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

Taxonomical changes in the genus Grosphus

Wilson Lourenco and co-workers have recently published a study on the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 (Buthidae) were they critise the taxonomical decisions made in a 2019 study by Graeme Lowe and Frantisek Kovarik. Lourenco et al's conclusion is that they reject most decsisions made in the latter study and in addition they describe one new species.

These are the major taxonomical changes:

The genus Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 is placed in synonymy with Grosphus Simon, 1880 and all species in Teruelius is also transferred back to Grosphus.

Grosphus makay Lourenço & Wilmé, 2015 is restored from synonymy of  with Grosphus feti Lourenço, 1996.

Grosphus rossii Lourenço, 2013 is restored from synonymy of  with mahafaliensis Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004.

Grosphus simoni Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004, is restored from synonymy of  with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus halleuxi Lourenço, Wilmé, Soarimalala & Waeber, 2017, is restored from synonymy of  with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus mandena Lourenço, 2005, is restored from synonymy of  with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus mavo Lourenco & Rossi, 2020 (New species from Madagascar)

The status according to Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 is summed up here.

There is a great disagreement between the "Lourenco-group" and the "Kovarik-group" when it comes to the taxonomy of several taxa. I do not know who has the correct answer for the genus Grosphus and other taxa as I'm no expert taxonomist. The Scorpion Files tries as far as possible to stay neutral and will publish the latest update for the different scorpion taxa. It is challenging though and a lot of work some times when researchers are correcting each other several times. [This paragraph was edited by the Editor 23.07.20]

Abstract:
The southwestern portion of Madagascar appears to have one of the highest levels of scorpion diversity on the island. In this contribution, the remarkable diversity of the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 in this region is discussed. A particular attention is aimed to the area of the Cap Sainte Marie where microendemic geographic patterns are observed. These are tentatively explained in the light of some new biogeographic interpretations. A new species is also described from the Cap Sainte Marie and is characterized by a medium body size and a very pale yellow coloration. While this contribution was in preparation,  we learned about the publication of a “most controversial revision” of the genus Grosphus by authors who totally ignored a number of taxonomic particularities of this group and worse, who lack any experience on the ecological and biogeographic patterns observed for the Malagasy fauna. This calls for corrections in which their speculative decisions are refuted.

References:
Lourenco WR, Rossi A, Wilme L, Raherilalao MJ, Soarimalala V, Waeber PO. The remarkable diversity of the genus Grosphus Simon, 1880 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Southern Madagascar and in particular in the region of Cap Sainte Marie. Arachnida - Rivista Aracnologica Italiana. 2020;VI(XXVII):2-35.


Family Buthidae

A revision of the genus Grosphus and the creation of a new genus Teruelius

Madagascar has always been a hotspot for biodiversity and has many endemic taxa, also among scorpions. The genus with the largest number of endemic species is Grosphus Simon, 1880 (Buthidae). Many new species have been described in this genus in the last year, but no modern revision has been done.

Graeme Lowe and Frantisek Kovarik have now published a revision of the genus Grosphus on Madagascar. The most notable conclusion of this work is that they split the genus into two and establish the new genus Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019. Here is the content of the two genera after the split:

Grosphus Simon, 1880 (10)
G. ambre Lourenço, Wilmé & Waeber, 2018
G. darainensis Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004
G. goudoti Lourenço & Goodman, 2006
G. hirtus Kraepelin, 1900
G. madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843)
G. mayottensis Lourenço & Goodman, 2009
G. polskyi Lourenço, Qi & Goodman, 2007
G. rakotoariveloi Lourenço, Wilme, Soarimalala & Waeber, 2017
G. tavaratra Lourenço, Soarimalala & Goodman, 2009
G. voahangyae Lourenço & Wilme 2015

Teruelius Lowe & Kovarík, 2019 (18)
T. ankarafantsika (Lourenço, 2003)
T. ankarana (Lourenço & Goodman, 2003)
T. annulatus (Fage, 1929)
T. bemaraha (Lourenço, Wilmé & Waeber, 2018)
T. bicolor (Lourenço, 2012)
T. bistriatus (Kraepelin, 1900)
T. eliseanneae (Lourenço & Wilme, 2016)
T. feti (Lourenço, 1996)
T. flavopiceus (Kraepelin, 1900)
T. ganzhorni (Lourenço, Wilme & Waeber, 2016)
T. grandidieri (Kraepelin, 1900)
T. intertidalis (Lourenço, 1999)
T. limbatus (Pocock, 1889)
T. magalieae (Lourenço, 2014)
T. mahafaliensis (Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004)
T. olgae (Lourenço, 2004)
T. sabineae (Lourenço & Wilme, 2016)
T. waeberi (Lourenço & Wilme, 2016)

The following species have been synonymized:

Grosphus simoni Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004 is synonymized with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus halleuxi Lourenço, Wilmé, Soarimalala & Waeber, 2017 is synonymized with Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus mandena Lourenço, 2005 is synonymized with  Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843).

Grosphus makay Lourenço & Wilmé, 2015 is synonymized with Teruelius feti (Lourenço, 1996).

Grosphus rossii Lourenço, 2013 is synonymized with Teruelius mahafaliensis (Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004).

See article for further details and descriptions.

Abstract:
We review the taxonomy of the Madagascar endemic buthid genus Grosphus Simon, 1880. We split the genus and describe Teruelius gen. n. on the basis of nine morphological characters, six of them new for Grosphus: positions of trichobothria d2 on pedipalp femur and Eb3 on chela manus, number of pectine teeth, shape of female basal pectinal tooth, form of hemispermatophore capsule posterior lobe, spiracle shape, metasoma I ventromedian carination, telotarsal setation and UV fluorescence. We discuss functional and taxonomic aspects of these characters, and propose that Teruelius gen. n. is monophyletic, while Grosphus (sensu stricto) is paraphyletic. Some characters of Teruelius gen. n. suggest adaptations to xeric environments, some of Grosphus to humid environments. Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 shares characters with both Grosphus and Teruelius gen. n.Scenarios for origins of these genera by vicariance or dispersal are discussed. New synonymies proposed are: Grosphus simoni Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004 = Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843), syn. n.; Grosphus halleuxi Lourenço, Wilmé, Soarimalala & Waeber, 2017 = Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843), syn. n.; Grosphus mandena Lourenço, 2005 = Grosphus madagascariensis (Gervais, 1843), syn. n.; Grosphus hirtus garciai Lourenço, 2001 = Grosphus hirtus Kraepelin, 1900, syn. n.; Grosphus makay Lourenço & Wilmé, 2015 = Teruelius feti (Lourenço, 1996) comb. n., syn.n.; Grosphus rossii Lourenço, 2013 = Teruelius mahafaliensis (Lourenço, Goodman & Ramilijaona, 2004) comb. n., syn. n.

Reference:
Lowe G, Kovarik F. Review of Grosphus Simon, 1880, with description of Teruelius gen. n., a new buthid genus from Madagascar (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2019(281):1-128. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae