Updated info on the males of three species of Tityus

The description of males in population of scorpions is an important contribution, not only as regards taxonomic knowledge of the species, but also to enable understanding of its reproductive strategy. In a recent paper, Maria Dulcineia Sales dos Santos and co-workers describe the male of T. kuryi Lourenco, 1997 for the first time and report new records of T. serrulatus and T. stigmurus males, widening the known distribution of their sexual populations. The latter two species also have several populations in Brazil that are parthenogenetic.

Abstract:
The male of Tityus kuryi Lourenço, 1997 is described for the first time. Despite being very similar to the female, the male presents more robust metasomal segments. Additionally, the distribution of the sexual populations of another two species of the T. stigmurus complex is reported herein: T. serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922 and T. stigmurus (Thorell, 1877). Males of T. serrulatus were, until now, restricted to the Minas Gerais State (Southwestern region of Brazil), and with new records reported here, its known distribution now encompasses the Northeastern region of Brazil. Males of T. stigmurus were previously recorded only for two municipalities in the State of Bahia, and here we present eight new records for Bahia State and one for Pernambuco State. We present a key to related species of the T. stigmurus complex based on morphology and coloration pattern.

Reference:
Dos Santos MD, Porto TJ, Lira-da-Silva RM, Brazil TK. Description of the male of Tityus kuryi Lourenco, 1997 and notes about males of Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1877) and Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922 (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Zookeys. 2014 (435):49-61. [Free full text]

A new species of Euscorpiops from a cave system in Vietnam

Wilson Lourenco and Dinh-Sac Pham have recently published an article describing a new species of Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Euscorpiidae) from the Dakrong Nature Reserve cave system in Vietnam. This new scorpion taxon is the second species of the subfamily Scorpiopinae to be discovered in a cave system and may be yet another endemic element in the fauna of this country. The new species shows some cave adaptions, but are not a true troglobitic scorpion.

Euscorpiops dakrong Lourenco & Pham, 2014

Abstract:
Euscorpiops dakrong sp. n., belonging to the family Euscorpiidae Laurie, is described on the basis of one male and one female collected in the Dakrong Nature Reserve cave system, Dakrong District, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. The new species presents most features exhibited by scorpions of the genus Euscorpiops, but it is characterized by a slender body and elongated pedipalps. This new scorpion taxon represents the second species of Scorpiopinae discovered in a cave system and may be yet another endemic element in the fauna of Vietnam. Some taxonomic propositions on the generic position of Scorpiops oligotrichus Fage, 1933 are also suggested.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Pham D-S. A second species of Euscorpiops Vachon from caves in Vietnam (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae). Comptes Rendus Biologie. 2014;337:535-44. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me his paper!

Family Euscorpiidae

Hormuridae Newsflash III: A new species of Hormiops

Male and female of the new species Hormiops infulcra Monod, 2014. Photo: Lionel Monod/Comptes Rendus Biologies (C)

Lionel Monod has previously published two major papers dealing with the systematics of the family Hormuridae Laurie, 1896. In a recently published third paper he presents data on the genus Hormiops Fage, 1933 in the South china Sea and a new species from two islands in Malaysia.

Important results:

Hormiops infulcra Monod, 2014: New species known only from two islands of the Seribuat Archipelagio, Malaysia.

Hormiops davidovi Fage, 1933: Distribution is now limited to (and probably also endemic to) the Con Dao Archipelagio, Vietnam.

The paper has information on Hormiops biology, habitat choice, reproduction and biogeography. An updated identification key for Australasian hormurid genera is included in the paper. 

Abstract:
The monotypic genus Hormiops Fage, 1933 is so far only known from two groups of granitic islands off the coasts of Peninsular Malaysia and Vietnam. Examination of newly collected material from both archipelagos and of the type series of Hormiops davidovi Fage, 1933 reveals previously disregarded morphological differences sufficient to assign the Malaysian specimens to a distinct species, described here as Hormiops infulcra sp. nov. An updated diagnosis of the genus, as well as a dichotomic key enabling the determination of Hormiops from its close relatives, Hormurus Thorell, 1876 and Liocheles Sundevall, 1833 are also provided. The phylogenetic position, distribution pattern, and ecology of these insular scorpions suggest that they are palaeoendemics, remnants of a previously more widely distributed lineage. A biogeographical model is proposed for the genus based on these observations and on a synthesis of palaeogeographical and palaeoenvironmental data currently available for Sundaland.

Reference:
Monod L. The genus Hormiops Fage, 1933 (Hormuridae, Scorpiones), a palaeoendemic of the South China Sea: Systematics and biogeography. Comptes Rendus - Biologies. 2014. In Press. [Subscritpion required for full text]

Family Hormuridae

New data on the rare species Pandinus nistriae

Andrea Rossi described a new species of Pandinus Thorell, 1876 from Djobouti, Pandinus nistriae (Scorpionidae), earlier in 2014. Rossi has now published a new article with additional information about this species.

Abstract:
New data are presented concerning Pandinus (Pandinurus) nistriae Rossi, 2014 from Djibouti. The male holotype is directly compared with an adult male of the geographical closely related species P. magrettii Borelli, 1901 from Eritrea. It is also supposed that P. nistriae could be present in eastern Ethiopia, basing on photografic records.

Reference:
Rossi A. New data on the rare species Pandinus nistriae Rossi, 2014 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae). Arachnides. 2014 Sept;72:3-12.

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me the journal Arachnides!

A new species of Chaerilus from Vietnam

Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers have recently published a new species of Chaerilus Simon, 1877 (Chaerilidae) from Vietnam.

Chaerilus hofereki Kovarik, Kral, Korinkova & Lerma, 2014

Abstract:
Chaerilus hofereki sp. n. from Vietnam is described and compared with C. cimrmani Kovařík, 2012 from Thailand. C. hofereki sp. n. is characterized mainly by sexual dimorphism. Chela of pedipalp is wide and ampullar, fingers shorter in male than in female. Ratio of chela length to movable finger length 2.2 in males and 1.7–2 in females. Movable finger of pedipalp with 9 or 10 cutting edges. Our study brings the first data on chromosomes of chaerilid scorpions. The karyotype of male paratype of C. hofereki sp. n. consists of high number of chromosomes (2n = 90).

Reference:
Kovarik F, Kral J, Korinkova T, Lerma ACR. Chaerilus hofereki sp. n. from Vietnam (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae). Euscorpius. 2014 (189):1-11. [Free full text]

Family Chaerilidae