Two new species of Hadruroides from Peru and Ecuador

 

Eric Ythier recently publish an article describing two new species in the genus Hadruroides Pocock, 1893 (Caraboctonidae) from Peru and Ecuador.

Hadruroides inti Ythier, 2021

Hadruroides pachamama Ythier, 2021

Abstract:
Two new species belonging to the genus Hadruroides Pocock, 1893 (family Caraboctonidae Kraepelin, 1905) are described on the basis of specimens collected in Arequipa region in southern Peru, and Loja province in southern Ecuador. H. inti sp. n. represents the 17th known species of the genus Hadruroides reported from Peru, and the 22nd species of the subgenus Lourencoides Rossi, 2014. H. pachamama sp. n. represents the 7th known species of the genus Hadruroides reported from Ecuador, and the second species of the subgenus Hadruroides Rossi, 2014. The total number of Hadruroides species is now raised to 24.

Reference:
Ythier E. Two new species of Hadruroides Pocock, 1893 from Peru and Ecuador (Scorpiones, Caraboctonidae). Faunitaxys. 2021;9(11):1-8. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for sending me his article!

Family Caraboctonidae

Does climate have an impact on body size in scorpions?

 

Scorpions vary in size, both within and between species. This variation may have different causes. Some studies have shown that body size may have been affected by a range of climatic conditions along species ranges, especially when they are distributed across climatic gradients

Andre Lira and co-workers have studied the responses of scorpion body size at different organizational
levels (inter and intraspecific) along a dry-wet climatic gradient in Brazilian forests. Their study provides the first ecological assessment in South America, devoted to the understanding of how body size in scorpions can be modulated by climatic features at both inter- and intraspecific levels. I refer to the abstract or the article for more details on the results.

Abstract:
Body size is believed to be one of the most fundamental functional traits in animals and is evolutionarily conserved in order to guarantee the survival of the species. Besides the phylogenetic backgrounds, body size patterns might be a product of environmental filters, especially within fine taxonomic levels (i.e., within species or geographical lineages). Here, we evaluated the responses of scorpion body size at different organizational levels (inter and intraspecific) along a dry-wet climatic gradient in Brazilian forests. Scorpions were collected from 20 localities in northeastern Brazil, covering 12 sites of dry forests and eight sites in rainforest environments. As a proxy for body size, we measured the carapace length of 368 adult scorpions belonging to 11 species and applied linear mixed-effects models to investigate the potential effects of climatic features and geographical tendencies in this trait at inter- and intraspecific levels. Our findings suggest the existence of a longitudinal pattern of body size in scorpions with species becoming larger in an east-west direction (i.e., towards the continent); such geographical tendency was also detected for one of the three species analyzed at the population level. In addition, the warmer temperature had a negative effect on body size in scorpions at inter- and intraspecific levels. Based on these findings, we assert that body size in scorpions is not affected solely by their phylogenetic history, but also by the physiological constraints imposed by the environment, which becomes more evident across climatic gradients.

Reference:
Lira AFA, Foerster SIA, Albuquerque CMR, Moura GJB. Contrasting patterns at interspecific and intraspecific levels in scorpion body size across a climatic gradient from rainforest to dryland vegetation. Zoology (Jena). 2021;146:125908. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Andre and Stenio for sending me their articles!

Understanding the effects of human disturbance on scorpion diversity in Brazilian tropical forests

 

Andre Lira and Stênio Foerster have together with several other researchers published several articles on scorpion ecology in late 2020 and in 2021. I have several of these on my desk waiting for time to read them, and I must apologize to you who send me articles that it sometime takes too much time before I blog about them. But time is limited these days, and blogging is unfortunately not my main job.

In the present article, Andre Lira and co-workers have studied the effects on human disturbance (mainly transforming the original habitats into agricultural land) on the scorpion populations. Interestingly, in their study the species richness was less sensitive to changes in landscape configuration than species composition and abundance. 

Studies like this are important for understanding the consequences of habitat destruction and transformation, and hopefully will be used by politicians and other decision makers who are responsible for protecting vulnerable habitats.

