Species number 1000 in Buthidae has been described!

Two new species of Androctonus have been described from India and Pakistan by Kovarik and Ahmed.

According to the species list in The Scorpion Files, species number 1000 in the family Buthidae has been described with the two new species mentioned in this blog post.

Frantisek Kovarik and Zubair Ahmed have described two new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828.

Androctonus cholistanus Kovarik & Ahmed, 2013 (India and Pakistan)
Androctonus robustus Kovarik & Ahmed, 2013 (Pakistan)

In adition, Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897) is redescribed. An identification key to the species of Androctonus in Asia is provided.

Abstract:
We describe Androctonus robustus sp. n. and A. cholistanus sp. n. from Pakistan and India and compare them with A. finitimus (Pocock, 1897), whose holotype we have studied. These three species are closely related and form a group that has hitherto been considered one species. They share coloration and are close to each other in geographic range. However, these three species can be reliably distinguished morphologically, primarily based on morphometry of male metasoma, which is widest in A. robustus sp. n. and narrowest in A. cholistanus sp. n. 

Reference:
Kovarik F, Ahmed Z. A Review of Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897), with Description of Two New Species from Pakistan and India (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2013(168):1-10. [Free full text]

Family Buthidae