A phylogenetic study of the family Iuridae reveals three new genera

 

The family Iuridae are mainly found in Turkey and Greece and contains some of the largest scorpions in Europe. There have been some studies of this family in the recent years, but in a recent article Aristeidis Parmakelis and co-workers have conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the family and based on this suggested several taxonomic decisisons.

The subfamily Calchinae Birula, 1917 is raised from synonymy with Iurinae Thorell, 1876.

The three new genera are described (listed with the taxa assiciated with them):

Anatoliurus Parmakelis, Dimitriadou, Gkigkiza, Karampatsou, Stathi, Fet, Yağmur & Kovařík, 2022.

A. kraepelini (von Ubisch, 1922 (Turkey: Antalya, Isparta, Konya, Karaman, Mersin, and Muğla Provinces; Greece: Megisti (Kastelorizo) Island.

A. kumlutasi (Yagmur, Soleglad, Fet & Kovarik 2015) (Turkey: Hıdırellez Cave in Antalya).

Letoiurus Parmakelis, Dimitriadou, Gkigkiza, Karampatsou, Stathi, Fet, Yağmur & Kovařík, 2022.

L. rhodiensis (Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & Yagmur, 2012) (Greece: Rhodes Island; Turkey: Muğla Province.

Metaiurus Parmakelis, Dimitriadou, Gkigkiza, Karampatsou, Stathi, Fet, Yağmur & Kovařík, 2022.

M. kadleci (Kovarik, Fet, Soleglad & Yagmur, 2010) (Turkey: Antalya and Mersin Provinces).

M. stathiae (Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & Yagmur, 2012) (Greece: Karpathos Island). 

Abstract:
Iuridae is a family of scorpions that exhibits a highly complex biogeographic and taxonomic history. Iuridae taxa are mainly found in Turkey and Greece, whereas a single species is found in northern Iraq. Several taxonomic revisions have been conducted on this family that initially comprised two genera. The latest taxonomic review, based on morphological and anatomical features, raised the number of Iuridae genera to four, and the number of species to 14.

Sequence data from three molecular markers (COX1, 16S rDNA, ITS1) originating from numerous Iuridae taxa were analyzed within a phylogenetic framework. Divergence time-estimate analyses, species delimitation approaches and estimation of ancestral areas were implemented in order to: (1) reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the Iuridae taxa, (2) evaluate the morphological classifications, and (3) obtain insights into the biogeographic history of the family in the East Mediterranean.

The multi-locus phylogeny clearly confirms an ancient division into two clades, Calchinae and Iurinae. Ancient patterns of isolation and dispersal are revealed. Both subfamilies are largely confined to the Anatolian peninsula and its few coastal islands; only the most derived genus Iurus has dispersed westward to Crete and Peloponnese. Based on our findings, three new genera of Iurinae (Metaiurus, Anatoliurus, and Letoiurus) are established. The genus Neocalchas emerges as one of the most ancient scorpion clades, with divergence time about 27 mya.

Reference:
Parmakelis A, Dimitriadou D, Gkigkiza E, Karampatsou L, Stathi I, Fet V, et al.  The evolutionary history of the relict scorpion family Iuridae of the eastern Mediterranean. Mol Phylogenet Evol. 2022:107622. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Iuridae

A review of the scorpion fauna of Greece

Since Aristoteles first mentioned the presence of scorpions in Greece, the number of taxa belonging to this country have increased very much in the last decade thanks to more studies and better taxonomical and phylogentic tools.

Victor Fet and co-workers have written av chapter in book published last Fall summing up the current knowledge of the scorpion fauna in Greece.

Abstract:
A remarkable diversity of scorpion fauna and its distribution in Greece is discussed. The current list of Greek scorpions includes 32 confirmed species belonging to three families (one of Buthidae, seven of Iuridae, and 24 of Euscorpiidae), as well as a number of unassigned euscorpiid taxa. Uncovered only in the last decade, mainly through the use of DNA markers, ‘cryptic’ scorpion fauna of Greece is the most diverse in Europe and rivals that of many other countries.

Reference:
Fet V, Parmakelis A, Stathi I, Tropea G, Kotsakiozi P, Kardaki L, et al. Fauna and zoogeography of scorpions in Greece. In: Sfenthourakis S, Pafilis P, Parmakelis A, Poulakakis N, Triantis KA, editors. Biogeography and Biodiversity of the Aegean In honour of Prof Moysis Mylonas. Nicosia: Broken Hill Publishers Ltd; 2018. p. 123-34. [Full text available on Victor Fet's Research gate profile]

A new species of Protoiurus found in a cave in Turkey

Ersen Yagmur and co-workers have recently discovered a new species of Protoiurus Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & Yagmur, 2012 (Iuridae) from the Hıdırellez Cave, Antalya, Turkey.

