A new species of Microcharmus from Madagascar

 

Wilson Lourenco and Lucienne Wilmé have recently described a new species of Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 (Buthidae) from Central-West Madagascar.

 Microcharmus aridus Lourenco & Wilme, 2025

The authors have placed this genus in the family Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996. The family status of this taxa is under discussion. Lowe & Kovarik, 2022 placed it back in synomy with Buthidae, which is the current status in The Scorpion Files.

The new species was found in a humicolous habitat (animals living in or on soil). This is quite rare in scorpions and the article discuss adaptions to this kind of habitat.

Abstract:
A new species of humicolous buthoid scorpion belonging to the genus Microcharmus is described on the basis of a single specimen collected in a dry bush formation in the region of Cap Saint André, Central-West Madagascar. The habitat of the new species represents one of the driest environments documented for the genus. New considerations are proposed on the ecology and biogeography of this endemic Malagasy group of scorpions, which appears to be restricted to dry and wet forest formations in the northern and northwestern portions of the island. Some comments are also added about their possible evolution of these scorpions from endogenous to epigean environments.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Wilme L. A new species of Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 (Scorpiones: Microcharmidae) from extremely dry areas of Central-West Madagascar. Serket. 2025;20(4):373–82. [Open Access]

Thanks to Hisham E-Hennaway for making this article available to me!

Family Buthidae

Several taxonomic changes after a reanalysis of Microcharmidae, Grosphus and Teruelius

 

 
Graeme Lowe and Frantisek Kovarik recently published an article where they did a morphometric analysis of the family Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996 and the genera Grosphus Simon, 1880 and Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019. The following taxonomic decisions were made:

The family Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996 with its two genera is synomymized with the family Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837.

The genus Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 (22 species) is restored from synonymy with Grosphus Simon, 1880 (14 species).

Two new species are described:

Grosphus angulatus Lowe & Kovarik, 2022 (Madagascar)

Teruelius haeckeli Lowe & Kovarik, 2022 (Madagascar)

Abstract:
The genus Teruelius Lowe & Kovařík, 2019, was created for a subset of species originally included under Grosphus Simon, 1880, but was subsequently synonymized with Grosphus. We reanalyze Teruelius and Grosphus by scoring 45 discrete characters, and 32 discrete + 17 continuous characters, for all 36 included species, plus 11 related buthids as outgroup taxa. Morphometric analyses are systematically applied to quantify variation in continuous characters, including: carapace length, carapace anterior concavity, carapace preocular length, hemispermatophore posterior lobe length, tibial spur length/ tibia distal depth ratio, metasoma I length/ width ratio, pectine tooth length/ width ratio, pedipalp femur petite ‘trichobothrium’ d2 position, pedipalp fixed finger relative position of trichobothria db vs. est, and pedipalp manus relative position of Eb trichobothria. Elliptic Fourier analyses and principal components analyses are applied to quantify variation in sternite IV spiracle aperture profiles, female basal pectinal tooth shapes and telson lateral profiles. Laser light scattering is applied to quantify differences in optical reflectance of sternite VII arising from cuticular lattice microstructures. Spectral image analysis is applied to quantify differences in granulation of metasoma I ventrosubmedian carinae. The use of UV fluorescence as a quantitative taxonomic character is critically reviewed. Six binary characters are proposed for differential diagnosis of Teruelius vs. Grosphus. Phylogenetic analyses rooting trees with 8 individual outgroup taxa, or with multiple outgroup taxa under morphological and molecular backbone constraints, all yield overwhelming support for the monophyly of Teruelius, and the genus is reinstated. The position of outgroup taxon Microcharmus in a separate family is not supported by any diagnostic characters or phylogenetic analysis, and Microcharmidae is synonymized with Buthidae. Two new species, Grosphus angulatus sp. n. and Teruelius haeckeli sp. n. are described.

Reference:
Lowe G, Kovarik F. Reanalysis of Teruelius and Grosphus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) with descriptions of two new species. Euscorpius. 2022(356):1-105. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Resurrection of the Malagasy family Microcharmidae and a description of three new Microcharmus species

The small soil living species in the genus Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 and Neoprotobuthus Lourenço, 2000 have been placed in the family Buthidae since 2008, when Volschenk et al. rejected Lourenco's family status for these two genera. Wilson Lourenco and co-workers have now published an article re-validating the family status of the family Microcharmidae and transferring relevant taxa back from Buthidae.

