South America to central Mexico, including the Antilles, comprising different biomes in their extension, such as deserts, dry forests, savannas, mountain ranges, and rainforests. These myriad environments influenced scorpions from their venom composition, morphology, and their human interactions.

Many researchers from different areas and countries have generated a growing piece of information about Neotropical scorpions, but this still is fragmentary. This book innovates in the biology of scorpion fluorescence, chromosomal and molecular genetics, conservation ecology, and ethnobiology of scorpions from the perspective of traditional medicine.

Table of content:

1 What Are the Neotropical Scorpions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
André Felipe de Araujo Lira
2 Allometry and the Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism
in Scorpions: Insights from Neotropical Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Stênio Ítalo Araújo Foerster
3 Mating or Not? Reproductive Aspects of Sexual Reproduction
and Parthenogenesis in Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Gracielle de Fátima Braga-Pereira and André Felipe de Araujo Lira
4 Luminescence and Other Optical Characteristics of Scorpion’s
Exoskeleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Daniel López-Cabrera, Gabriel Ramos-Ortiz,
Montserrat G. Rivera-Ortiz, Edmundo González-Santillán,
and Rafael Espinosa-Luna
5 Diversity, Taxonomy, and Distribution of Neotropical Scorpions . . . 69
Edmundo González-Santillán, José Antonio Ochoa,
and Andrés Alejandro Ojanguren-Afilastro
6 Advances in the Phylogenomic Relationships of Neotropical
Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Carlos E. Santibáñez-López and Prashant P. Sharma
7 Fossil Scorpions, with a Focus on the Neotropical Species . . . . . . . . . 151
Jason A. Dunlop
8 Biogeography of Neotropical Scorpions: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Adriano Medeiros DeSouza
and Alessandra Rodrigues Santos de Andrade
9 Subterranean and Troglomorphic Scorpions from the Neotropics . . . 199
Edmundo González-Santillán, Javier Blasco-Aróstegui,
and Jairo A. Moreno-González 
10 Functional Morphology of Predatory and Defensive Behaviour
in Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Yuri Simone
11 Sampling Techniques for Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Nancy Lo-Man-Hung and Andria de Paula Santos-da-Silva
12 Cytogenetics of Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Bruno Rafael Ribeiro de Almeida, Jonas Gama Martins,
and Renata Coelho Rodrigues Noronha
13 Neotropical Scorpions as Useful Models for Ecological Studies . . . . . 289
André Felipe de Araujo Lira
14 Traditional Treatment of Scorpion Stings in the Neotropics . . . . . . . 307
Jonas Gama Martins, Bruno Rafael Ribeiro de Almeida,
Pedro Pereira de Oliveira Pardal,
and Rudi Emerson de Lima Procópio
15 Neotropical Scorpion Venom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Juana María Jiménez-Vargas, Jimena Isaias Cid-Uribe,
and Rita Restano-Cassulini
16 Scorpionism in Neotropics: Public Health Issues and Prevention . . . 353
Clara Guerra-Duarte and Ana Luiza Bittencourt Paiva
17 Managing Scorpionism: Envenomation, Diagnostics,
and Therapeutic Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Manuela B. Pucca, Isabela C. dos Santos, and Felipe A. Cerni
18 Perspectives on Biology and Interactions with Humans
of Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Edmundo González-Santillán
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Reference:
Lira AFA, Gonzalez-Santillan E, editors. The Biology of Neotropical Scorpions. From Taxonomy and Genetics to Ecology and Ethnobiology: Springer; 2026. [The book is available in an electronic version or in a printed version, but both require payment or subscription]

A study of the distribution of the genus Neogrosphus in Madagascar with one new species

 

Wilson Lourenco and Lucienne Wilme have recently published a study of the distribution of the genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995(Buthidae) in Madagascar. A new species is described from mesic forest formations in Andohahela National Park in southeastern Madagascar.

