Two new species of Janalychas from India

Zeeshan Mirza has recently published an article describing two new species of Janalychas Kovarik, 2019 (Buthidae) from the Western Ghats, India.

Janalychas granulatus Mirza, 2020

Janalychas keralaensis Mirza, 2020

In addition, the species Lychas aareyensis Mirza & Sanap, 2010 has been re-analysed an moved to the genus Reddyanus Vachon, 1972.

Reddyanus aareyensis (Mirza & Sanap, 2010)

Abstract:
The buthid scorpion Janalychas tricarinatus Simon, 1884 is a species distributed in most parts of the Indian peninsula. I
assessed morphological and molecular data for representatives of this species from peninsular India, which hints at the presence of multiple species within the broadly distributed J. tricarinatus sensu lato. Conjugation of morphological and molecular data allow me to describe two new species of the genus Janalychas that were, until now, considered conspecific with J. tricarinatus. Re-examination of the type specimens of Lychas aareyensis Mirza & Sanap, 2010 revealed the lack of a tibial spur, a character of the genus Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 and not Lychas Koch, 1845 or Janalychas Kovařík, 2019, which leads me to transfer the species to the genus Reddyanus (Reddyanus aareyensis (Mirza & Sanap, 2010) comb. nov. as db is situated between et and est on the pedipalp manus. Discovery of two new species highlights the need for employing integrated taxonomic approaches to define and delimit species.

Reference:
Mirza ZA. Two new species of buthid scorpion of the genus Janalychas Kovařík, 2019 (Arachnida: Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Western Ghats, India. Arachnology. 2020;18(4):316–24. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Zeeshan Mirza for sending me his article!

Family Buthidae