Protoiurus kumlutasi Yagmur, Soleglad, Fet & Kovarik 2015

 The new species have only been found inside (and around the cave opening), but lacks troglomorphic characteristics.

Abstract:
A new iurid species, Protoiurus kumlutasi sp. nov. is described from the Hıdırellez Cave, located in the coastal southwestern Antalya Province, Turkey. This species was collected both inside and at the entrance of the cave, and does not exhibit any troglomorphic characteristics. Its closest relative is P. kraepelini, which shares the distinctive shape of pedipalp chela in mature males. The new species can be distinguished from P. kraepelini, however, by its hemispermatophore, which conforms to subtype 1a. Additional hemispermatophores were analyzed from several specimens of P. kraepelini collected in close proximity to its type locality, further endorsing existence of unique subtype 1b in this species. The description of the new species brings the number of species in the genus Protoiurus to six.

Reference:
Yagmur EA, Soleglad ME, Fet V, Kovarik F. Etudes on Iurids, VIII. A New Protoiurus Species from the Hıdırellez Cave in Antalya, Turkey (Scorpiones: Iuridae). Euscorpius. 2015 (200):1-25. [Open Access]

Family Iuridae

A major revision of Iurus with a new genus and two new species

In 2010, Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & yagmur published a major revision on the genus Iurus Thorell, 1876 (Iuridae) from Greece and Turkey. The same authors have now published a new phylogenetic revision based on both morphological characteristics (especially from the hemispermatophore) and DNA studies. Several additional specimens from multiple geographical locations were used in the analysis.

Iurus is now split into two genera, based on the structure of the hemispermatophore.

Iurus Thorell, 1876

Protoiurus Soleglad, Fet, Kovarik & Yagmur, 2012

The two genera have now the following composition and distribution:

Iurus dekanum (Roewer, 1943), stat. nov. (Greece: Crete)

Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) (Greece: Peloponnese and Kythira Island)

Iurus kinzelbachi Kovařík, Fet, Soleglad & Yağmur, 2010 (Turkey: Aydın and Izmir Provinces; Greece: Samos Island)

Protoiurus asiaticus (Birula, 1903), comb. nov. (Turkey: Adana, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Mersin and Niğde Provinces)

Protoiurus kadleci (Kovařík, Fet, Soleglad & Yağmur, 2010), comb. nov. (Turkey: Antalya, and Mersin Provinces)

Protoiurus kraepelini (von Ubisch, 1922), comb. nov. (Turkey: Antalya, Isparta, Konya, Karaman, Mersin, and Muğla Provinces; Greece: Megisti Island)

Protoiurus rhodiensis Soleglad, Fet, Kovařík & Yağmur, sp. nov. (Greece: Rhodes Island)

Protoiurus stathiae Soleglad, Fet, Kovařík & Yağmur, sp. nov. (Greece: Karpathos Island)

The paper, which is freely available on the Internet, has a identification key and many illustrations and distribution maps.

Abstract:
Iurus populations from the Aegean area are studied, including the Greek islands of Crete, Karpathos, Kythira, Rhodes, and Samos. A new genus, Protoiurus gen. nov., and two new species, Protoiurus rhodiensis sp. nov. and P. stathiae sp. nov., are described. The two genera, Iurus and Protoiurus, are diagnosed by their hemispermatophore structure; a cladistic analysis based on this structure is presented. Genus Iurus Thorell, 1876 includes three species: I. dekanum, I. dufoureius, and I. kinzelbachi; genus Protoiurus includes five species: P. asiaticus comb. nov., P. kadleci comb. nov., P. kraepelini comb. nov., P. rhodiensis sp. nov., and P. stathiae sp. nov. The type specimen of Chaerilomma dekanum Roewer, 1943 has been studied and determined to be a valid species Iurus dekanum (Roewer, 1943) representing the population from Crete. New diagnoses for subfamilies Calchinae (genus Calchas) and Iurinae (genera Iurus and Protoiurus) are provided as well as keys to the species of Iurus and Protoiurus.


Reference:
Soleglad ME, Fet V, Kovarik F, Yagmur EA. Etudes on iurids, V. Further revision of Iurus thorell, 1876 (scorpiones: Iuridae), with a description of a new genus and two new species. Euscorpius. 2012 (143):1-70. [Free full text]

Family Iuridae