Biogeography of the Malagasy genus Neogrosphus and a description of a new species

Only two species have been known in the endemic Malagasy genus Neogrosphus Lourenco, 1995 (Buthidae). Wilson Lourenco and co-workers have now discovered a third species.

Neogrosphus andrafiabe Lourenco, Wilme & Waeber, 2015

The article also sums up the biogeographical status of the genus and try to explain the genus' distribution in Madagascar.

Abstract:
The distributional patterns of Malagasy scorpions belonging to the endemic genus Neogrosphus Lourenco, 1995 are revised. Up to now only two species were known for this genus: Neogrosphus griveaudi (Vachon, 1969), restricted to the dry forests formations in the southern and western portions of Madagascar, and Neogrosphus blanci Lourenco, 1996 only known from the Massifs of the Central region. Diagnoses are proposed for the genus and known species and a new vicariant species is described from the Ankarana Massif. The actual range of distribution of the members of this genus is currently patchy and fragmented over a large area extending from subarid to subhumid bioclimates.Based on the eco-biogeographical analyses of the genus Neogrosphus, we formulate a global rule to explain species diversity and vicariance.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Wilme L, Waeber PO. More about the geographical distribution of the Malagasy genus Neogrosphus Lourenco, 1995 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and description of a vicariant new species. C R Biol. 2015 Sep 1. [Subscription required for full text]

Family Buthidae