A new psammophile species in the genus Buthus from Northern Spain

 

The duo Rolando Teruel and Carlos Turiel are continuing their study of the Buthus Leach, 1815 (Buthidae) population of Western Europe. In a recent article they have described a new psammophile species the pine forests on siliceous sands of the Duero River in Valladolid, in the core of the Submeseta Norte (northern Spain).

Buthus castellano Teruel & Turiel, 2022

Buthus lusitanus Lourenço, 2021 is synonymized with Buthus halius (C. L. Koch, 1838) after examination of new materials from type localitity. 

Finally, a specimen of B. halius in the study was albino. This is the first report of albinism in this genus and possible the first in the family Buthidae.

Abstract:
The present paper represents the fifth contribution of our taxonomic revision of the genus Buthus Leach, 1815 in the Iberian Peninsula. Herein, we describe a new species from the pine forests on siliceous sands of the Duero River in Valladolid, in the core of the Submeseta Norte (northern Spain). This species is remarkable because of its morphology adapted to burrow in sand, and thus it resembles only Buthus delafuentei Teruel & Turiel, 2020, endemic from the same habitat type, but along the Cádiz Gulf and the lower basin of the Guadalquivir River (southwestern Spain). Moreover, we clarify the true taxonomic status of Buthus lusitanus Lourenço, 2021, by proving that it is actually a junior synonym of Buthus halius (C. L. Koch, 1838) and that its original description is wrong, since it is based only on immature specimens. The West European diversity of Buthus stays at 17 species, all of hem local endemics.

Reference:
Teruel R, Turiel C. The genus Buthus Leach, 1815 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Part 5: A new psammophile species from Northern Spain, a synonymy and first albinism record in the genus. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2022(41):15-36.

Thanks to Rolando for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae