A new species in the interesting genus Microbuthus from inland deserts of Mauritania

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wilson Lourenco has recently published an article on the special genus Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 (Buthidae) with the description of a new species from from inland deserts of Mauritania.

Microbuthus saharicus Lourenco, 2023

The article sums up most of the knowledge of the genus and also discusses the special biogeography of Microbuthus. 

Abstract:
A new species, Microbuthus saharicus sp. n., is described from the inland deserts of Mauritania; it represents the first exception to the general coastal distribution observed in the species of this genus. With this new description, the total number of known species in Africa is increased to five. The disrupted peri-Saharan pattern of distribution presented by the group is however confirmed. Some comments are also added on the biogeography and ecology of the species.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. The remarkable micro-scorpion genus Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 in North Africa; description of a new species with comments on its biogeography and ecology (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Serket. 2023;20(1):1-10. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

A revision of the cryptic genus Microbuthus and the description of a new species

Graeme Lowe and co-workers have recently published a review of the cryptic genus Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 (Buthidae) from western and eastern coasts of North Africa and the southern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. A new species is also described.

Microbuthus satyrus Lowe, Kovarik, Stockmann & Stahlavsky, 2018 (Oman, Yemen)

Abstract:
The taxonomy of the genus Microbuthus is reviewed, and a new species from Oman and Yemen, M. satyrus sp. n., is described and fully illustrated with color photographs of live and preserved specimens, as well as of its habitat. It is compared to the closely similar species M. litoralis, which we also illustrate. Synonymy of the type species M. pusillus Kraepelin, 1898 with M. litoralis (Pavesi, 1885) is confirmed, and the species is recorded for the first time from Yemen. Hemispermatophores of M. satyrus sp. n., M. gardneri Lowe, 2010, and M. kristensenorum Lowe, 2010 are illustrated and compared, and we also describe the karyotypes of these three Microbuthus species. The number of chromosomes is the same in all analyzed species (2n=26).

Reference:
Lowe G, Kovarik F, Stockmann M, Stahlavsky F. Review of Microbuthus with description of M. satyrus sp. n. (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Oman and Yemen. Euscorpius. 2018(263):1-22. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

An update on the Saharan scorpion fauna in Morocco

Oulaid Touloun and co-workers have recently published an article on the species composition and geographical distribution of the Saharan scorpion fauna of Morocco.

Abstract:
Objective: To describe the species composition of scorpions and to study its geographical distribution in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Ed Dahab regions in July 2014.
Methods: To locate scorpions, the ground was examined through searching the places under the stones, rocks and in burrows. The nocturnal missions were also conducted using portable ultraviolet lamps. The scorpions were subsequently identified in the laboratory.
Results: The results of the investigations in these regions showed the presence of five scorpion species, two of which Androctonus gonneti and Buthus bonito were endemic in Morocco.
Conclusions: This work is allowed to complete the inventory of the studied scorpion fauna and provides some considerations on the distribution patterns in the study area.

Reference:
Touloun O, Hidan MAE, Boumezzough A. Species composition and geographical distribution of Saharan scorpion fauna, Morocco. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Disease. 2016;6(11):878-81. [Open Access]

Two new genera and five new species from Oman

Graeme Lowe has looked into some very interesting materials from Oman and described several new taxa of very small, but special buthids. The new taxa are:

Femtobuthus Lowe, 2010 (new genus)
Femtobuthus shutuae Lowe, 2010 (new species)

Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898
Microbuthus gardneri Lowe, 2010 (new species)
Microbuthus kristensensorum Lowe, 2010 (new species)

Picobuthus Lowe, 2010 (new genus)
Picobuthus dundoni Lowe, 2010 (new species)
Picobuthus wahibaensis Lowe, 2010 (new species)

I reccomend to check out the article (free fulltext - see link below) for more details and pictures.

Abstract:
Five new species of diminutive buthid scorpions are described from Oman. Two belong to Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898, a genus with heavily sclerotized, smooth, strongly pitted posterior metasomal segments, abbreviated telson, and pedipalps with 9 femoral and 6–7 external patellar trichobothria: M. gardneri, sp. nov., from the Al Hajar Mountains, and M. kristensenorum, sp. nov., from the Dhofar Mountains and Hadhramaut of Yemen, which was long misidentified as M. pusillus Kraepelin, 1898. Two additional new species are placed in a new genus Picobuthus, gen. nov., differentiated by granular posterior metasomal segments, elongate telson, pedipalps with 7–9 femoral and 5 external patellar trichobothria: type species P. wahibaensis, sp. nov., from the Wahiba Sands, and P. dundoni, sp. nov., from sand deserts in central Oman. A second new genus, Femtobuthus, gen. nov., is monotypic with type species F. shutuae, sp. nov., from the southern coast and plateau of Jiddat Al Harasis, differentiated by enlarged, granular, dentate metasomal segments, abbreviated telson, and pedipalps with 6 femoral and 5 external patellar trichobothria. The relationship of Microbuthus and the two new genera to other buthid scorpions is discussed, and their trichobothrial homologies are addressed. These three genera are hypothesized to represent a monophyletic ‘picobuthoid’ lineage that originated in the Arabian Peninsula.

Reference:
Lowe G. New picobuthoid scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Oman. Euscorpius. 2010(93):1-53. [Free fultext - click here if you want the high resolution version (24 mb)]

Family Buthidae