A revision of the number of taxa in The Scorpion Files

 

 I have checked the number of genera and species in each family and adjusted for any errors that I found. The numbers include species that are "Nomen dubium", but subspecies that are listed are not counted (only the main species).

Let me know if I have missed any taxa or taxonomical changes in The Scorpion Files.

Jan Ove Rein
Editor of The Scorpion Files
jan.rein@ntnu.no

An updated review of teratological abnormalities and other unusual anatomical or morphological findings in scorpions

 

One year ago, Danniella Sherwood and Luis F. de Armas published a review of teratological abnormalities in scorpions. Teratology is the study of physiological development abnormalities of in organisms during their life span (Wikipedia, 2023). Teratological abnormalities in scorpions are known to occur in most families, involving many different body parts. 

Now, Danniella Sherwood and several co-workers have published an updated review of teratological abnormalities in scorpions. They have also included cases of albinism, abnormal pigmentation, gynandromorphism, and injury healing. Many of the cases presented in the article are illustrated with color photos.

Abstract:
Eighteen new cases of teratology and other abnormalities within scorpions are presented, representing new cases of metasomal duplication, mesosomal anomaly, telson anomaly, albinism, and abnormal pigmentation. Furthermore, recently published literature on other scorpion anomalies are tabulated to update the recent 2023 checklist of scorpion teratology which charted all known literature up to the aforementioned work.

Reference:
Sherwood D, Tang V, Tchilinguirian J, Lamare L, Stockmann M, Gerace V. New Cases of Teratology, Albinism, Abnormal Pigmentation, Gynandromorphism, and Injury Healing in Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Arthropoda. 2024;2:226-49. [Open Access]

Thanks to Danniella for sending me this article!

Updated information about the distribution of Androctonus aeneas in Algeria

 

Androctonus aeneas C. L. Koch, 1839 (Buthidae) is a potential medical important species in parts of northern Africa and knowledge about its distribution is important. Mohammed Ait Hammou and several co-workers have recently published an update on this species current distribution in Algeria with several new locations. 

Abstract:
This work concerns a new consideration on the geographical distribution of Androctonus aeneas C.L. Koch, 1839 (Scorpiones) in Algeria. Historically, this species occupied the central band of Algeria, from Tébessa and Khenchela in the east, through Batna in the Belezma mountains, to Naâma in the west. Recent surveys by young researchers have noted an expansion of the range of this scorpion not only in the geographic distribution area predicted for this species by Lourenço et al. (2015) but also towards western Algeria (Aïn Témouchent, Sabdou, El Bayadh and Saïda) and towards the southwest of Algeria in Naâma and Béchar. These new data may enrich the understanding of this potentially dangerous species, but also to the known area of scorpion envenomation risk.

Reference:
Hammou MA, Dahmani W, Cheddad A, Bouhissi ME, Feghoul MA, Benali N, et al. On current distribution of Androctonus aeneas Koch, 1839 in Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Serket. 2024;20(3):257-65. [Open Access]

Thanks to  Mohammed Ait Hammou, Noureddine Benali, Lukasz Kogut and Hisham El-Hennaway for informing me about this article!

A new species of Timogenes from north western Argentina

 

 

For the first time in 45 years, a new species in the genus Timogenes Simon, 1880 (Bothriuridae) has been described. Alexis Barrios-Montivero and co-workers recently described a new species in this small genus from the Pipanaco salt flat of arid Northwestern Argentina.

Timogenes pipanaco Barrios-Montivero & Ojanguren-Affilastro, 2024

Abstract:
We describe Timogenes pipanaco sp. nov. (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) from north western Argentina. This species is most similar to Timogenes haplochirus Maury & Roig Alsina 1977, both sharing a shallow internal excavation in pedipalp chela of males. This is the smallest known species of the genus with males averaging 33.3 mm, and is the only species of the genus with extremely reduced stridulatory organ. This species is apparently endemic to the Pipanaco salt flat in arid north western Argentina, and is active in spring. This is the first species of genus Timogenes described after 45 years.

Reference:
Barrios-Montivero AE, Salas LB, Ojanguren Affilastro AA. Description of Timogenes pipanaco sp. nov.,(Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) a new salt flat species from north western Argentina. Zootaxa. 2024;5536(2):277-90. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Andres and Victoria for informing me about this article!

Family Bothiuridae

A new species of Opisthacanthus from Mozambique

 

Wilson Lourenco and Eric Ythier have recently published an article describing a new species of Opisthacanthus Peters, 1861 (Hormuridae) from northern Mozambique.

Opisthacanthus mossambicensis Lourenço & Ythier, 2024

Abstract:
A new species of Hormuridae scorpion belonging to the genus Opisthacanthus and to the subgenus Nepabellus is described based on specimens collected in dry forests located in the North of Mozambique. This contribution is the first one to the African species of the genus and subgenus in more than two decades.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Ythier E. A new contribution to the genus Opisthacanthus Peters, 1861 and in particular to the African species of the subgenus Nepabellus Francke, 1974 with the description of a new species from Mozambique (Scorpiones: Hormuridae). Serket. 2024;20(3):205-14. [Open Access provided by author]

Family Hormuridae

A new species of Tityopsis from Cuba

 

The 400th issue of  the open access journal “Euscorpius” is dedicated to the memory of the Cuban scorpion expert and friend to many of us in the scorpion community, Rolando Teruel, who we lost way too early in 2023. 

In the current issue, Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers describe a new species of Tityopsis Armas, 1974 (Buthidae) from Cuba. The new species was collected by Rolando, but he died before he could describe it. The new species is named in his honor.

Tityopsis rolandoi Kovarik, Stockmann, Stahlavsky & Yong, 2024

Abstract:
A new species Tityopsis rolandoi sp. n. is described from Cuba, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. T. rolandoi sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination of two characters: movable finger shorter than carapace and chela length/width ratio 3.6 in male. This species also has a characteristic shape of a median smooth patch of sternite V, which is almost oval in male. In addition to morphology, we present the information about the karyotype of T. rolandoi sp. n. (2n=20) and T. sheylae (2n=22).

Reference:
Kovarik F, Stockmann M, Stahlavsky F, Yong S. Tityopsis rolandoi sp. n. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Cuba. Euscorpius. 2024(400):1-15. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Shelter size and scent are factors that have an impact on shelter selection in females of two scorpion species

 

Shelter selection and shelters are important for the survival of most scorpions. Some scorpion dig their own burrow, others use naturally existing ones like cracks and crevices in rocks and stones, depressions under stones and burrows made by other animals.

Janina Hladik and co-workers have recently published a study investigation shelter selection (with focus on shelter size and scent) in females of Euscorpius italicus (Herbst, 1800) (Euscorpiidae) and Mesobuthus gibbosus (C.L. Koch, 1839) (Buthidae).

Females of both E. italicus and M. eupeus favor larger over smaller shelters, while they do not show clear preferences for conspecific scents. An impairment experiment showed that the scorpions could not detect size nor scent properly when either their pectines or pedipalps were impaired.

Abstract:
Shelter selection is an important task in an animal’s life. Concerning scorpions, little is known on the evaluation of potential shelters and the importance of chemosensation. To address these issues, we conducted a two-choice shelter test in rectangular open field arenas to identify properties rendering shelters attractive for female scorpions of the species E. italicus and M.  prey, aversive: rosemary oil). Contact with the shelters was video-recorded under red light for 13 h, including the whole night phase. Results revealed a preference for larger shelters, with conspecific scent having minor or no influence. Striking differences occurred with regard to prey and rosemary oil scents. Prey scent was more attractive to M. eupeus, while rosemary oil did not act as a repellent. E. italicus was not very attracted by prey scent, but was repelled by rosemary oil. These findings might reflect the different habitats, semi-arid vs. Mediterranean climates: prey and rosemary are scarce in the semi-arid climate (habitat of M. eupeus), whereas they are abundant in the Mediterranean climate (habitat of E. italicus). We carried out impairment experiments to identify the main sensory organs responsible for the above observations. These are the pectines and pedipalps which function as mechano- and chemosensors. Scorpions could not detect size nor scent properly when either their pectines or pedipalps were impaired.

Reference:
Hladik J, Bailer Y, Wolf H, Stemme T. Shelter selection in females of two scorpion species depends on shelter size and scent. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol. 2024. [Open Access]