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

A new, extinct species of Centruroides found in amber from Mexico

Wilson Lourenco has recently described a new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae) found in amber from Chiapas, Mexico.

Centruroides knodeli Lourenco, 2017

The new species is extinct. Please note that this species is not listed in The Scorpion Files as the species list only list extant species.

The article also includes criticisms of a recent article published by Rolando Teruel where two extinct species of Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Buthidae) also found in amber were synonymized with Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay & Poinar, 1988. The following two species are restored as valid species.

Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013

Tityus (Brazilotityus) hartkorni Lourenço, 2009

Abstract:
Centruroides knodeli sp. n., a new species of fossil scorpion, is described from a specimen in amber from Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is clearly related to the extant fauna of the Neotropical region and is placed in the genus Centruroides Marx, 1890, presently distributed in North, Central and South America and in the Caribbean region. Also, the fossil species Tityus hartkorni Lourenço, 2009 and Tityus azari Lourenço, 2013, described from Dominican amber and inappropriately regarded by Rolando Teruel as junior synonyms of Tityus geratus Santiago-Blay & Poinar, 1988, are herein restored as valid taxa.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 from Chiapas amber, Mexico (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2017(30):100-6.

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]

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!