New scorpion taxa in 2023

 

Gerard Dupre has published a list of all new scorpion taxa described in 2023. He has identified 57 new species and two species that has been re-validated to species status. The list includes only extant taxa.

Abstract:
Pour l’année 2023, nous avons recensé 57 espèces nouvelles plus 2 espèces revalidées sans compter les fossiles. Sur un plan géographique ces nouvelles espèces sont réparties comme suit : Asie +29, Afrique +12, Amériques +11, Océanie +3 et Europe +3.

Reference:
Dupre G. Nouveaux taxa de scorpions pour 2023. Arachnides. 2024(112):1-26. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard for sending me this article!

 

Rich Ayrey - RIP

 

Yesterday I got the sad news from multiple postings on Facebook that Rich Ayrey is no longer among us. Most, if not all of us in the scorpion community knew Rich. Either by personal communication or from his many important contributions in the taxonomy of the family Vaejovidae from Arizona and California.

Around 2011 I had the first contact with Rich when he generously shared some pictures of rare Vaejovis species for me to use in The Scorpion Files. Later he was very helpful by sending me new articles that he had published. And he always added some nice and supportive comments in his emails which I appreciated very much.

Rich will be missed by the scorpion comunity. 

My thought are with Rich's family and friends.

RIP

Jan Ove Rein
Editor of The Scorpion Files

Here is a list of scorpion articles authored by Rich that I have in my archive:

1.    Ayrey RF. Sky Island Vaejovis: A new species (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2009(86):1-12.
2.    Ayrey RF. Serradigitus miscionei (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), a new species from southern Arizona. Euscorpius. 2011(111):1-13.
3.    Ayrey RF. An anomaly of pectinal organs in Vaejovis lapidicola (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2011(130):1-6.
4.    Ayrey RF. A New Vaejovis from the Mogollon Highlands of Northern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2012(148):1-13.
5.    Ayrey RF. Reproduction and birth in the “Vorhiesi” group of the genus Vaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Part I. Clutch size. Euscorpius. 2013(166):1-15.
6.    Ayrey RF. A new species of Vaejovis from the Mogollon Rim of northern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) Euscorpius. 2013(176):1-13.
7.    Ayrey RF. A new species of Vaejovis from chaparral habitat near Yarnell, Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2014(188):1-13.
8.    Ayrey RF. Pseudouroctonus peccatum Tate et al., 2013, Rediscovered. Euscorpius. 2016(214):1-5.
9.    Ayrey RF. Serradigitus miscionei, the First Vaejovid Scorpion to Exhibit Parthenogenesis. Euscorpius. 2017(241):1-7.
10.    Ayrey RF. A New Species of Vaejovis from the Patagonia Mountains, Southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2018(262):1-12.
11.    Ayrey RF. A new species of Vaejovis from Mingus Mountain, northern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2020(303):1-13.
12.    Ayrey RF, Jones LLC, Meyers B. A new species of Kochius from Avra Valley, southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2019(292):1-13.
13.    Ayrey RF, Kovarik F, Myers BT. A new species of Pseudouroctonus from the Pinaleño Mountains, southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2021(338):1-12.
14.    Ayrey RF, Myers B. A new “vorhiesi” group species of Vaejovis from the Galiuro Mountains, southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2019(284):1-14.
15.    Ayrey RF, Myers BT. Description of the male of Wernerius mumai (Sissom, 1993) from western Arizona, with data on reproduction (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2020(317):1-17.
16.    Ayrey RF, Soleglad ME. A new species of Vaejovis from Prescott, Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2011(114):1-15.
17.    Ayrey RF, Soleglad ME. New Species of Vaejovis from the Santa Rita Mountains, Southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2014(183):1-13.
18.    Ayrey RF, Soleglad ME. New species of Vaejovis from the Whetstone Mountains, southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2015(194):1-12.
19.    Ayrey RF, Soleglad ME. New Analysis of the Genus Pseudouroctonus with the Description of Two New Species (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2015(211):1-53.
20.    Ayrey RF, Soleglad ME. A New Species of the “apacheanus” Group of Genus Pseudouroctonus from Western Texas (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2017(237):1-23.
21.    Ayrey RF, Webber MM. A new Vaejovis C.L. Koch, 1836, the second known vorhiesi group species from the Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae). ZooKeys. 2013(270):21-35.
22.    Graham MR, Ayrey RF, Bryson Jr RW. Multivariate methods support the distinction of a new highland Vaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) from the Sierra de los Ajos, Mexico. J Arachnol. 2012;40:281-90.
23.    Myers B, Ayrey RF. Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke, 1940: hemispermatophore and mating plug from a topotype male (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2020(299):1-7.
24.    Myers B, Ayrey RF. A new species of Vaejovis from the Mule Mountains above Bisbee, Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2021(343):1-15.
25.    Soleglad ME, Ayrey RF, Graham MR, Fet V. Catalinia, a new scorpion genus from southern California, USA and northern Baja California, Mexico (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2017(251):1-64.
26.    Soleglad ME, Fet V, Graham MR, Ayrey RF. Graemeloweus, a New Scorpion Genus from Northern California, USA (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2016(227):1-38.