Abstract:
The effects of land use conversion on the maintenance of biodiversity remains a major issue in conservation biology. With this as context, recent studies have successfully evaluated the potential of scorpions as bio-indicators of human disturbance. Here, we explored this assumption to identify the effects of landscape structure on scorpion assemblages distributed in two tropical environments in Brazil, with different levels of human disturbance. Scorpions were collected from 28 sampling localities across the Atlantic Forest (n = 12) and Caatinga dry forest (n = 16), resulting in 3,781 specimens from 13 species, 5 genera, and 2 families. We found that scorpion species composition and abundance were more sensitive to changes in landscape configuration than was species richness. Additionally, scorpion assemblage responses were quite different between the two environments. From this observation we highlighted three main findings: (i) the Atlantic Forest assemblage possesses an abundance-dependent response to landscape; (ii) variation in species composition of Atlantic Forest and Caatinga were affected by landscape diversity and presence of croplands, respectively; (iii) the Atlantic Forest is inhabited by assemblages that are more sensitive to landscape changes than that is Caatinga.
Implications for insect conservation We argue that a site-dependent process may explain the effects of human activities on scorpion assemblages at local and regional scale. Moreover, we provide substantial information for decision-makers to support their conservation strategies for neglected ecosystems, such as those present in Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest.

Reference:
Lira AFA, Foerster SIA, Salomão RP, Porto TJ, Albuquerque CMR, Moura GJB. Understanding the effects of human disturbance on scorpion diversity in Brazilian tropical forests. J Insect Conserv. 2021;25(1):147-58. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Andre and Stenio for sending me their articles!

A new species of the rare genus Birulatus from Jordan

 

Wilson Lourenco and a group of Jordanian co-workers have recently described a new species of Birulatus Vachon, 1974 (Buthidae) from Jordan.

Birulatus jordanensis Lourenço, Al-Saraireh, Afifeh, Baker, Bader-Katbeh & Amr, 2021

Abstract:
New insights are proposed on the taxonomy of the enigmatic genus Birulatus Vachon, 1974. For the first time, one male of the type species Birulatus haasi Vachon, 1974, is diagnosed and illustrated, confirming the patterns of some characters such as the trichobothriotaxy. One new species, Birulatus jordanensis n. sp., is also described based on two female specimens collected from a mostly arid and rocky site located nearby an intermediate region (within the Irano-Turanian biogeographic zone) located between the East Mediterranean Mountains and the Jordan Valley. The species of the genus Birulatus remain rarely collected and their total number is now raised to four.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Al-Saraireh M, Afifeh BA, Baker MA, Bader-Katbeh A, Amr Z. New insights on the taxonomy of the genus Birulatus Vachon, 1974, and description of a new remarkable species from Jordan (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France. 2021;126(1):123-32. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Hisham K. El-Hennawy and Jeroen Kooijman for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit

 

Jessica S. Azzinnari and co-workers have described a new species of Vaejovis C.L. Koch, 1836 (Vaejovidae) from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Durango, Mexico. 

Vaejovis baggins Azzinnari, Bryson, Graham, Solis-Rojas & Sissom, 2021

If you didn't understand the title of this post, google it! ;)

Abstract:
A new montane species of Vaejovis C.L. Koch (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) is described from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Durango, Mexico. Vaejovis baggins Azzinnari, Bryson, Graham, Solís-Rojas, and Sissom, new species, is similar to mexicanus group species in the mountain range, including V. montanus Graham and Bryson, V. sierrae Sissom, Graham, Donaldson, and Bryson, and V. mcwesti Sissom, Graham, Donaldson, and Bryson, but differs from these species based on aspects of body size, pedipalp carination, chelae granulation, morphometrics, and setal patterns on the metasoma. A molecular clock estimate indicates that the new species shared a common ancestor with V. mcwesti during the late Miocene or Pliocene.

Reference:
Azzinnari JS, Bryson Jr RW, Graham MR, Solís-Rojas C, Sissom WD. A new Vaejovis C. L. Koch from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Durango, Mexico (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Insecta Mundi. 2021(0852):1–12. [Open Access]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this paper!

Family Vaejovidae

Scorpions from the state of Acre, southwestern Brazilian Amazon

 

Mapping the biodiversity of scorpions in different areas is very important for several reasons. One obvious reason is off course to learn the effects of climate changes and habitat destruction. Andre Felipe de Araujo Lira and co-workers have recently published a research note on the scorpion population the state of
Acre, southwestern Brazilian Amazon.

