Molecular phylogeny of three species of the genus Buthacus from Saudi Arabia and Egypt

The genus Buthacus Birula, 1908 (Buthidae) is a widespread genus with a complex taxonmy with several unresolved taxa. Abdulaziz Alqahtania and Ahmed Badry have recently published a study investigating the molecular phylogeny of three species of the genus from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. One main result is a support for a monophyletic status of the genus Buthacus. See abstract and article for more details and results.

Abstract:
The molecular phylogeny of three species of genus Buthacus, based on 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA gene from Egypt and Saudi Arabia is presented. The inferred phylogeny based on maximum-parsimony, neighbor-joining and bayesian inference, indicates the monophyletic status of the genus Buthacus. A clear deep splitting between the “Egyptian clade” consisting of B. arenicola and B. leptochyles and the “Arabian clade” consisting of B. nigroaculatus was shown.

Reference:
Alqahtani AR, Badry A. Interspecific phylogenetic relationship among different species of the genus Buthacus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inferred from 16S rRNA in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Zoology in the Middle East. 2020. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Dr. Badry for sending me information about their article!

Family Buthidae