Advanced warning: Hugh revision of the genus Heterometrus and several parts of Scorpionidae recently published

I just got an email from Gerard Dupre containing a 500 page revision of Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 and other parts of the family Scorpionidae. I normally do not blog about new articles until I have read and "processed" them, but in this case the taxonomical changes are massive and it will take me quite some time to update The Scorpion Files. Because the Scorpionidae is an important and popular family among both professionals and enthusiasts, I'm posting the news about this paper immediately. 

I will post more details in a separate post later.

Abstract:
See article for the large abstract.

Reference:
Prendini L, Loria SF. Systematic revision of the Asian Forest Scorpions (Heterometrinae simon, 1879), revised suprageneric classification of Scorpionidae latreille, 1802, and revalidation of Rugodentidae Bastawade et al., 2005. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2020(442):1-480. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for informing me about this important paper!

Family Scorpionidae (not updated yet!)

 

 

A new species of Ananteris from Suriname

Wilson Lourenco and co-workers recently published a new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Buthidae) from Suriname. 

Ananteris pierrekondre Lourenço, Chevalier, Gangadin & Ythier, 2020

Abstract:
A new species belonging to the genus Ananteris Thorell is described from a sandy dry forest formation located in Pierre Kondre, nearby Carolina, Para District in Suriname, a site located near the Suriname river. The description of this new species brings further evidence about the biogeographic patterns of distribution presented by most species of the genus Ananteris, which are highly endemic in most natural formations of South America. The new species is the second one of the genus Ananteris to be described from Suriname.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Chevalier J, Gangadin A, Ythier E. Description of a new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891, from Suriname (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 2020;125(3):233-9. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Eric Ythier for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

 

A new species of Euscorpiops from China

 

Here is another recent paper by Zhiyoung Di and Sha Qiao. In this paper they describe a new species in the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Euscorpiidae) from China. 

Euscorpiops lii Di & Qiao, 2020

The article also presents an identification key for the genus in China.

Abstract:
A new species, Euscorpiops lii sp. nov., from Xizang (Tibet) in southwest China is described herein. Adult scorpions in this species are principally characterized by yellow-brown colour, a length of less than 40 mm, 17 trichobothria on the external surface of the pedipalp patella and usually six trichobothria on the ventral surface of the pedipalp patella in both sexes. With the description of this new species, the number of known species of the genus Euscorpiops from China is raised to 13 (five species found in Xizang, including the new species, and eight other species in Yunnan). A key to the species of the genus Euscorpiops from China is presented.

Reference:
Di Z, Qiao S. Euscorpiops lii sp. nov. and a key of the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Scorpiones, Scorpiopidae) from China. ZooKeys. 2020(968):71-83. [Open Access]

Thanks to Zhiyoung Di and Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

A new species of Scorpiops from China

 Zhiyoung Di and Sha Qiao have recently published a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Euscorpiidae) from China. 

Scorpiops songi Di & Qiao, 2020

The article also has an identification key for all Scorpiops species found in China.

Abstract:
A new species, Scorpiops songi sp.n., from Xizang (China), is described and illustrated. It is characterized by light yellow brown color in living individuals, large size (length of adult male about 72.0 mm), small and dense granules on integument, a pair of small median eyes (diameter< 0.5 mm), 17 trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) on the external surface of pedipalp patella and 7 or 8 trichobothria on the ventral surface of pedipalp patella, chela with a length/ width ratio about 2.4 in one adult male and average of 2.8 in two immature females, pedipalp chela fingers on adult females and males scalloped, pectinal teeth count 7 in five males and 6 in three females, pectinal fulcra vestigial. The number of known species of Scorpiops from China is raised to 16, is more than half of the known species (29) in the world.

Reference:
Di Z, Qiao S. Scorpiops songi sp.n. and key to species of Scorpiops from China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae). Arthropoda Selecta. 2020;29:316-24. [Open Access]

Thanks to  Zhiyoung Di and Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

Evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions

I have stolen the original title from this article for this post as I must admit that the topic is beyond my knowledge. I do have a master in zoology, but back then we learned very little about genetics. 

