First record of the psammophilous scorpion Vachoniolus globimanus from Qatar

 

Noureddine Benali and co-workers recently published a article presenting the first findings of the psammophilous scorpion Vachoniolus globimanus Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973 (Buthidae) from Qatar. This sandy desert inhabiting scorpion has previously been reported from Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and more recently in Jordan.

Abstract:
We report the first confirmed record of Vachoniolus globimanus Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the State of Qatar. The record is based on eight specimens collected from three localities during field surveys conducted between 6 June and 24 July 2026. Specimens were collected during nocturnal surveys using ultraviolet light and identified through morphological examination. This record adds Qatar to the documented geographical distribution of V. globimanus in the Arabian Peninsula and highlights the importance of continued field surveys and taxonomic studies to improve knowledge of the scorpion fauna of Qatar.

Reference:
Benali N, Al-Khulafi H, Daloul A. First record of Vachoniolus globimanus Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Qatar. Serket. 2026;21(3):331–8. [Author supplied full text]

Thanks to Noureddine for sending me their article!

A new species of Bioculus from Baja California Sur, Mexico

 

Juan Oscar Gomez Del-Pozo amd co-workers have recently published an article with the description of a new species of Bioculus Stahnke, 1968 (Diplocentridae) from the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range in Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Bioculus nataliae Del-Pozo, Contreras-Feliz & Navarrete-Heredia, 2026 

Abstract:
A new endemic scorpion species, Bioculus nataliae sp. nov., is described from the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This discovery represents the highest elevational record for the genus, occurring at up to 1434 m a.s.l. and complements the distribution of the genus in the Baja California Peninsula.

Reference:
Del-Pozo JOG, Contreras-Félix GA, Navarrete-Heredia JL. Description of a New Species of Bioculus Stahnke, 1968 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) from the Sierra de la Laguna, Baja California Sur. Zootaxa. 2026;5900(4):386–400. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Oscar for sending me their article!

Family Diplocentridae 

All you need to know about the scorpions of USA

 

Richard Hofstetter and co-workers have recently published a review of the knowledge about the scorpion fauna of USA. The article lists 109 species from 22 genera in the families Anuroctonidae, Buthidae, Diplocentridae, Hadruridae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae.

The article has information about distribution, habitats, taxonomy, ecology and behavior. It also has information about medical important species and their impact on human health.  

Abstract:
Scorpions represent an ecologically important arthropod lineage, yet their diversity, biology, and management in the United States remain incompletely synthesized. With origins more than 430 million years ago, scorpions have diversified into roughly 24 families and over 2,900 species worldwide, occupying habitats from deserts to forests. In US ecosystems, scorpions function as both predators and prey, regulating arthropod communities while supporting higher trophic levels. Although research on venom biology, taxonomy, and human–scorpion interactions has expanded, national-scale treatments of scorpion systematics, distributions, ecology, conservation, and management are lacking. Here, we document 109 scorpion species in 22 genera in 6 families in the United States: Anuroctonidae, Buthidae, Diplocentridae, Hadruridae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae, and summarize family-level morphology, species richness, habitat associations, and geographic ranges, highlighting patterns of endemism, restricted distributions, and ongoing taxonomic change. We review key aspects of scorpion ecology, behavior, and venom severity, and outline identification features useful for natural resource professionals and the public. We discuss stings by scorpions and human health, as well as management and conservation considerations, including habitat alteration, human–wildlife interactions, and the need for updated distributional and ecological data. This synthesis aims to improve awareness of scorpion diversity and ecological roles in the United States and support future research and management efforts.

Reference:
Hofstetter RW, Uhey DA, Totty J, Henning A, Chapman C. Scorpions of the United States: species, distribution, ecology, and management. J Integr Pest Manag. 2026;17(1). [Open Access]

A new species of Liocheles from India

 

Saurabh Kininge and co-workere have recently published an article with the description of a new species of Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 (Hormuridae) from Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha in India.

Liocheles similipalensis Kininge, Thackeray, Gogineni & Khandekar, 2026 

Abstract:
A new species of Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 is described based on male and female specimens collected from Similipal Tiger Reserve, Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, India. The new species can be easily distinguished from all six known congeners by combination of non-overlapping morphological characters such as carinae and granulation morphology of pedipalp and metasomal segments, median eye ratios. The discovery of Liocheles similipalensis sp. n., elevate the total number of species of the genus to seven and represent the fourth species to be described from India. The current study also highlights the need of systematic surveys along with detailed morphological and molecular studies to uncover true diversity and distribution of the genus, and clarity on published distributional records of L. nigripes (Pocock, 1897) and/or L. australasiae (Fabricus, 1775) which are likely to be part of species complexes.

Reference:
Kininge S, Thackeray T, Gogineni PC, Khandekar A. A new species of Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 (Scorpiones: Hormuridae) from Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, India. Euscorpius. 2026(443):1–14. [Open Access]

Family Hormuridae 

A new species of Chaerilus from Thailand

 

Eric Ythier and co-workers recently described a new species of Chaerilus Simon, 1877 (Chaerilidae) from Koh Pha Ngan island in Thailand.

Chaerilus phangan Ythier, Kosulic & Lourenco, 2026

Abstract:
A new scorpion species of the genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877 (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae) is described from the island of Koh Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand. Chaerilus phangan sp. n. is diagnosed and compared with its closely related congeners known from the Thai mainland and surrounding regions. Consistent with recent findings within the genus, the new species exhibits subtle but diagnosable morphological differentiation, emphasizing the importance of detailed comparative morphology for resolving localized diversity in Southeast Asian Chaerilus. The discovery of this insular taxon raises the total number of confirmed Chaerilus species in Thailand to six.

