18 September, 2017

A new, extinct species of Centruroides found in amber from Mexico


Wilson Lourenco has recently described a new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae) found in amber from Chiapas, Mexico.

Centruroides knodeli Lourenco, 2017

The new species is extinct. Please note that this species is not listed in The Scorpion Files as the species list only list extant species.

The article also includes criticisms of a recent article published by Rolando Teruel where two extinct species of Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Buthidae) also found in amber were synonymized with Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay & Poinar, 1988. The following two species are restored as valid species.

Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013

Tityus (Brazilotityus) hartkorni Lourenço, 2009

Abstract:
Centruroides knodeli sp. n., a new species of fossil scorpion, is described from a specimen in amber from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is clearly related to the extant fauna of the Neotropical region and is placed in the genus Centruroides Marx, 1890, presently distributed in North, Central and South America and in the Caribbean region. Also, the fossil species Tityus hartkorni Lourenço, 2009 and Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013, described from Dominican amber and inappropriately regarded by Rolando Teruel as junior synonyms of Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay & Poinar, 1988, are herein restored as valid taxa.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 from Chiapas amber, Mexico (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2017(30):100-6.

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