A new species of Mesobuthus from Azerbaijan

 

A few days ago I informed about a comprehensive revision of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae). In preparation for this revision, Nizami E. Novruzov, Frantisek Kovarik and Victor Fet derscribed a new species of Mesobuthus from Azarbaijan. Please note that this species was included in the revision mentioned above.

Mesobuthus zarudnyi Nouvruzov, Kovarik & Fet, 2022

Abstract:
A new species Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. is described from Azerbaijan, fully illustrated with color photos. We compare the new species with two other species, M. eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839) and M. persicus (Pocock, 1899), both found also in Azerbaijan.

Reference:
Novruzov NE, Kovarik F, Fet V. Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. from Azerbaijan (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2022(347):1-9. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Major revision of the genus Mesobuthus with 14 new species

 

After a revison by Frantisek Kovarik i 2019, the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) became a mainly Asian genus. Frantisek Kovarik and several co-workers have now published a comprehensive review of the genus. The genus consists now of 29 species and no subspecies. Here are the major taxonomical changes:

New species:

Mesobuthus birulai Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus crucittii Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus farleyi Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus fomichevi Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan).

Mesobuthus galinae Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkmenistan).

Mesobuthus kaftani Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus marusiki Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Uzbekistan).

Mesobuthus mirshamsii Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus navidpouri Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus rahsenae Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus turcicus Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus vignoli Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Iran).

Mesobuthus yagmuri Kovarik & Fet, 2022 (Turkey).

Mesobuthus zonsteini Kovarik, Fet, Gantenbein, Graham, Yagmur, Stahlavsky, Poverenni & Nouvruzov, 2022 (Uzbekistan).

New status:

Mesobuthus barszczevskii (Birula, 1904) (Uzbekistan). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus kirmanensis (Birula, 1900) (Iran). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) (Iraq, Syria, Turkey). Raised from subspecies status.

Mesobuthus philippovitschi (Birula, 1905) (Iran). Raised from subspecies status.

See abstract or article for synonymizations

The article has an updated identification key for the genus Mesobuthus. 

Abstract:
The Asian genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, s. str. (Buthidae) (also known as an informal ‘M. eupeus complex’), which includes the most common scorpion species found from Turkey to China, is revised based on new collections, mainly from Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran, using both morphological and mitochondrial DNA data. Available type specimens of all species were studied; neotypes and lectotypes were designated when necessary. The type species Mesobuthus eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839), s. str., is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Currently, the genus includes 29 valid species. Fifteen previously described taxa are recognized as species: Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, 1889) (Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan) (= ?Buthus agnetis Werner, 1936, syn. n.), M. barszczevskii (Birula, 1904), stat. n. (Uzbekistan), M. bogdoensis (Birula, 1896) (=Buthus eupeus volgensis Birula, 1925, syn. n.) (Kazakhstan, Russia), M. eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839) (Armenia, Azerbajjan, Georgia, Iran, Russia [North Caucasus], Turkey), M. haarlovi Vachon, 1958 (Afghanistan, Pakistan), M. iranus (Birula, 1917) (Iran), M. kirmanensis (Birula, 1900), stat. n. (Iran) (= Buthus pachysoma Birula, 1900, syn. n.), M. macmahoni (Pocock, 1900) (Pakistan), M. mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912), stat. n. (Iraq, Syria, Turkey), M. persicus (Pocock, 1899) (Azerbaijan, Iran), M. philippovitschi (Birula, 1905), stat. n. (Iran), M. phillipsii (Pocock, 1889) (Iran), M. thersites (C.L. Koch, 1839) (=Buthus eupeus mongolicus Birula, 1911, syn. n.) (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia), M. vesiculatus (Pocock, 1900) (Iran), and M. zarudnyi Novruzov et al., 2022 (Azerbaijan). Fourteen new species are described: Mesobuthus birulai sp. n. (Iran), M. crucittii sp. n. (Iran), M. farleyi sp. n. (Iran), M. fomichevi sp. n. (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), M. galinae sp. n. (Turkmenistan), M. kaftani sp. n. (Iran), M. marusiki sp. n. (Uzbekistan), M. mirshamsii sp. n. (Iran), M. navidpouri sp. n. (Iran), M. rahsenae sp. n. (Turkey), M. turcicus sp. n. (Turkey), M. vignolii sp. n. (Iran), M. yagmuri sp. n. (Turkey), and M. zonsteini sp. n. (Uzbekistan). No subspecies are currently recognized. A key to all studied species is given. A DNA phylogeny based on COI marker is presented including 25 species.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Fet V, Gantenbein B, Graham MR, Yagmur EA, Stahlavsky F, et al. A revision of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, with a description of 14 new species (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2022(348):1-188. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Taxonomical changes missed in 2021

I try to keep The Scorpion Files as updated as possible and fortunately I have access to a lot of journals through my work and many researchers also send me their new articles. But I do not discover all new changes that are published. 

Thanks to Gerard Dupre's list of new taxa in 2021 published in issue 104 of Arachnides, I have disocered a few taxa that have been missing from The Scorpion Files:

Family Bothriuridae

Bothriurus goiano Lovato, Anker & Lourenco, 2021 (Brazil)

Family Buthidae:

Ananteris obscura Lourenco & Motta, 2021 (Brazil)

Microananteris serrulata Lourenco, 2021 (French Guiana)  

Microananteris inselberg Lourenco, 2021 (French Guiana)  

Orthochirus milloti Lourenco, 2021 (Mali)

Please informed me of errors or missing taxonomical changes in The Scorpion Files.

References:

Dupre, G. Nouveaux Taxa de Scorpions pour 2021. Arachnides. 2021(104):1003. [Open Access]

Lovato ML, Anker A, Lourenço WR. A new species of Bothriurus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) from the Parque Nacional dass Emas in central Brazil. Revista ibérica de Aracnología. 2021(38):52-62.

Lourenço WR, Motta PC. One more new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Cerrados of the Federal District in Brazil. Revista ibérica de aracnología. 2021(38):121-5.

Lourenço WR. The genus Microananteris Lourenço, 2003 in French Guiana (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Zoosystema. 2021;43(20):377-86. [Subscription required for full text]

Lourenço WR. The true status of the specimen belonging to the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Aguelhok (Aguel’hoc), Mali. Revista ibérica de aracnología. 2021(38):99-102.

Family Bothriuridae

Family Buthidae