Wilson Lourenco and co-workers have recently published a study on the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 (Buthidae) were they critise the taxonomical decisions made in a 2019 study by Graeme Lowe and Frantisek Kovarik. Lourenco et al's conclusion is that they reject most decsisions made in the latter study and in addition they describe one new species.
These are the major taxonomical changes:
The genus Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 is placed in synonymy with Grosphus Simon, 1880 and all species in Teruelius is also transferred back to Grosphus.
Grosphus makay Lourenço & Wilmé, 2015 is restored from synonymy of with Grosphus feti Lourenço, 1996.
Grosphus rossii Lourenço, 2013 is restored from synonymy of with mahafaliensis Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004.
Grosphus simoni Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004, is restored from synonymy of with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).
Grosphus halleuxi Lourenço, Wilmé, Soarimalala & Waeber, 2017, is restored from synonymy of with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).
Grosphus mandena Lourenço, 2005, is restored from synonymy of with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).
Grosphus mavo Lourenco & Rossi, 2020 (New species from Madagascar)
The status according to Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 is summed up here.
There is a great disagreement between the "Lourenco-group" and the "Kovarik-group" when it comes to the taxonomy of several taxa. I do not know who has the correct answer for the genus Grosphus and other taxa as I'm no expert taxonomist. The Scorpion Files tries as far as possible to stay neutral and will publish the latest update for the different scorpion taxa. It is challenging though and a lot of work some times when researchers are correcting each other several times. [This paragraph was edited by the Editor 23.07.20]
Abstract:
The southwestern portion of Madagascar appears to have one of the highest levels of scorpion diversity on the island. In this contribution, the remarkable diversity of the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in this region is discussed. A particular attention is aimed to the area of the Cap Sainte Marie where microendemic geographic patterns are observed. These are tentatively explained in the light of some new biogeographic interpretations. A new species is also described from the Cap Sainte Marie and is characterized by a medium body size and a very pale yellow coloration. While this contribution was in preparation, we learned about the publication of a “most controversial revision” of the genus Grosphus by authors who totally ignored a number of taxonomic particularities of this group and worse, who lack any experience on the ecological and biogeographic patterns observed for the Malagasy fauna. This calls for corrections in which their speculative decisions are refuted.
References:
Lourenco WR, Rossi A, Wilme L, Raherilalao MJ, Soarimalala V, Waeber PO. The remarkable diversity of the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Southern Madagascar and in particular in the region of Cap Sainte Marie. Arachnida - Rivista Aracnologica Italiana. 2020;VI(XXVII):2-35.
Family Buthidae
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