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 I have obtained some advice in this matter and also gotten information that there exist unpublished DNA results that support the decision by Kovarik et al.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