All you need to know about the scorpions reported from the United Kingdom Overseas Territories

 

It is well known that southern parts mainland United Kingdom has an established colony of introduced Tetratrichobothrius flavicaudis (DeGeer, 1778) (Euscorpiidae). But UK also have several overseas territories (see map above for an overview) and little has been published on the scorpion fauna found there. 

Danniella Sherwood and co-workers have recently published an interesting review article summing up the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution, ecology, and medical importance of the scorpions reported from the United Kingdom Overseas Territories.

Abstract:
Current knowledge on the diversity, distribution, ecology and medical importance of the scorpions from the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is synthesised and discussed. Scorpions are absent from British Antarctic and British Indian Ocean territories, the Falkland Islands, the Pitcairn Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. No scorpions are native to Bermuda, but a single stowaway buthid has previously been detected and successfully intercepted. The remaining territories all contain endemic or long-term established introduced species, which is discussed in detail for each territory. Maps of the distribution of endemic and non-endemic taxa are presented, alongside photographs of specimens in life. Future research directions, particularly the need for additional research in biodiversity hotspots of the Caribbean, are discussed.

Reference:
Sherwood D, de Armas LF, Sharp A, Fowler L, Wilkins V. Scorpions (Arachnida Scorpiones) of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories: current knowledge and future directions. Biodiversity Journal. 2024;15(1):41-52. [Open Access provided by author]

Thanks to Danniella Sherwood and Victoria Tang for informing me about this article!