An update on the scorpion fauna of Puerto Rico and its satellite islands

Luis F. de Armas has recently published an update on the scorpion fauna of Puerto Rico with an annotated list of taxa and a key for the genera for the island.

Abstract:
An annotated list of the scorpions of Puerto Rico and its satellite islands (mainly Vieques, Culebra, Caja de Muertos, Magueyes, Desecheo, and Mona), a key for the seven genera present in those insular territories, a key for the three species of Microtityus, and the basic bibliography on taxonomy and natural history are provided. Of the 16 confirmed species described from these Greater Antillean islands, four are known only from a single sex and only one or two adult specimens. Seven species (six of them from the genus Tityus), are endemic to the Puerto Rico Island; Vieques has two species, whereas Mona Island and Culebrita Island have one species each. At least two species are shared with Hispaniola, whereas one is also found in the Virgin Islands. The only introduced species is Isometrus maculatus (De Geer, 1778). The buthid Tityus dasyurus Pocock, 1897, described from “Porto Rico”, likely is not a Puerto Rican taxon.

References:
de Armas LF. Scorpions of Puerto Rico and its satellite islands (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Diplocentridae): an аnnotated list, key for genera, and bibliography. Euscorpius. 2020(311):1-8. [Open Access]

A redescription of the buthid Tityus estherae from Puerto Rico

Rolando Teruel and co-workers have recently published a redescription of the little known scorpion Tityus estherae Santiago-Blay, 2009 (Buthidae) from Puerto Rico.

Abstract:
The scorpion Tityus estherae Santiago-Blay, 2009, is herein redescribed on the primary basis of adult topotypes of both sexes. This is one of the lesser known scorpions of Puerto Rico due to its deficient original description and scarcity in collections. Moreover, its taxonomic placement within the genus is discussed and its geographic distribution is updated with five new locality records, although it remains known only from the main island.

Reference:
Teruel R, Crespo JD, Sanchez AJ, Rivera MJ. Redescripcion de Tityus estherae Santiago-Blay, 2009 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) , escorpion endemico de Puerto Rico. Boletin de Grupo de Sistematica y Ecologia de Artropodos Caribeños. 2019;3:1-15. [Available in Research gate]

Thanks to Rolando for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

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]

Two new buthids from Puerto Rico

Rolando Teruel and co-workers have recently described two new species in the family Buthidae from the island of Vieques, Greater Antilles, Puerto Rico.

Microtityus vieques Teruel, Rivera & Santos, 2015

Tityus alejandroi  Teruel, Rivera & Santos, 2015

A checklist of scorpions confirmed to occur in Puerto Rico (including Mona and excluding the Virgin Islands) is presented in the article.

Abstract:
Two new scorpion species of the family Buthidae are described herein: Microtityus vieques sp. n. (a member of the subgenus Parvabsonus Armas, 1974) and Tityus alejandroi sp. n. (belonging to the “quisqueyanus” species-group). Both were collected from pitfall traps in the Puerto Rican satellite island of Vieques, in the Greater Antilles, and the former represents the first official record of the occurrence there of the gens Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966. As expected, the new species have their closest relatives in Puerto Rico. Fully illustrated descriptions and detailed comparisons are provided. Additionally, two other Puerto Rican species of Tityus currently not assigned to any group are herein formally transferred to the “quisqueyanus” species group: Tityus angelesae Santiago-Blay, 2009 and Tityus juliorum Santiago-Blay, 2009. After this contribution, the scorpion fauna of Puerto Rico is now composed of 19 species.

Reference:
Teruel R, Rivera MJ, Santos CJ. Two new scorpions from the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, Greater Antilles (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2015 (208):1-15. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

Two new species of Microtityus from Puerto Rico

One of the two new species of Microtityus recently discovered in Puerto Rico.

Rolando Teruel and co-workers have recently described two new species of Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 (Buthidae) from Puerto Rico.

Microtityus borincanus Teruel, Rivera & Sanchez, 2014
Microtityus santosi Teruel, Rivera & Sanchez, 2014

This is the first record of Microtityus from Puerto Rico.

