06 March, 2015

A scorpion with four pectines and other anomalies


Morphological anomalies of scorpions are rare, but a few case have been reported. In a recent papers, Rolando Teruel and José Guadalupe Baldazo-Monsivaiz report of a specimen of Mesomexovis punctatus (Karsch, 1879) (Vaejovidae) from Mexico with a combination of hermaphroditism, gynandromorphism, and pectinal duplication (i.e., presence of four pectines).

Abstract:
In the present note, we describe in detail an aberrant anomalous specimen of the scorpion Mesomexovis punctatus (Karsch, 1879) (Vaejovidae). This strange individual is an adult and exhibits a combination of hermaphroditism, gynandromorphism, and pectinal duplication (i.e., presence of four pectines); the latter represents the first report ever made of such teratology. It was collected by the authors in northeastern Guerrero State, Mexico.

Reference:
Teruel R, Baldazo-Monsivaiz JG. Hermaphroditism, Gynandromorphism, and Four Pectines: an Extreme Case of Developmental Anomaly in Scorpions (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2015 (197):1-7. [Open Access]

Thanks to Rolando for sharing this very special discovery with me a few weeks ago!

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