A new species of Reddyanus from New Caledonia (France)

 

 In a recent paper, Wilson Lourenco has described a new species in the genus Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 (Buthidae).

 Reddyanus kanak Lourenco, 2023

 In this paper Lourenco states that he doesn't accept the decision by Kovarik et al. (2016) to raise the subgenus Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 in Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 to genus status. Because of this, the new species is named Isometrus (Reddyanus) kanak in the article.

This decision is done in a short paragraph without any proper justification. Because of this, I have chosen not to accept and include this status change in The Scorpion Files. I have obtained some advice in this matter and also gotten information that there exist unpublished DNA results that support the decision by Kovarik et al. in 2016.

Abstract:
Some considerations are proposed on Isometrus (Reddyanus) heimi Vachon, 1976, species described from New Caledonia, in order to precisely clarify the status of the typical series used by M. Vachon for its description. A new species of Isometrus is also described from wet forests of New Caledonia, representing the third species of this genus recorded from the Island. The new species, similarly to Isometrus (R.) heimi, most certainly represents an endemic element to New Caledonia.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. Nouvelles considérations sur Isometrus (Reddyanus) heimi Vachon, 1976 et description d’une deuxième espèce d’Isometrus pour la Nouvelle-Calédonie (Scorpiones : Buthidae). Revue Arachnologique. 2023;2(10):30-6.

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

A new species of Centruroides from Guanaja, Islas de la Bahía, Honduras

 

Luis de Armas and Alex Cubas-Rodríguez have recently described a new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae) from Guanaja, Islas de la Bahía, Honduras.

Centruroides terueli de Armas & Cubas-Rodriguez, 2023

Abstract:
A new species belonging to the species-group Centruroides gracilis is described from Guanaja Island, Islas de la Bahía, in the Honduran Caribbean, on the basis of an adult female. Because of its dorsal pattern it was misidentified as C. caribbeanus Teruel & Myers, 2017, from which it differs by having the metasomal segments more elongate, pedipalp hands with carinae more developed, sternites immaculate (profusely variegated with dark brown in C. caribbeanus) and a shorter aculeus. This is the third species of this genus recorded from the Islas de la Bahía archipelago and the second endemic scorpion known from the area.

Reference:
De Armas LF, Cubas-Rodriguez AM. Una especie nueva de Centruroides (Scorpiones: Buthidae) de Guanaja, Islas de la Bahia, Honduras. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2023(43):81-5. [Full text available from author]

Thanks to Alex Cubas-Rodríguez for sending me their article.

Family Buthidae

A new species in the interesting genus Microbuthus from inland deserts of Mauritania

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wilson Lourenco has recently published an article on the special genus Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 (Buthidae) with the description of a new species from from inland deserts of Mauritania.

Microbuthus saharicus Lourenco, 2023

The article sums up most of the knowledge of the genus and also discusses the special biogeography of Microbuthus. 

Abstract:
A new species, Microbuthus saharicus sp. n., is described from the inland deserts of Mauritania; it represents the first exception to the general coastal distribution observed in the species of this genus. With this new description, the total number of known species in Africa is increased to five. The disrupted peri-Saharan pattern of distribution presented by the group is however confirmed. Some comments are also added on the biogeography and ecology of the species.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. The remarkable micro-scorpion genus Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 in North Africa; description of a new species with comments on its biogeography and ecology (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Serket. 2023;20(1):1-10. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae