Two cases of non-native scorpion introduction in Bermuda

 

The island of Bermuda has no native scorpions, but as for other countries lacking our favorite animal groups, they do get introduced stowaways. Danniella Sherwood and co-workers recently reported about two cases of introduced scorpions to the island, a Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) (Buthidae) and a unidentified species in the genus Hadruroides Pocock, 1893 (Caraboctonidae).

Even though we love scorpions, it is important that stowaways like this are intercepted to avoid more permanent populations to keep the endemic and native fauna safe.

Abstract:
Hadruroides sp. (Scorpiones: Caraboctonidae) is newly recorded as a successfully intercepted non-native invasive species in Bermuda, based on examination of a desiccated and damaged immature female specimen. A second record of an intercepted Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is reported based on examination of an adult male.

Reference:
Sherwood D, Outerbridge M, Smith SR, Gosling J, Darrell M. Tails from the Isle of Devils: two new records of non-native invasive scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) successfully intercepted in Bermuda, including the first record of Caraboctonidae. Euscorpius. 2026(435):1–3. [Open Access]

Differences in sprinting performance between burrowing and non-burrowing scorpions

 

Scorpions are different. Some move quickly, others more slowly. Some make burrows and stay there most of the time, while others are more active on the surface and hide under suitable objects during daytime. Eran Gefen and co-workers have recently published a study where they tested the endurance of three Israeli buthids and two scorpionids. 

The study showed that buthids are fast runners, but they tire more quickly. The burrowing scorpionids are slower, but show more endurance. The authors discuss the physiology behind these differences. The faster sprinting speed in buthids are probably an adaption to escaping predators, while the endurance seen in scorpionids is probably an adaption for digging deep burrows over a longer time.

Please note that there is a correction published for this article (it is available on the article's main page). 

Abstract:
Aerobic capacity in arachnids is closely linked with considerable structural variation in their respiratory systems. However, although all scorpions are non-tracheated and possess four pairs of book lungs, they vary greatly in their locomotor activity patterns. Many nonburrowing species express short bursts of activity whereas other species dig deep burrows within hours, suggesting more aerobically fueled exercise.We hypothesized that locomotion in surface dwellers is more dependent on anaerobic ATP synthesis, and that this would be reflected in their exercise performance and functional adaptation to potential disturbance of resting-state homeostasis. We used an experimental design consisting of two surface-dwelling Buthidae species (Hottentotta judaicus and Leiurus hebraeus), a burrowing buthid (Buthus israelis) and two burrowing Scorpionidae (Scorpio fuscus and Scorpio palmatus). Maximum running speeds were higher for buthids, which were also more prone to fatigue than scorpionids. Higher respiratory exchange ratios recorded for buthids during activity and subsequent recovery indicated a higher reliance on anaerobically fueled locomotion compared with scorpionids. Our data show that quicker removal of excess CO2 resulting from anaerobic exercise and hemolymph buffering in buthids is associated with significantly higher carbonic anhydrase activity in their hemolymph, compared with that of scorpionids. Efficient CO2 emission may also contribute to the lower respiratory water losses of buthids, and thus assist in facing both biotic and abiotic challenges of surface existence, from which the scorpionid burrows provide refuge.

Reference:
Gefen E, Atiya S, David LM, Talal S. Sprinting performance is linked to surface activity in scorpions. J Exp Biol. 2026;229:jeb251978. [Open Access]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this article and for his comments about it. 

Scorpions are the most scary arthropod in Somaliland

 

It is well known that many animals and especially arthropods cause fear and phobias in humans (e.g. arachnophobia). Hassan Sh Abdirahman Elmi and co-workers have recently published a study investigating which arthropod group elicited most fear in test persons from Somaliland. The study was done by showing pictures of different arthropod groups.

Interestingly, it was scorpions that were perceived as most frightening among the respondents. This is logical, as there are some dangerous species in the Horn of Africa, but I guess this is also the case for centipedes and spiders.

Strangely, they used a picture of the North American buthid Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821)  in the test, and not a native species like a member of the medical important genus Parabuthus Pocock, 1890.

Abstract:
Spiders and other arachnids evoke fear in humans. This may be interpreted as a consequence of encounters with these venomous invertebrates during our evolutionary past. However, fear of arachnids has been poorly studied in human populations inhabiting the African savannas, where human ancestors evolved. Here, we analyzed patterns of subjective fear elicited by terrestrial invertebrates (47 species) among Somali people (207 respondents). The scorpion emerged as the most frightening of the examined species, with the giant centipede ranking second. These fears were reasonable, as both scorpions and centipedes possess venom with pronounced toxic effects and are abundant in the region. In contrast, spiders were less frequently ranked among the top  positions in reported fear. This finding further supported the view that scorpions, rather than spiders, represent the most fear-relevant arthropods in the ancestral environment of human evolution. Thus, evolutionary explanations of spider fear are further challenged.

Reference:
Elmi HSA, Frýdlová P, Janovcová M, Berti DA, Král D, Kovařík F, et al. Scorpion first: fear of arthropods in the Horn of Africa. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. 2026:1–7. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Frantisek Kovarik for informing me about this article! 

A new species of the little known genus Cicileus from Algeria

 

Lotfi Derradj and co-workers recently published an article describing a new species in the little known genus Cicileus Vachon, 1948 from southern Algeria.

Cicileus derradji Yagmur, Benali & Bikada

The article has an updated identification key for the genus.

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Cicileus derradji sp. nov., is described from Tin Zaouatine District, In Guezzam Province, southern Algeria. The description is based on an adult male holotype, an adult female paratype and a juvenile specimen, and is supported by detailed morphological analyses, including colouration, morphometrics, carination patterns and trichobothrial arrangement. This discovery extends the known distribution of the genus Cicileus approximately 500 km southwestward within Algeria. With the addition of this species, the number of recognised species in the genus increases to six. The new species is compared with all previously known species of Cicileus, and detailed colour photographs, including images taken under ultraviolet illumination, are provided.

Reference:
Derradj L, Aydın Yağmur E, Benali N, Bikada M. Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae). African Zoology. 2026:1–11. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Ersen Yagmur and Noureddine Benali for informing me about their new article!

Family Buthidae 

Formalization of a few taxonomcial decisions

 

Victoria Tang has previously published a number of nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic acts in a an article that is formally not valid according to the Code of Zoological Nomenclature. She has now published some of these decisions formally in the journal Euscorpius. Here are some main takeaways;

Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005 and S. pococki Qi et al., 2005 (Scorpiopidae) are declared nomina dubia and junior subjective synonyms of S. tibetanus Hirst, 191.

Reddyanus wenjieae Huang et al., 2025 (Buthidae) is considered  nomen dubium.

Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005 (Chaerilidae) is considered  nomen dubium.

Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 (Scorpiopidae) are not distributed in China.

The article has also an discussion about the status of some of the populations of Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911 in China.

The author encourages readers to also read the original article for a deeper understanding of the arguments for her decisions. Readers are also recommended to read her article "Misapplication of statistics in scorpiology: a case study" for more information about the challenges in scorpion taxonomy that Tang addressees.

The author has asked me to mention an error in the article: The term "ventral pectinal teeth count" should be "patella ventral trichobothrium count", as defined in Abbreviation. 

Abstract:
Several nomenclatural, taxonomic, and faunistic decisions put forth in Tang (2026) are formalized herein: (1) four nomina dubia, Chaerilus tessellatus Qi et al., 2005, Scorpiops langxian Qi et al., 2005, S. pococki Qi et al., 2005, and Isometrus (Reddyanus) wenjieae Huang et al., 2025; (2) two junior subjective synonyms, Scorpiops langxian = S. pococki = S. tibetanus Hirst, 1911 syn. n.; (3) one new “aspidonym”, Scorpiops obluda Tang, 2026 sp. indet. nomen nudum; and (4) removal of Scorpiops hardwickii (Gervais, 1843) and S. petersii Pocock, 1893 from the Chinese scorpiofauna. Reddyanus tibetanus (Lourenço & Zhu, 2008) is maintained as a junior subjective synonym of R. assamensis (Oates, 1888). Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974, Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Neoscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Plethoscorpiops Lourenço, 2017, Vietscorpiops Lourenço & Pham, 2015, and Alloscorpiops ( Laoscorpiops) Lourenço, 2013 are maintained as junior subjective synonyms of Scorpiops Peters, 1861.

Reference:
Tang V. Formalization of nomenclatural acts proposed in Tang (2026) (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpiopidae). Euscorpius. 2026(438):1–14. [Open Access]

Thanks to Victoria for sending me her articles and for alle her help and information with The Scorpion Files!

The scorpion fauna and distribution in the Oriental region of Morocco

 

Eric Ythier and co-workers have recently published an article with an update on the scorpion diversity and their distribution in in the Oriental region of Morocco. 12 species from four genera and two families are reported. 

Abstract: 
New faunistic and distributional data are provided on scorpion fauna from the Oriental region of Morocco, a poorly studied area, covering 90,130 km2. Altogether 119 specimens belonging to eight species are recorded, allowing an update on the distribution of these species. A total of 12 scorpion species from four genera are recognized to occur in the Oriental region of Morocco presented here. We also provide new distribution records for newly described and micro-endemic scorpion species which is a key element in promoting their conservation in the country.

Reference:
Ythier E, Mabrouki Y, Taybi FA. Update on the composition and distribution of the scorpion fauna of the Oriental region of Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae). Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici. 2026;35(1):13–62. [Open Access]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about their new paper! 

A new species of Lychas from Thailand

 

Wilson Lourenco and Eric Ythier have recently published a new species of Lychas C.L. Koch, 1845 (Buthidae) from Thailand.

Lychas saiyok Lourenco & Ythier, 2026

The article also restores Lychas kotao Lourenço, 2020 to valid species from synonymy with L. mucronatus (Fabricius, 1798).

Abstract:
A new species, Lychas saiyok sp. n., is described from a cave in the Sai Yok National Park in western Thailand, on the basis of an adult male. The specimen was found in the walls of this karstic cave, approximately 50-60 meters from the entry. The new species is characterized by a moderate to small size with respect to the genus (42.9 mm in total length), a general coloration from yellow to pale yellow marked by a strong pigmentation over the body and appendages, which however shows a distinct pattern from the one commonly observed in L. mucronatus, the most common Lychas species found in Southeast Asia, chelicerae showing a peculiar pigmentation formed by marked blackish spots which do not form any type of reticular structure, and pectines moderately long with 22-21 teeth. This new taxon represents the 35th described species among the currently recognized species for the genus Lychas. The number of known Lychas species in Thailand is increased to six. The species status of L. kotao Lourenço, 2020 stat. n. from Ko Tao island (Thailand) is also revalidated.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Ythier E. A new species of Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845 from a cave in the Sai Yok National Parc in Thailand (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2026(48):55–60. [Full text supplied by author]

Thanks to Eric for informing me about their new article!

Family Buthidae 

New book on the biology of neotropical scorpions

 

André Felipe de Araujo Lira and Edmundo González-Santillán are editors for a brand new book on the biology of neotropical scorpions. This book contains a comprehensive review of all aspects of the scorpions in the important neotropical region, which is known both for its high biodiversity and the high number of medical important species.

About the book [from the publisher]

The Biology of Neotropical Scorpions focuses on comprehensive aspects of scorpions of the Neotropical region, such as public health to biogeographic history. This innovative book is devoted to tackling that lack of knowledge and bringing together a bundle of studies to offer students, researchers, and professionals a comprehensive background to start their research with scorpions as model organisms.

Since 1990 the study of scorpions thrived following the tradition focusing on the Palearctic and Neartic fauna, leaving behind ancient and important scorpion fauna localised in the Neotropics. The Neotropical region encompasses the tropical areas from South America to central Mexico, including the Antilles, comprising different biomes in their extension, such as deserts, dry forests, savannas, mountain ranges, and rainforests. These myriad environments influenced scorpions from their venom composition, morphology, and their human interactions.

Many researchers from different areas and countries have generated a growing piece of information about Neotropical scorpions, but this still is fragmentary. This book innovates in the biology of scorpion fluorescence, chromosomal and molecular genetics, conservation ecology, and ethnobiology of scorpions from the perspective of traditional medicine.