Abstract:
Although Brazil has one of the highest scorpion diversities worldwide, the scorpion fauna of the Amazon region remains relatively poorly described. In this study, we updated the list of scorpion species from the state of Acre, in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon, based on a revision of records contained in Brazilian arachnid collections and a survey of the relevant literature. We recorded the occurrence of seven scorpion species belonging to two families (Buthidae and Chactidae) among which we report three new records (Ananteris sp., Tityus (Tityus) gasci, and Chactopsis cf. insignis) for Acre. The results presented herein make an important contribution to the knowledge on scorpion diversity in the Amazonian forests of Acre.

Reference:
Lira AFdA, Guilherme E, Souza MBd, Carvalho LS. Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) from the state of Acre, southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Acta Amazonica. 2021;51(1):58-62. [Open Access]

The hunt for easy money from venom extraction may cause the extinction of some scorpion species

 

I guess many of you have seen reports in the media about the value of scorpion venom for research and that it is possible to earn millions of US$ on venom extraction. I get email inquires regularly from hopeful amateurs in Asia that want information about how to get scorpions and how to milk them.

This hunt for easy money may have an impact on the scorpion populations in many areas and may drive species to extinctions. A recent article by Alireza Zamani addresses this challenge and is well worth a read.

And for any money hungry scorpion hunters out there: There are serious doubts about the quality of the venom being extracted at amateur scorpion farms and most serious venom suppliers are probably not interested in purchasing amateur products. So leave the scorpions in nature and get rich in another way!

Abstract:
The pharmacological utility of various biochemical compounds in scorpion venom offers promise in several research fields but its potential economic value has placed pressure on scorpion populations already threatened by habitat destruction and overharvesting for the international trade in exotic pets. Since at least 2016, several countries in Africa and Asia reported an increase in the number of people investing in farms for maintaining scorpions and extracting (‘milking’) their venom for commercial use. In addition to serious doubts about the quality of the venom extracted at these farms, repeated collecting of wild specimens may denude an area of scorpions. Given estimates of a million species threatened with extinction over the next decade, unsustainable overexploitation remains a major driver of biodiversity loss. The amateur venom-extraction business has the potential to adversely affect scorpion biodiversity in several biologically rich but poorly documented countries, which calls for urgent action from governments, universities and scientific societies to enhance the conservation of local scorpions. The following activities should thus be initiated or expanded: faunistic surveys and developing national lists of endemic species, red-listing threatened and endangered species using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, educating local communities, and ceasing to issue permits for the collection of scorpions for commercial exploitation of any kind.

Reference:
Zamani A, Sääksjärvi IE, Prendini L. Amateur venom-extraction business may hasten extinction of scorpions. Arachnologische Mitteilungen. 2021;61:20-3.[Open Access]

Thanks to Jeroen Kooijman for sending me this article!

The effects of habitat quality on body size in the litter dwelling scorpion Tityus pusillus from Brazil

 

Andre Felipe de Araujo Lira and co-workers have recently published several articles on scorpion ecology. I will present these in the time to come and I'm starting with a paper on the effects of the habitat quality on the of the litter dwelling scorpion Tityus pusillus Lourenço, 2013 (Buthidae) in fragmented rainforests of Brazil.

Bad habitat quality probably means reduced food availability for the scorpions and this will probably have an negative impact on the body size of the scorpions. An this was exactly what the authors observed. Variation in microhabitat features regulated the body size of T. pusillus, but mainly in females. This is important knowledge as it can tell us something about the impact of habitat destruction.

Abstract:
Understanding how individual body size is affected by habitat quality allows us to assess the consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation on the morphology of arthropods. In this study, we examined the effect of habitat quality (litter depth and dry mass, understory density, canopy openness, and diameter at breast height of trees) on the body size of the litter dwelling scorpion Tityus pusillus Pocock, 1893 in fragmented rainforests of Brazil. The study was performed during the dry season in 10 forest fragments, and scorpions were collected with the aid of ultraviolet light lamps. Females, but not males, responded to the environmental attributes measured. Litter dry mass was positively related to individual body size of T. pusillus. These results suggest scorpion body size is sensitive to habitat structure. Environmental characteristics determine specific ranges of body size in scorpion populations, wherein smaller individuals inhabit sites that have less litterfall.

Reference:
de Araujo Lira AF, de Almeida FdN, Rego FdNAdA, Salomão RP, de Albuquerque CMR. Effects of habitat quality on body size of the litter dwelling scorpion Tityus pusillus in fragmented rainforests of Brazil. Journal of Arachnology. 2021;48(3):295-9. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Andre for sending me their article!