2018 Season's Greetings from The Scorpion Files

A review of the East African genus Neobuthus with a description of seven new species

A new paper in the series "Scorpions of the Horn of Africa" has been published. This time, Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers present a revision of the genus Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 (Buthidae). Seven new species from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland are described.

Neobuthus amoudensis Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Ethiopia and Somaliland)

Neobuthus erigavoensis Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Somaliland)

Neobuthus factorio Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Somaliland)

Neobuthus gubanensis Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Somaliland)

Neobuthus maidensis Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Somaliland)

Neobuthus montanus Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Somaliland)

Neobuthus kloppersi Kovarik, Lowe, Awale, Elmi & Hurre, 2018 (Kenya)

An identification key for the genus is also presented.

Abstract:
New information about the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 is presented, based on material recently collected mainly from Somaliland, but also Djibouti and Kenya. Emended diagnoses are proposed for N. berberensis Hirst, 1911 and N. ferrugineus (Kraepelin, 1898) sensu stricto. New species described are: N. amoudensis sp. n. from Ethiopia and Somaliland; N. erigavoensis sp. n., N. factorio sp. n., N. gubanensis sp. n., N. maidensis sp. n., and N. montanus sp. n. from Somaliland; and N. kloppersi sp. n. from Kenya. This doubles the number of species in Neobuthus, unearthing a rich diversification of this genus of diminutive buthids in the Horn of Africa. Included is a key and distribution map. In N. gubanensis sp. n., we report a second known case of anomalous pectine development with tarsal-like structures that implicate homeotic mutation, providing further evidence of pectine-leg homology in scorpions.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Lowe G, Awale AI, Elmi HSA, Hurre AA. Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XVII. Revision of Neobuthus, with Description of Seven New Species from Ethiopia, Kenya and Somaliland (Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2018(271):1-81. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Surprise! Euscorpius naupliensis has been found in Azerbaijan

Tropea and Lourenco have recently published a very surprising finding of Euscorpius naupliensis (C. L. Koch, 1837) (Euscorpiidae) in Azerbaijan. This species is normally found in Peloponnese in  southern Greece and in adjacent Zakynthos and Peluzo islands. The findings in Azerbaijan are probably due to recent introductions and it is unclear if the species has established a breeding population there.

Abstract:
Euscorpius (Polytrichobothrius) naupliensis (C. L. Koch, 1837) is recorded in Azerbaijan. For the first time this species is registered outside its natural range.

Reference:
Tropea G, Lourenco WR. First record of Euscorpius naupliensis (C. L. Koch, 1837) outside of its natural range (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Arachnida - Rivista Aracnologica Italiana. 2018;4(19):22-6.

Thanks to Gioele Tropea for sending me his article!

The distribution of two buthid species in a fragment of Brazilian Atlantic forest

Gabriela Cavalcanti Silva de Gusmão Santos and co-workers recently published a study on the effect of rainfall on the patterns in the spatial distributions and population densities of the two species Tityus pusillus Pocock 1893 and Ananteris mauryi Lourenço 1982 (both Buthidae). The two species are living sympatrically in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil.

The results showed evidence that environmental factors at a microhabitat scale and species interactions may play an important role in the distribution, but not the density of the two leaf litter-dwelling scorpions. See article for further details.

Abstract:
Knowledge of the patterns in the spatial distribution of species provides valuable information about the factors (resources and environment) that regulate the use of space by animals. Typically, the distribution of litter-dwelling scorpions in Atlantic forests is correlated with the structure of their microhabitats, although to better understand their natural history more studies on the patterns in their use of space are required. Therefore, we investigated the effect of rainfall on the patterns in the spatial distributions and population densities of two sympatric species of scorpion, Tityus (Archaeotityus) pusillus Pocock 1893 and Ananteris mauryi Lourenço 1982 in a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. The study was carried out during the dry (September) and rainy (June) months. We collected 501 individuals (268 T. (A.) pusillus and 233 A. mauryi) by actively searching at night using UV lanterns. We found that the spatial distribution and population density of T. (A.) pusillus, but not A. mauryi, were signifi cantly affected by rainfall, with T. (A.) pusillus individuals showing a clumped pattern during the rainy month and random distribution in the dry month. We also found a different response in the population densities of the two species, with T. (A.) pusillus but not A. mauryi being affected by rainfall. Our results indicate that, although co-habiting in leaf litter, these species respond differently to rainfall, which affects their spatial distribution and abundance in this habitat.

Reference:
Santos GCSdG, Dionisio-da-Silva W, Souza-Alves JP, Albuquerque CMRd, Lira AFDA. Random or clumped: How litter dwelling scorpions are distributed in a fragment of Brazilian Atlantic forest. European Journal of Entomology. 2018;115:445–9.

Thanks to Andre Lira for sending me their article!