Abstract:
In the present note, we report for the first time the genus Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966, from Puerto Rico, on the basis of two new species belonging to the subgenus Parvabsonus Armas, 1974. One of them occurs in the southwest of the main island and is morphologically most similar to Microtityus virginiae Armas, 1999, from Hispaniola, while the other occurs in a small satellite islet offshore the northeast coast and somewhat resembles Microtityus waeringi Francke & Sissom, 1980, from the Virgin Islands.

Reference:
Teruel R, Rivera MJ, Sanchez AJ. First record of the genus Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966, from Puerto Rico, with description of two new species (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2014 (180):1-11. [Free full text]

Thanks to Rolando Teruel for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

Contribution to the knowledge of Tityus obturus from Puerto Rico

Rolando Teruel and Alejandro Sanchez have published a paper where they present important information on the taxonomy of Tityus obturus (Karsch, 1879) (Buthidae), an endemic scorpion from Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately, I do not read Spanish so this message is based on the English abstract.

Abstract:
In the present paper, important information on the taxonomy, morphological variability, eoology and geographical distribution of Tityus obtusus (Karsch, 1879) is presented. This scorpion is defines as endemic from, and widely distributed in Puerto Rico, including Vieques Island (first record). Furthermore, some aspects of the systematics of this species are briefly discussed.

Reference:
Teruel R, Sanchez AJ. Contribucion al conocimiento de Centruroides obtusus (Karsch 1879), escorpion endemico de Puerto Rico (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Boletin de la SEA. 2010(46):467-73.

Family Buthidae

Cazierius tatae synonymized with Cazierius garridoi

Luis de Armas has concluded that Cazierius tatae Satiago-Blay, 2009 (Scorpionidae) from Puerto Rico is a junior synonym of Cazierius garridoi Armas, 2005.

Reference:
de Armas LF. Acerca de algunos alacranes (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae) recientemente descritos o registrados de Puerto Rico e Isla Mona, Antillas Mayores. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009(45):298.

Family Scorpionidae

New Tityus from Puerto Rico

Rolando Teruel & Alejandro Sanchez have recently described a new Tityus species (Buthidae) from Puerto Rico:

Tityus riverai Teruel & Sanchez, 2009

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Tityus C. L. Koch 1836 is described, from a single locality on the north-eastern coast of Puerto Rico. The new species is the second member of the "crassimanus" group discovered on this island, and morphologically constitutes a peculiar case, because it is more closely related to the type-species of this group, Tityus crassimanus (Thorell 1876) (endemic to south-western Hispaniola), than to the only other previously known member from Puerto Rico, Tityus michelii Armas 1982.

Reference:
Teruel R, Sanchez AJ. Una nueva especie de Tityus del grupo "crassimanus" (Scorpiones: Buthidae) de Puerto Rico. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2009(45):329-33.

Thanks to Rolando for sending me the paper!

Family Buthidae

Eight new species described from Puerto Rico

Jorge Santiago-Blay has recently published an investigation of the scorpion fauna of Puerto Rico. Eight new species from two families are described:

Cazierius tatae (Diplocentrinae, Scorpionidae)

Centruroides jorgeorum (Buthidae)
Centruroides mariaorum (Buthidae)
Centruroides sasae (Buthidae)

Rhopalurus virkkii (Buthidae)

Tityus angelesae (Buthidae)
Tityus estherae (Buthidae)
Tityus juliorum (Buthidae)

The paper has a key to all species known from Puerto Rico.

Abstract:
Eight new species of scorpions are briefly described for the Greater Puerto Rico Region. The new species are: Cazierius tatae (Diplocentrinae), Centruroides jorgeorum, C. mariaorum, C. sasae, Rhopalurus virkkii, Tityus angelesae, T. estherae, and T. juliorum (Buthidae). A key to the identification of the Greater Puerto Rico Region scorpiofauna and biological remarks are provided.

Reference:
Santiago-Blay JA. Systematics and some aspects of the biology of the scorpions (Arachnida) of the greater Puerto Rico region: A biosystematic synopsis. Entomological News. 2009 Jan-Feb;120 (1):109-24.

Family Buthidae
Family Scorpionidae