A revision of the buthid genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, and Olivierus with several taxonomic changes

Frantisek Kovarik has published a revision of the genus-level taxonomy of Lychas C.L. Koch, 1845 (sensu lato) and Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (sensu lato) (Buthidae). This study presents the following taxonomical changes:

New genera:

Aegaeobuthus Kovarik, 2019 (4 species transferred from Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950).

Afrolychas Kovarik, 2019 (2 species transferred from Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845).

Janalychas Kovarik, 2019 (7 species transferred from Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845).

Spelaeolychas Kovarik, 2019 (1 species transferred from Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845).

See the Buthidae family page for information about which species that belongs to the different genera.

Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 (Raised from synonymy with Mesobuthus. 18 species transferred from Mesobuthus. See the Buthidae family page for information about which species that belongs this genus).

Olivierus hainanensis (Birula, 1904) (Raised from synonymy and transferred from Mesobuthus).

New species:

Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, 1889) (Previous status M. eupeus afghanus Pocock, 1889).

Mesobuthus bogdoensis (Birula, 1896), (Previous status M. eupeus bogdoensis Birula, 1896).

Mesobuthus haarlovi Vachon, 1959, (Previous status M. eupeus haarlovi Vachon, 1959).

Mesobuthus iranus (Birula, 1917), (Previous status M. eupeus iranus Birula, 1917).

Mesobuthus mongolicus (Birula, 1912), (Previous status M. eupeus mongolicus Birula, 1912).

Mesobuthus persicus (Pocock, 1899), (Previous status M. eupeus persicus Pocock, 1899).

Mesobuthus thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839), (Previous status M. eupeus thersites C. L. Koch, 1839).

See article for more details.

Abstract:
The diagnostic characters are reassessed and defined for the genera Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845, Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, and Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 (the latter is restored from synonymy with Mesobuthus). Four new genera are described: Aegaeobuthus gen. n. (type species Buthus gibbosus Brullé, 1832), Afrolychas gen. n. (type species Isometrus burdoi Simon, 1882), Janalychas gen. n. (type species Lychas srilankensis Lourenço, 1997), and Spelaeolychas gen. n. (type species Isometrus hosei Pocock, 1891). Type species are designated for subgenera Lychas (Distotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (type species Isometrus nigristernis Pocock, 1899), Lychas (Alterotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (type species Scorpio mucronatus Fabricius, 1793), and Lychas (Endotrichus) Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (type species Isometrus scaber Pocock, 1893). All these three subgenera are now in synonymy with Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845. Lychas kaimana Lourenço, 2011 is synonymized with Lychas shelfordi (Borelli, 1904). Taxonomic position of Lychas timorensis Lourenço, 2018, which is a member of Lychas variatus (Thorell, 1876) complex, is discussed. The species and subspecies of Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 are discussed, with seven subspecies elevated to species level: Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, 1889), stat. n., M. bogdoensis (Birula, 1896), stat. n., M. haarlovi Vachon, 1959, stat. n., M. iranus (Birula, 1917), stat. n., M. mongolicus (Birula, 1912), stat. n., M. persicus (Pocock, 1899), stat. n., and M. thersites (C. L. Koch, 1839), stat. n. Taxonomic changes are supported by 182 figures including the first published photographs of the syntypes of Olivierus hainanensis (Birula, 1904), stat. n., comb. n. and O. przewalskii (Birula, 1897), comb. n.

Reference:
Kovarik F. Taxonomic reassessment of the genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, and Olivierus, with descriptions of four new genera (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2019(288):1-27. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae