A remarkable find of two new troglobitic species from the Dominican Republic

 

Rolando Teruel and co-workers have recently published an article describing two new fully troglomorphic species in the genus Cazierius Francke, 1978 (Diplocentridae) from isolate limestone caves in the Dominican Republic.

Cazierius cayacoa Teruel, Jimenez & de los Santos, 2021

Cazierius ciguayo Teruel, Jimenez & de los Santos, 2021 

There are little information available for the new species as only one specimen has been found of each species, but hopefully further exploration of the cave systems that are assumed to host these interesting species  will reveal more information about them.

Abstract:
Two new species of the Greater Antillean endemic scorpion genus Cazierius Francke, 1978, are herein described from the island of Hispaniola. They were found inside isolate limestone caves in the Dominican Republic and are fully troglomorphic, thus, apparently being strict troglobites that represent the first ever documented for this genus. The present additions raise the number of Hispaniolan species of both Cazierius and the family Diplocentridae Karsch, 1880, to five and ten, respectively.

Reference:
Teruel R, Jimenez C, de los Santos G. The first troglobitic scorpions from Hispaniola, Greater Antilles: two new species of Cazierius Francke, 1978 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae). Euscorpius. 2021(340):1-9. [Open Access]

Family Diplocentridae

The Scorpion Fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico and a few taxonomical changes

Rolando Teruel and co-workers have been able to examine new materials from Mona Island, Puerto Rico and have published an article with updates on the scorpion fauna of this island. In addition, the following taxonomical decissions have been made:

Centruroides mariaorum Santiago-Blay, 2009 is synonymized with C. bani Armas & Marcano Fondeur, 1988.

The previous synonymization of Rhopalurus virkkii Santiago-Blay, 2009 with Heteroctenus abudi (Armas et Marcano Fondeur, 1987) is confirmed.

Abstract:
The scorpion fauna of the small Mona Island (= Isla de Mona), located roughly midway between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico and administratively belonging to the latter, is herein revised. Three species are confirmed to occur: the buthids Centruroides bani Armas et Marcano Fondeur, 1987 and Heteroctenus abudi (Armas et Marcano Fondeur, 1987), plus the diplocentrine scorpionid Cazierius garridoi Armas, 2005. The previously recorded Heteronebo sp. is reexamined and deemed a mislabeled specimen of Heteronebo portoricensis Francke, 1978 from adjacent Puerto Rico. Also, Centruroides mariaorum Santiago-Blay, 2009 is demonstrated to be a junior synonym of C. bani (implying the first demonstrable records of the latter from both Mona Island and Puerto Rico) and Rhopalurus virkkii Santiago-Blay, 2009 is confirmed as a junior synonym of H. abudi. A thorough photographic complement and supplementary ecological and distributional data are provided for every species.

Reference:
Teruel R, Rivera MJ, Sanchez AJ. The Scorpion Fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae). Euscorpius. 2017(250):1-15. [Open Access]

Three new species from the Dominican Republic

The new species, Microtityus minimus, is probably the smallest scorpion of the world with adult sizes barely exceeding 10 mm.

Frantisek Kovarik and Rolando Teruel have recently published three new species from the Dominican Republic.

Microtityus minimus Kovarik & Teruel, 2014 (Buthidae)

Tityus kindli Kovarik & Teruel, 2014 (Buthidae)

Cazierius neibae Kovarik & Teruel, 2014 (Scorpionidae)

The paper have several color pictures of species and habitats.

Abstract:
We describe herein three new species of scorpions from the Dominican Republic, in the Greater Antillean Island of Hispaniola: Microtityus minimus sp. n. (probably the smallest scorpion in the world from the southernmost foothills of the Cordillera Central Mountains), Tityus kindli sp. n. (from the high peaks of eastern Cordillera Central Mountains), and Cazierius neibae sp. n. (from the southern slope of the Sierra de Neiba Mountains). Additional information is given on their taxonomy, distribution, ecology, and reproductive biology, fully complemented with color photos of live and preserved specimens, as well as their habitat. Figure 20 shows the smallest scorpion female (total length 11.4 mm) photographed with the newborn.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Teruel R. Three New Scorpion Species from the Dominican Republic, Greater Antilles (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae). Euscorpius. 2014 (187):1-27. [Free full text]

Family Buthidae

Family Scorpionidae

A new species of Cazierius from Cuba

Rolando Teruel has described a new species of Cazierius from Cuba.

Rolando Teruel is continuing his studies of the scorpion fauna of Cuba and this time he presents a new species of Cazierius Francke, 1978 (Scorpionidae).

Cazierius granulosus Teruel, 2013

Abstract:
Cazierius granulosus sp.n. is herein described upon a single female collected on the southern coast of Granma province, eastern Cuba. The new taxon is very easy to distinguish from all of its congeners by the fine and dense granulation that covers almost the entire body and appendages, the elongate shape of the pedipalps, and the increased setation of pedipalp chelae. This is the seventh Cuban representative of the genus, and raises the species of the subfamily and the order in the country to 14 and 55, respectively.

Reference:
Teruel R. La subfamilia Diplocentrinae (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) en Cuba. Sexta parte: Nueva especie de Cazierius Francke 1978. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2013 (23):43-8.

Thanks to Rolando for sending me his article!

Family Scorpionidae

Cazierius tatae synonymized with Cazierius garridoi

Luis de Armas has concluded that Cazierius tatae Satiago-Blay, 2009 (Scorpionidae) from Puerto Rico is a junior synonym of Cazierius garridoi Armas, 2005.

Reference:
de Armas LF. Acerca de algunos alacranes (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae) recientemente descritos o registrados de Puerto Rico e Isla Mona, Antillas Mayores. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009(45):298.

Family Scorpionidae

Eight new species described from Puerto Rico

Jorge Santiago-Blay has recently published an investigation of the scorpion fauna of Puerto Rico. Eight new species from two families are described:

Cazierius tatae (Diplocentrinae, Scorpionidae)

Centruroides jorgeorum (Buthidae)
Centruroides mariaorum (Buthidae)
Centruroides sasae (Buthidae)

Rhopalurus virkkii (Buthidae)

Tityus angelesae (Buthidae)
Tityus estherae (Buthidae)
Tityus juliorum (Buthidae)

The paper has a key to all species known from Puerto Rico.

Abstract:
Eight new species of scorpions are briefly described for the Greater Puerto Rico Region. The new species are: Cazierius tatae (Diplocentrinae), Centruroides jorgeorum, C. mariaorum, C. sasae, Rhopalurus virkkii, Tityus angelesae, T. estherae, and T. juliorum (Buthidae). A key to the identification of the Greater Puerto Rico Region scorpiofauna and biological remarks are provided.

Reference:
Santiago-Blay JA. Systematics and some aspects of the biology of the scorpions (Arachnida) of the greater Puerto Rico region: A biosystematic synopsis. Entomological News. 2009 Jan-Feb;120 (1):109-24.

Family Buthidae
Family Scorpionidae