Reference:
Ythier E, Košulič O, Lourenco WR. A new species of Chaerilus Simon, 1877 from the island of Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae). Arachnology. 2026;20(6):753–7. [Author supplied full text]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about this article!

Family Chaerilidae 

Daytime activity in Androctonus amoreuxi during locust outbreak in Mauritania

 

It is well known that scorpions are mainly nocturnal to avoid sun and high temperatures, and to avoid being eaten and killed by predators. Harington (1981) reported daytime activity in Parabuthus Villosus (Peters, 1862) (Buthidae) in Nambia and refered to similar observation in a few other species. But these are exceptions.

Koutaro Ould Maeno and co-workers have recently published an article describing daytime activity in Androctonus amoreuxi (Audouin,1826) (Buthidae) during a locust outbreak in Mauritania. This happened despite very high surface temperatures. Daytime activity has never been reported in this species previously.

The authors suggest that the unusual high availability of prey has triggered an opportunistic daytime prey capture during the outbreak and this show that this species has the potential of predatory flexibility.

Abstract:
During a desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) outbreak in Mauritania in 2025, we observed a typically nocturnal fattail scorpion (Androctonus amoreuxi) emerge from its burrow and capture a marching last-instar locust nymph during the hottest part of the day. After repeatedly stinging the nymph, the scorpion attempted to carry it back to its burrow but abandoned the prey after briefly crossing sun-exposed ground where the surface temperature reached 48°C. Excavation of the burrow revealed another paralyzed locust nymph stored underground, suggesting possible prey storage. In subsequent experiments in bright conditions, this scorpion readily attacked, captured and envenomated eight active locust nymphs in succession. During more than 15 years of fieldwork in the Sahara Desert, we have never observed daytime surface activity by this scorpion species except during desert locust outbreaks. These observations suggest that unusually high prey availability may promote opportunistic daytime foraging by this nocturnal predator, suggesting adaptive predatory flexibility.

Reference:
Maeno KO, Benahi AS, Jaavar MEH. Daytime predation by a nocturnal scorpion on marching desert locust nymphs during an outbreak. J Orthoptera Res. 2026;35(2):343–6. [Open Access]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this article! 

Can analysis of venom be an important tool for species delimitation - a test case with Italian Euscorpius

Scorpion venom is a cocktail of different biological compounds, something that makes the venom of many species a potential treasure chest for medical and biochemical research. Scorpion venom may also have a potential utility in scorpion systematics. 

Javier Blasco-Arostegui and co-workers have recently published a study to see if scorpion venom may be a useful utility for species delimitation compared to other independent sources of taxonomic evidence. Venom mass fingerprinting (MFP) was used on the venom from 52 populations of eight Italian species of the scorpion genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876, a genus known for many cryptic species.

This article is quite outside my competence, but the authors conclusion is that "MFPs appear highly effective for species discrimination across various levels of relatedness, DNA-based approaches currently provide higher resolution with limited taxon sampling. Venom MFPs may achieve comparable discriminatory power with broader taxon sampling and methodological optimization" (p. 16). In layman language, analysis of venom seem to be a good tool to supplement other DNA-based tools for identifying and separating taxa.

Abstract:
Scorpion venoms are complex mixtures of bioactive compounds including proteins, peptides and enzymes. Although venoms exhibit substantial intraspecific variation, some compounds appear to be species-specific, highlighting their potential as chemotaxonomic markers. Venom mass fingerprints (MFPs) derived from Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight (MALDI-TOF) Mass Spectrometry (MS) have been proposed as a means of delimiting species. However, their utility for species delimitation has rarely been evaluated against independent sources of taxonomic evidence. In the present study, the performance of MALDI-TOF MS-based venom peptide barcoding (mass ranges of m/z 800‒4500 and m/z 3000‒10,000) was assessed in 52 populations of eight Italian species of the scorpion genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876, representing different levels of evolutionary divergence, by comparing venom MFPs with mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI) DNA barcodes. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) based on Jaccard distances of 52 venom MFPs (one per population) recovered seven distinct, statistically supported species clusters that were mostly congruent with analyses based on COI. Hierarchical clustering analyses using the intersection-based distances of the same MFPs consistently recovered the two major Euscorpius species complexes and revealed geographically structured subclades congruent with COI data. Venom profiles successfully discriminated among both closely and distantly related species in similarity-based analyses, recovering patterns broadly consistent with established phylogenetic hypotheses. Phylogenetic reconstruction with Maximum Likelihood, based solely on venom characters, obtained less resolution at deeper evolutionary levels, with lower nodal support and some incongruence with the topology obtained from the DNA sequences. The results demonstrate that venom MFPs constitute a useful source of data for species delimitation, particularly for resolving cryptic species complexes and morphologically conserved taxa, complementing morphological and DNA sequence data in integrative taxonomy. Broader taxon sampling, together with improved signal detection and character selection (filtering ion signals), may increase the utility of venom MFPs for phylogenetic analysis by increasing the number of phylogenetically informative characters.

Reference:
Blasco-Aróstegui J, Roppo M, Prendini L, Predel R. Venom mass fingerprints for species delimitation, reloaded: A test case with Italian scorpions (Euscorpius). Toxicon: X. 2026;32. [Open Access]