Three new species of Microcharmus are also described from Madagascar.

Microcharmus andrei Lourenço, Waeber & Wilme, 2019

Microcharmus antongil Lourenço, Waeber & Wilme, 2019

Microcharmus djangoa  Lourenço, Waeber & Wilme, 2019

The biogeography of the genus Microcharmus is also discussed.

Abstract:
A more up to date biogeographic analysis of the patterns of distribution presented by the scorpions of the family Microcharmidae Lourenço 1 996 are presented. This family is revalidated here based on numerous morphological characters. This Malagasy group of scorpions is represented by two genera, Microcharmus Lourenço 1 995 and Neoprotobuthus Lourenço 2000 both endemic to the Island. The family Microcharmidae seems to be restricted to dry and wet forests formations in the northern and northwestern portions of the island. Here we describe three species new to science: Microcharmus andrei sp. n., Microcharmus antongil sp. n. and Microcharmus djangoa sp. n. The distribution of these new species seems to be restricted to the northern range of Madagascar, in habitats ranging from dry to wet forests, confirming therefore the patterns previously observed.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Waeber PO, Wilme L. Additions to the geographical distribution of the Malagasy family Microcharmidae Lourenço 1 996 (Scorpiones: Buthoidea) and description of three new species of Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995. Madagascar Conservation & Development. 2019;14(1):IN PRESS. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for informing me about this article!

Family Microcharmidae

Major study on the comparative anatomy of the mesosomal organs of scorpions concludes that the family Microcharmidae is synonymous with Buthidae

Volschenk, Mattoni & Prendini has now published a major review on the comparative anatomy of the mesosomal organs of scorpions (the mesosoma is the main body of scorpions where most internal organs are located). Todays scorpion systematics is mainly based on external morphology, and one of the aims of this study is to properly map the anatomy of several important internal organs and see if the anatomy/morphology of these organs can be used as characteristics in scorpion systematics.

One immediate result of this study is that there is support to say that the genera and species of the family Microcharmidae belong to the family Buthidae and that the data in this study don't warrant continued recognition of Microcharmidae.

Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996 = Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837

The following genera and species are transfered to Buthidae:

Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995
M. bemaraha Lourenço, Goodman & Fisher, 2006*
M. cloudsleythompsoni Lourenço, 1995
M. confluenciatus Lourenço, Goodman & Fisher, 2006*
M. duhemi Lourenço, Goodman & Fisher, 2006*
M. fisheri Lourenço, 1998
M. hauseri Lourenço, 1996
M. jussarae Lourenço, 1996*
M. maculatus Lourenço, 1996
M. madagascariensis Lourenço, 1999*
M. pauliani (Lourenço, 2004)*
M. sabineae Lourenço, 1996
M. variegatus Lourenço, Goodman & Fisher, 2006*
M. violaceous Lourenço, Goodman & Fisher, 2006*

Neoprotobuthus Lourenço, 2000*
N. intermedius Lourenço, 2000*

Here is the abstract from the article:

We present a review and reassessment of anatomical variation in the ovariuterus (and associated follicles), digestive gland, and lateral lymphoid organs of scorpions, and discuss the contribution of these character systems to the understanding of scorpion phylogeny. New data, obtained using light microscopy, are presented from an examination of 55 scorpion species, representing most scorpion families, and are collated with observations from the literature. Six distinct types of ovariuterine anatomy are identified: five in the family Buthidae and one in the remaining (nonbuthid) families. The buthid genera Lychas C.L. Koch, 1845 and Rhopalurus Thorell, 1876 are exceptional in possessing multiple types of ovariuterine anatomy among the congeneric species studied. The presence or absence of lateral lymphoid organs appears to be phylogenetically informative: the organ is absent in buthids, chaerilids and Pseudochactas Gromov, 1998. Embryo follicle morphology appears to be phylogenetically informative within the superfamily Scorpionoidea Latreille, 1802, where it supports the controversial sister-group relationship between Urodacus Peters, 1861 and Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903. The mesosomal anatomy of Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 (Microcharmidae Lourenço, 1996) is consistent with that of Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837, and we therefore propose the following new synonymy: Microcharmidae Lourenço, 1996 = Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837.

References:
Volschenk ES, Mattoni CI, Prendini L. Comparative anatomy of the mesosomal organs of scorpions (Chelicerata, Scorpiones), with implications for the phylogeny of the order. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2008;154(4):651-75.[Subscription required for fulltext]

Family Buthidae