A new buthid genus and species from Mexico

Oscar Francke, Rolando Teruel and Carlos Santibanez-Lopez have recently described a new genus and species in the family Buthidae from southeastern Mexico.

Chaneke Francke Teruel & Santibanez-Lopez, 2014 (New genus)

Chaneke fogoso Francke, Teruel & Santibanez-Lopez, 2014 (New species)

Chaneke aliciae (Armas & Frias, 1998) (New combination, previous name Tityopsis aliciae Armas & Frias, 1998)

Abstract:
Chaneke fogoso gen. nov. et sp. nov., are described based on specimens collected near the coast in southeastern Guerrero, Mexico. The genus is characterized by the peculiar rhomboidal shape of the subaculear tubercle, and the lack of at least one trichobothrium on the femur, patella and chela of the pedipalp, which make it the second known buthid genus with decreasing neobothriotaxy on those three pedipalpal segments, together with Alayotityus Armas 1973. Tityopsis aliciae Armas & Martin-Frias 1998, from Oaxaca, Mexico, is transferred to the new genus, resulting in Chaneke aliciae (Armas & Martin-Frias 1998), comb. nov. A cladistic analysis including all other New World ‘‘microbuthids’’ with decreasing neobothriotaxy, with 30 morphological characters, indicates that Chaneke is monophyletic, clearly distinct from Alayotityus Armas 1973 (from eastern Cuba) and Tityopsis Armas 1974 (from western Cuba).

Reference:
Francke OF, Teruel R, Santibanez-Lopez CE. A new genus and a new species of scorpion (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from southeastern Mexico. Journal of Arachnology. 2014;42:220-32. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Dr. Santibanez-Lopez for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae