The genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Euscorpiidae) has turned out two be very complex with many cryptic and hidden taxa that has only been revealed after genetical analysis. A large number of new species have been described in the last decade.
Less attention have been on the complex Alpiscorpius complex containing the old taxa Euscorpius germanus C. L. Koch, 1837 and E. mingrelicus Kessler, 1874. Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers have now published a major study investigating this species complex in Italy, Austria and Slovenia. The study has resulted in the following taxonomical changes:
Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999 is raised from subgenus status. The following species are included in this genus (New comb. = Transfered from genus Euscorpius):
A. alpha (Caporiaco, 1950). New comb.
A. beroni (Fet, 2000). New comb.
A. beta (Di Caporiacco, 1950). New status. Previously part of E. alpha.
A. delta Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Italy.
A. gamma (Caporiaco, 1950). New comb.
A. germanus (C.L. Koch, 1837). New comb.
A. kappa Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Slovenia.
A. lambda Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Slovenia and Italy (?).
A. mingrelicus (Kessler, 1874). New comb.
A. omega Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Slovenia.
A. omikron Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Slovenia.
A. phrygius (Bonacina, 1980). New comb.
A. sigma Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Italy and Slovenia.
A. uludagensis (Lacroix, 1995). New comb.
A. ypsilon Kovarik, Stundlova, Fet & Stahlavsky, 2019. New species from Austria and Slovenia.
The authors inform that the populations of Euscorpius (Alpiscorpius) spp. in the major part of the Balkan Peninsula remain unrevised. This means that there may be further changes in the future.
Tetratrichobothrius Birula, 1917 is raised from subspecies status and the genus' only species is Tetratrichobothrius flavicaudis (DeGeer, 1778), which is transfered from Euscorpius.
The article has a identification key for the new genus Alpiscorpius.
Abstract:
Two subgenera of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) are elevated to the genus status: Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. and Tetratrichobothrius Birula, 1917, stat. n. Seven new Alpine scorpion species are described and illustrated: Alpiscorpius delta sp. n. (Italy) from the “alpha group” (“germanus complex”); A. kappa sp. n. (Slovenia) and A. lambda sp. n. (Slovenia) from the “germanus group” (“germanus complex”); A. omega sp. n. (Slovenia), A. omikron sp. n. (Slovenia), A. sigma sp. n. (Italy, Slovenia), and A. ypsilon sp. n. (Austria, Slovenia) from the “gamma group” (“mingrelicus complex”). The taxonomic validity of these cryptic species is confirmed through cytogenetic and DNA analysis (Štundlová et al., 2019). Alpiscorpius beta (Di Caporiacco, 1950), comb. n., stat. n. (Italy, Switzerland) is restored from synonymy and elevated to species level within the “alpha group”. Euscorpius germanus marcuzzii Valle et al., 1971 (Italy), recently elevated to species level, is synonymized with Alpiscorpius germanus (C. L. Koch, 1837), comb. n. (which is found in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland but not in Slovenia). The genus Alpiscorpius currently includes 15 valid species (6 in “germanus complex” and 9 in “mingrelicus complex”). Many populations of Alpiscorpius spp. from the Balkan Peninsula, formerly listed under Euscorpius gamma or E. mingrelicus, remain unassigned.
Reference:
Kovarik F, Stundlova J, Fet V, Stahlavsky F. Seven new Alpine species of the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Euscorpius. 2019(287):1-19. [Open Access]
Family Euscorpiidae
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