A new species of Didymocentrus from the Lesser Antillean island of Martinique

Rolando Teruel and Karl Questel have recently published a description of a new species in the genus Didymocentrus Kraepelin, 1905 (Diplocentridae) from  the Lesser Antillean island of Martinique.

Didymocentrus martinicae Teruel & Questel, 2020

The new species is edemic to Martinique and its small satellite islets Gros Îlet and Îlet-à-Ramiers.

Abstract:
A new species of the diplocentrid scorpion of the genus Didymocentrus Kraepelin, 1905 is herein described from the Lesser Antillean island of Martinique. It long remained misidentified as Didymocentrus lesueurii (Gervais, 1844), the only species of this genus inhabiting the adjacent island of Saint Lucia. The direct comparison of adults of both sexes from these two islands revealed solid morphological characters, which warrant their recognition as two different taxa. Each one is endemic from a single major island, where it is widespread even in its satellite islets. This addition raises the known composition of the genus to 12 species, 10 of them exclusively Antillean.

Reference:
Teruel R, Questel K. A new Lesser Antillean scorpion of the genus Didymocentrus Kraepelin, 1905 (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae). Euscorpius. 2020(313):1-15. [Open Access]

Family Diplocentridae

An update on the genus Tityus in Hispaniola, Greater Antilles

Rolando Teruel has been able to investigate types and additional materials of Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 from Hispaniola, Greater Antilles. The investigation showed that many of the species are highly variable morphologically, that adults belonging to different size-classes can be easily mistaken as distinct species. Because of this, several species have wrongly been given species status.The paper's conclusions are:

Tityus anasilviae Armas & Abud, 2004 is synonymized with Tityus ottenwalderi Armas, 1999.

Tityus bahoruco Teruel & Armas, 2006 is synonymized with Tityus crassimanus (Thorell, 1876).

Tityus ebanoverde Armas, 1999 is synonymized with Tityus elii Armas & Marcano, 1992.

Tityus septentrionalis Armas & Abud, 2004 is synonymized with Tityus portoplatensis Armas & Marcano, 1992.

In addition, the following fossil taxa are synonymized:

Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013 and Tityus (Brazilotityus) hartkorni Lourenço, 2009 are both synonymized with Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay & Poinar, 1988.

Abstract:
In the present paper, the taxonomic status of several Hispaniolan members of the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1966 is revised after examination of almost all primary types and abundant supplementary material. This resulted in six new synonymies, which involve both extant and fossil species. The extant taxa herein synonymized are Tityus anasilviae Armas et Abud, 2004 under Tityus ottenwalderi Armas, 1999, Tityus bahoruco Teruel et Armas, 2006 under Tityus crassimanus (Thorell, 1876), Tityus ebanoverde Armas, 1999 under Tityus elii Armas et Marcano, 1992, and Tityus septentrionalis Armas et Abud, 2004 under Tityus portoplatensis Armas et Marcano, 1992. The fossil taxa herein synonymized are Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013† and Tityus (Brazilotityus) hartkorni Lourenço, 2009†, both under Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay et Poinar, 1988†. Updated distribution maps are given for all extant senior synonyms.

Reference:
Teruel R. Some Taxonomic Corrections to the Genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Hispaniola, Greater Antilles. Euscorpius. 2917(242):1-9. [Open Access]

Thanks to Rolando for sending me his article!

Family Buthidae

The true taxonomic identity of Centruroides tenuis from Hispaniola, Greater Antilles

The title is "stolen" from a recent paper by Rolando Teruel. In this, paper the taxonomic status of Centruroides tenuis Thorell, 1876 and Centruroides zayasi Armas, 1976 from the Caribbean is investigated. The conclusion is that C. tenuis is a valid species and that C. zayasi is a junior synonym of the former.

Abstract:
The precise taxonomic identity of two taxa, Centruroides tenuis (Thorell, 1876) and Centruroides zayasi Armas, 1976, which has been the subject of prolonged controversy, is finally clarified. The study of three syntypes of the first taxon and the holotype of the second taxon has revealed that the syntypes correspond to two species which are the second taxon’s potential junior synonyms, Centruroides marcanoi Armas, 1981 and C. zayasi. One of the syntypes, the best preserved female adult, is here designated as the lectotype of C. tenuis. Consequently, the following nomenclatural change is proposed: Centrurus tenuis Thorell, 1876 = Centruroides zayasi Armas, 1976, syn. nov.

Reference:
Teruel R. The true taxonomic identity of Centruroides tenuis (Thorell, 1876) and Centruroides zayasi Armas, 1976 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2016(29):91-3. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Rolando for sending me his article!

Family Buthidae

Centruroides platnicki discovered in Hispaniola, Greater Antilles

Teruel & Seiter have recently reported about the discovery of the buthid Centruroides platnicki Armas 1981 (Buthidae) in the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. C. platnicki has probably been collected from the island in the past, but have been misidentified as Centruroides nitidus (Thorell, 1876).

Abstract:
The Buthid scorpion Centruroides platnicki Armas 1981 is recorded for the first time from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The species was so far known only from the southern Bahamas (including the Turks and Caicos Islands). Numerous adult and juvenile specimens of both sexes were found at two localities of Montecristi province (north-western Dominican Republic), always in desert vegetation on alluvial clayey soils.

Reference:
Teruel R, Seiter M. Centruroides platnicki Armas, 1981 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), a new addition to the scorpion fauna of Hispaniola, Greater Antilles. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2016(29):76-8. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Rolando for sending me their article!