Table of content:

1 What Are the Neotropical Scorpions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
André Felipe de Araujo Lira
2 Allometry and the Evolution of Sexual Size Dimorphism
in Scorpions: Insights from Neotropical Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Stênio Ítalo Araújo Foerster
3 Mating or Not? Reproductive Aspects of Sexual Reproduction
and Parthenogenesis in Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Gracielle de Fátima Braga-Pereira and André Felipe de Araujo Lira
4 Luminescence and Other Optical Characteristics of Scorpion’s
Exoskeleton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Daniel López-Cabrera, Gabriel Ramos-Ortiz,
Montserrat G. Rivera-Ortiz, Edmundo González-Santillán,
and Rafael Espinosa-Luna
5 Diversity, Taxonomy, and Distribution of Neotropical Scorpions . . . 69
Edmundo González-Santillán, José Antonio Ochoa,
and Andrés Alejandro Ojanguren-Afilastro
6 Advances in the Phylogenomic Relationships of Neotropical
Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Carlos E. Santibáñez-López and Prashant P. Sharma
7 Fossil Scorpions, with a Focus on the Neotropical Species . . . . . . . . . 151
Jason A. Dunlop
8 Biogeography of Neotropical Scorpions: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Adriano Medeiros DeSouza
and Alessandra Rodrigues Santos de Andrade
9 Subterranean and Troglomorphic Scorpions from the Neotropics . . . 199
Edmundo González-Santillán, Javier Blasco-Aróstegui,
and Jairo A. Moreno-González 
10 Functional Morphology of Predatory and Defensive Behaviour
in Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Yuri Simone
11 Sampling Techniques for Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Nancy Lo-Man-Hung and Andria de Paula Santos-da-Silva
12 Cytogenetics of Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Bruno Rafael Ribeiro de Almeida, Jonas Gama Martins,
and Renata Coelho Rodrigues Noronha
13 Neotropical Scorpions as Useful Models for Ecological Studies . . . . . 289
André Felipe de Araujo Lira
14 Traditional Treatment of Scorpion Stings in the Neotropics . . . . . . . 307
Jonas Gama Martins, Bruno Rafael Ribeiro de Almeida,
Pedro Pereira de Oliveira Pardal,
and Rudi Emerson de Lima Procópio
15 Neotropical Scorpion Venom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Juana María Jiménez-Vargas, Jimena Isaias Cid-Uribe,
and Rita Restano-Cassulini
16 Scorpionism in Neotropics: Public Health Issues and Prevention . . . 353
Clara Guerra-Duarte and Ana Luiza Bittencourt Paiva
17 Managing Scorpionism: Envenomation, Diagnostics,
and Therapeutic Approaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Manuela B. Pucca, Isabela C. dos Santos, and Felipe A. Cerni
18 Perspectives on Biology and Interactions with Humans
of Neotropical Scorpions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Edmundo González-Santillán
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407

Reference:
Lira AFA, Gonzalez-Santillan E, editors. The Biology of Neotropical Scorpions. From Taxonomy and Genetics to Ecology and Ethnobiology: Springer; 2026. [The book is available in an electronic version or in a printed version, but both require payment or subscription]

A study of the distribution of the genus Neogrosphus in Madagascar with one new species

 

Wilson Lourenco and Lucienne Wilme have recently published a study of the distribution of the genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995(Buthidae) in Madagascar. A new species is described from mesic forest formations in Andohahela National Park in southeastern Madagascar.