Neogrosphus andohahela Lourenço & Wilme 2026

Abstract:
Madagascar remains one of the major hotspots of diversity and endemism in the world. Its scorpion fauna provides a striking example, with more than one hundred known species, all endemic, within a territory of only 587,000 km2. These species are associated with entirely endemic genera and, to a large extent, endemic familial lineages. While some groups are diverse and locally abundant, others are inconspicuous and occur at very low densities, as is the case for the genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995. In this contribution, the distribution patterns of Neogrosphus are reassessed in light of new material and a revised eco biogeographical framework. Until recently, this genus comprised three species: Neogrosphus griveaudi (Vachon, 1969), restricted to the dry forest formations in the southern and western portions of Madagascar; Neogrosphus blanci Lourenço, 1996, known from the central region; and Neogrosphus andrafiabe Lourenço, Wilmé & Waeber, 2015, endemic to northern dry formations. A fourth species is described here from mesic forest formations in Andohahela National Park. The current distribution of the genus is shown to be highly fragmented across a broad environmental gradient ranging from subarid to more humid conditions. This pattern is interpreted as the result of historical fragmentation processes linked to limited dispersal capacity and long-term landscape evolution. On this basis, the general framework previously proposed to explain species diversity and vicariance in Malagasy scorpions is revisited and refined.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Wilme L. New Insights on the Geographical Distribution of the Malagasy Genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) with the Description of a New Species from a More Humid Environment. Arthropoda. 2026;4:11. [Open access]

Family Buthidae 

A new species of Scorpiops from Myanmar

 

Frantisek Kovarik has recently described a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiopidae) from Myanmar. 

Scorpiops walteri Kovarik, 2026 

It is worth noticing that Kovarik rejects Prendini's (2026) changes for the family Scorpiopidae in this article based on lack of any new evidence and that Prendini ignores previous detailed revisions and DNA results.

Abstract:
A new species Scorpiops walteri sp. n. (Scorpiopidae) is described from Myanmar, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. S. walteri sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of the following five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb3 located in middle of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11–12 ventral and 19 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps strongly undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 47 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 2.8 in male.

Reference:
Kovarik F. Scorpiops walteri sp. n. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from Myanmar. Euscorpius. 2026(437):1–13. [Open Access]

Family Scorpiopidae 

A new species of Alpiscorpius from Denizli Province in Turkey

 

Ersen Yagmur has recently described a new species of Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999 (Euscorpiidae) from near the Çardak District, Denizli Province, in the Aegean Region of western Turkey. In addition, re-examination of two species in the same region have resulted in two new combinations.

New species:

Alpiscorpius akkayai Yagmur, 2026

New combinations:

Alpiscorpius hakani (Tropea & Yagmur, 2016) [Transferred from Euscorpius Thorell, 1876]

Alpiscorpius honazicus (Tropea, Yagmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis & Yesilyurt, 2016) [Transferred from Euscorpius Thorell, 1876]

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n., is described from near Lake Acıgöl, Çardak District, Denizli Province, in the Aegean Region of western Turkey, based on morphological characters. The species is assigned to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al. based on the presence of three trichobothria in the em series on the external surface of the pedipalp patella. Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n. can be readily distinguished from all its congeners by its yellow-orange body and yellow or yellow-orange metasomal colouration; the presence of distinct ventrolateral carinae on metasomal segment V; the presence of seven trichobothria in the Pv series; and five to six trichobothria in the et series. Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n. was collected from a low-altitude locality geographically close to the known distributions of Euscorpius hakani Tropea and Yağmur and Euscorpius honazicus Tropea, Yağmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis and Yeşilyurt. Therefore, the occurrence of this new species in this locality is unexpected. Both species are herein transferred to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al. because they possess three trichobothria in the em series and a reduced number of trichobothria in the Pv series (Pv = 7 and 6, respectively), and the new species is particularly compared to these two species. With the description of this new species and the new combinations Alpiscorpius hakani (Tropea and Yağmur) comb. n. and Alpiscorpius honazicus (Tropea, Yağmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis and Yeşilyurt) comb. n., the number of recognised species of the family Euscorpiidae increases to 26, and the genus Alpiscorpius is now represented by 13 species in Turkey.

Reference:
Yağmur EA. Alpiscorpius akkayai an unexpected new species from Denizli Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Journal of Natural History. 2026;60(29-32):1645–61. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Ersen for informing me about the new species!

Family Euscorpiidae