A new buthid genus and species from the Horn of Africa

A new genus, Gint, has been discovered on the Horn of Africa. Gint means scorpion in the Ethiopian language Amharian.

Frantisek Kovarik has been on an expedition to the Horn of Africa and during this expedition a new genus in Buthidae was discovered.

Gint Kovarik, Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013 (New genus)
Gint gaitako Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013 (New species)

In additon, analysis of the previously little investigated species Buthacus calviceps (Pocock, 1900) showed that this species actually belongs the the new genus and is therefore transferred to Gint.

Gint calvipes (Pocock, 1900) (New combination)

The new genus is distributed in Ethiopia, Somalia and Somaliland.

Abstract:
A new scorpion genus is described, Gint gen. n., similar to genera Buthacus Birula, 1908 and Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 to which it is compared. Buthus calviceps Pocock, 1900 is transferred to the new genus, which includes only two species, Gint gaitako sp. n. from Ethiopia and Gint calviceps comb. n. from Somaliland and Somalia (Puntland). Information is provided on the localities and habitats of both species. In addition to morphological analysis we described also karyotype of male paratype of Gint gaitako sp. n., 2n=30.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Lowe G, Pliskova J, Stahlavsky F. A New Scorpion Genus, Gint gen. n., from the Horn of Africa (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2013 (173):1-19. [Free full text]

Family Buthidae