Neogrosphus andohahela Lourenço & Wilme 2026

Abstract:
Madagascar remains one of the major hotspots of diversity and endemism in the world. Its scorpion fauna provides a striking example, with more than one hundred known species, all endemic, within a territory of only 587,000 km2. These species are associated with entirely endemic genera and, to a large extent, endemic familial lineages. While some groups are diverse and locally abundant, others are inconspicuous and occur at very low densities, as is the case for the genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995. In this contribution, the distribution patterns of Neogrosphus are reassessed in light of new material and a revised eco biogeographical framework. Until recently, this genus comprised three species: Neogrosphus griveaudi (Vachon, 1969), restricted to the dry forest formations in the southern and western portions of Madagascar; Neogrosphus blanci Lourenço, 1996, known from the central region; and Neogrosphus andrafiabe Lourenço, Wilmé & Waeber, 2015, endemic to northern dry formations. A fourth species is described here from mesic forest formations in Andohahela National Park. The current distribution of the genus is shown to be highly fragmented across a broad environmental gradient ranging from subarid to more humid conditions. This pattern is interpreted as the result of historical fragmentation processes linked to limited dispersal capacity and long-term landscape evolution. On this basis, the general framework previously proposed to explain species diversity and vicariance in Malagasy scorpions is revisited and refined.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Wilme L. New Insights on the Geographical Distribution of the Malagasy Genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) with the Description of a New Species from a More Humid Environment. Arthropoda. 2026;4:11. [Open access]

Family Buthidae 

A new species of Scorpiops from Myanmar

 

Frantisek Kovarik has recently described a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiopidae) from Myanmar. 

Scorpiops walteri Kovarik, 2026 

It is worth noticing that Kovarik rejects Prendini's (2026) changes for the family Scorpiopidae in this article based on lack of any new evidence and that Prendini ignores previous detailed revisions and DNA results.

Abstract:
A new species Scorpiops walteri sp. n. (Scorpiopidae) is described from Myanmar, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. S. walteri sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of the following five characters: chelal trichobothrium Eb3 located in middle of manus between trichobothria Dt and Est; patella of pedipalp with 11–12 ventral and 19 external trichobothria; fingers of pedipalps strongly undulate in male; pedipalp movable finger with ca. 47 IAD; and chela length to width ratio 2.8 in male.

Reference:
Kovarik F. Scorpiops walteri sp. n. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae) from Myanmar. Euscorpius. 2026(437):1–13. [Open Access]

Family Scorpiopidae 

A new species of Alpiscorpius from Denizli Province in Turkey

 

Ersen Yagmur has recently described a new species of Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999 (Euscorpiidae) from near the Çardak District, Denizli Province, in the Aegean Region of western Turkey. In addition, re-examination of two species in the same region have resulted in two new combinations.

New species:

Alpiscorpius akkayai Yagmur, 2026

New combinations:

Alpiscorpius hakani (Tropea & Yagmur, 2016) [Transferred from Euscorpius Thorell, 1876]

Alpiscorpius honazicus (Tropea, Yagmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis & Yesilyurt, 2016) [Transferred from Euscorpius Thorell, 1876]

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n., is described from near Lake Acıgöl, Çardak District, Denizli Province, in the Aegean Region of western Turkey, based on morphological characters. The species is assigned to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al. based on the presence of three trichobothria in the em series on the external surface of the pedipalp patella. Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n. can be readily distinguished from all its congeners by its yellow-orange body and yellow or yellow-orange metasomal colouration; the presence of distinct ventrolateral carinae on metasomal segment V; the presence of seven trichobothria in the Pv series; and five to six trichobothria in the et series. Alpiscorpius akkayai sp. n. was collected from a low-altitude locality geographically close to the known distributions of Euscorpius hakani Tropea and Yağmur and Euscorpius honazicus Tropea, Yağmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis and Yeşilyurt. Therefore, the occurrence of this new species in this locality is unexpected. Both species are herein transferred to the genus Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al. because they possess three trichobothria in the em series and a reduced number of trichobothria in the Pv series (Pv = 7 and 6, respectively), and the new species is particularly compared to these two species. With the description of this new species and the new combinations Alpiscorpius hakani (Tropea and Yağmur) comb. n. and Alpiscorpius honazicus (Tropea, Yağmur, Karampatsou, Parmakelis and Yeşilyurt) comb. n., the number of recognised species of the family Euscorpiidae increases to 26, and the genus Alpiscorpius is now represented by 13 species in Turkey.

Reference:
Yağmur EA. Alpiscorpius akkayai an unexpected new species from Denizli Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Journal of Natural History. 2026;60(29-32):1645–61. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Ersen for informing me about the new species!

Family Euscorpiidae