Anyway, Frantisek Stahlavsky and several other co-workers have recently published a study on the evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions. The study provides the first analysis of karyotype evolution within a phylogenetic context for the whole of the family Buthidae. For more information you can check out the abstract or the article.

Abstract:
We examined the distribution of genes for major ribosomal RNAs (rDNA) on holokinetic chromosomes of 74 species belonging to 19 genera of scorpions from the family Buthidae using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Our analysis revealed differences between the two main evolutionary lineages within the family. The genera belonging to the ‘Buthus group’, with a proposed Laurasian origin, possess one pair of rDNA mainly in an interstitial position, with the only exceptions being the terminal location found in some Hottentotta and Buthacus species, possibly as a result of chromosome fissions. All the remaining buthid ‘groups’ possess rDNA found strictly in a terminal position. However, the number of signals may increase from an ancestral state of one pair of rDNA loci to up to seven signals in Reddyanus ceylonensis Kovařík et al., 2016. Despite the differences in evolutionary dynamics of the rDNA clusters between the ‘Buthus group’ and other lineages investigated, we found a high incidence of reciprocal translocations and presence of multivalent associations during meiosis in the majority of the genera studied. These phenomena seem to be typical for the whole family Buthidae.

Reference:
Šťáhlavský F, Nguyen P, Sadílek D, Štundlová J, Just P, Haddad CR, et al. Evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions (Chelicerata: Arachnida). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2020;Online first:1-19. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Frantisek Kovarik for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

 

 

Тaxonomic position of Orthochirus olivaceus from Egypt and Sudan

Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers have studied the taxonomic position of the species Orthodactylus olivaceus Karsch, 1881 (Buthidae). This taxa has been considered a synonym of O. scrobiculosus (Grube, 1873) for a long time. This study shows that Orthochirus olivaceus (Karsch, 1881) is a valid species. The study also concludes that Orthochirus aristidis (Simon, 1882) is a junior synonym of O. olivaceus (Karsch, 1881).

Abstract:
We address the taxonomic position of Orthodactylus olivaceus Karsch, 1881, the type species of the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1892. For over a century, this taxon was considered a synonym of Orthochirus scrobiculosus (Grube, 1873); however, the latter was recently limited to Central Asia (Turkmenistan) (Kovařík et al., 2020). Analysis of Karsch’s holotype confirmed that Orthochirus olivaceus (Karsch, 1881), is a valid species. Its type locality published as “Sicily” is clearly incorrect. It is a senior synonym of Butheolus aristidis Simon, 1882, syn. n., described from Sudan (Nubia). We confirm its distribution in northern Sudan and southern Egypt.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Fet V, Siyam M. Тaxonomic position of Orthochirus olivaceus (Karsch, 1881), the type species of the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1892 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2020(319):1-15. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Genetic diversity within Leiurus quinquestriatus populations in Egypt

 Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Buthidae) is one of the most dangerous scorpions in the world when it comes to venom potency and knowledge about the taxonomy and biology of this species is very important.

Moustafa Sarhan and co-workers have recently published a study on the genetic diversity within Leiurus quinquestriatus populations in Egypt. This species is quite common in this country. The results shows a high genetic variation among L. quinquestriatus populations in Egypt and suggest that at least one population located in Sinai may be a separate species.

Abstract:
The highly toxic and medically important scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus is the most common scorpion species in Egypt and in some regions, is medically problematic for the local population. We studied variation in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene within 12 populations from different ecogeographical regions of Egypt. Our results indicate a high genetic variation among L. quinquestriatus populations with five haplotypes existing. Our data also suggests the existence of

Reference:
Sarhan M, Badry A, Younes M, Saleh M. Genetic diversity within Leiurus quinquestriatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) populations in Egypt as inferred from 16S mDNA sequence analysis. Zoology in the Middle East. 2020;66(3):269-76. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Dr. Ahmed Badry for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae