Three new species of Isometrus from India

 

India hosts a large diversity of scorpions and many of them are still waiting to be discovered. Shauri Sulakhe and co-workers are working to discover some of these hidden scorpion gems, and in a recent article they have described two new species of Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from the Western Ghats, India.

Isometrus naksahatra Sulakhe, Deshpande, Gowande, Dandekar & Ketkar, 2022

Isometrus wayanadensis Sulakhe, Deshpande, Gowande, Dandekar & Ketkar, 2022

In addition, Isometrus sankeriensis Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 is restorded from synonymization as a valid species.

The article has a identification key for the Indian species of Isometrus.

Abstract:
The Western Ghats of India is considered one of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world. Documenting scorpion diversity has always been of paramount importance due to their species richness, ecological role and endemism, which calls for conservation priority. Scorpion diversity of the Western Ghats is probably underestimated given the ancestry of the group, and more field work in the region is very likely to uncover numerous undescribed taxa. Several new Indian species have recently been discovered in the scorpion genus Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). In this communication, we resurrect I. sankeriensis Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 and describe two new species from the Western Ghats of India, I. nakshatra sp. nov. and I. wayanadensis sp. nov., using an integrative taxonomic approach. In order to replace the lost holotype of I. sankeriensis, we designate a neotype and reassess the identity of this species. This work elevates the number of species of Isometrus found in India to eight and we expect many more scorpion discoveries from India with continued research.

Reference:
Sulakhe S, Deshpande S, Gowande G, Dandekar N, Ketkar M. Arboreal gems: resurrection of Isometrus sankeriensis Tikader & Bastwade, 1983 and descriptions of two new species of Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Western Ghats, India. European Journal of Taxonomy. 2022;811:1-50. [Open Access]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this article!

Family Buthidae