A new species of Androctonus from Iran

 

Hossein Barahoei and co-workers have recently described a new species in the medical important genus Androctonus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from southeastern Iran.

Androctonus sistanus Barahoei & Mirshamsi, 2022

A redescritpion of Androctonus baluchicus (Pocock, 1900) is also presented and the authors conclude that all previous reports of this species from Iran is probably of Androctonus sistanus and that A. baluchicus is not present in Iran.

Abstract:
The genus Androctonus Hemprich et Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is composed of 33 species and distributed in the Middle East and North Africa. Among these taxa, only Androctonus baluchicus (Pocock, 1900) and A. crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) are reported from Iran. Specimens collected from north of Sistan & Baluchistan Province (southern Iran) from 2016 to 2021 allow to re-assess the taxonomic status of Iranian species. Androctonus baluchicus is re-described and A. sistanus Barahoei et Mirshamsi, sp.n. described from southeast Iran. A. baluchicus is distributed in the Baluchistan region (including
northwest Pakistan, southwest Afghanistan), whereas A. sistanus Barahoei et Mirshamsi, sp.n. is only known the type locality.

Reference:
Barahoei H, Mirshamsi O, Sanchouli N, Moghaddam MG, Lehmann-Graber C, Monod L. Review of Androctonus baluchicus (Pocock, 1900) with description of new species from Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Arthropoda Selecta. 2022;31(2):197-212. [Open Access]

Thanks to Lukasz Kogut for informing me about this article!

Family Buthidae