Buthus atrostriatus = Vachonus atrostriatus = Mesobuthus eupeus atrostriatus = Compsobuthus atrostriatus

Taxanomy is never easy! Yesterday I blogged about a recent paper about the Scorpions of Iran, Part VII. In this paper, Buthus atrostriatus Pocock, 1897 (Buthidae) was changed to Compsobuthus atrostriatus (Pocock, 1897). I didn't mention this yesterday as I couldn't find any Buthus atrostriatus in The Scorpion Files.

The reason for this is that Tikader & Bastawade moved B. atrostriatus to the new genus Vachonus in 1983, and the current name for this taxa in The Scorpion Files has been Vachonus atrostriatus (Pocock, 1897). This status was not mentioned in the scorpions of Iran paper. It also turns out that Buthus atrostriatus has been reported as Mesobuthus euepus atrostriatus (Pocock, 1897) by some authors after 1983.

Anyway, this taxa is now Compsobuthus atrostriatus (Pocock, 1897) and I hope that decision will stand as it was based on an analysis of the type.

A big thanks to professor Victor Fet for helping me sort out the status of this scorpion!

Reference:
Navidpour S, Ezatkhah M, Kovarik F, Soleglad ME, Fet V. Scorpions of Iran (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part VII. Kerman Province. Euscorpius. 2011(131):1-32. [Free fulltext]

Family Buthidae