A new species of Androctonus from northwestern Egypt

The new species of Androctonus from Egypt was collected in two cotal areas of northwestern Egypt.

Rolando Teruel, Frantisek Kovarik and Carlos Turiel have described a new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from northwestern Egypt.

Androctonus tenuissimus Teruel, Kovarik & Turiel, 2013

The paper doesn't say anything about the venom potential of the new species, but it is probably in the same range as its close relative A. bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828. The new species should be treated as a potential dangerous scorpion until further research is done.

Abstract:
Androctonus  tenuissimus  sp.  n.  from  two  coastal  localities  placed  in  northwestern  Egypt  is  herein  described,  an addition that represents the fifth species of this genus confirmed to occur in this  North African country. It is most  closely related only to Androctonus bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828, which is widely distributed across northeast Africa and  the Middle East and also occurs in Egypt. Both are the only species in the genus whose adults of both se xes show  the  following  combination  of  three  diagnostic  characters:  coloration  uniformly  blackish,  pedipalp  chelae  con spicuously narrower than patella in adults, and pedipalp fingers with basal lobe/notch combination entirely absent.  However, these two taxa can readily be distinguished by very marked differences in appendage attenuation, body  sculpture and counts of principal rows of denticles on pedipalp fingers, among other characters.

Reference:
Teruel R, Kovarik F, Turiel C. A new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from northwestern Egypt (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2013 (177):1-11. [Free full text]

Family Buthidae