A new species of Buthacus from Algeria

 

Eric Ythier has recently described a new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 (Buthidae) from Algeria.

Buthacus sadinei Ythier, 2022

The paper also confirm the status for a few another species in the genus.

Abstract:
A new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 is described on the basis of one adult male specimen collected in Tindouf, Western Algeria. The new species is mainly characterized by a yellowish coloration without any spots, long pectines with marginal tips extending to the end of sternite V, a very long and curved telson aculeus, chela fingers almost straight with 9 and 10 rows of granules on fixed and movable fingers, respectively, external accessory granules moderate to strong, and tibial spurs moderate on leg III, long on leg IV. This new taxon belongs to the Buthacus leptochelys (Ehrenberg 1829) complex of species and represents the 10th known Buthacus species reported from Algeria. The new species is compared with the six other species of the “leptochelys” complex occurring in the region covering Western Algeria, Northern Mauritania, Northern Western Sahara and Morocco, namely B. occidentalis Vachon, 1953, B. stockmanni Kovařík, Lowe & Šťáhlavský, 2016, B. ziegleri Lourenço, 2000, B. mahraouii Lourenço, 2004, B. maroccanus Lourenço, 2006 and B. algerianus Lourenço, 2006, the three last species being confirmed again as valid species.

Reference:
Ythier E. A new species of Buthacus Birula, 1908 from Western Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Faunitaxys. 2022;10(28):1-6. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for helping me out with Buthacus information!

Family Buthidae