A new Chaerilus species from China

Zhu, Han & Lourenco (2008) have recently reviewed the chaerilid scorpions of China and in this paper a new species is described:

Chaerilus conchiformus Zhu, Han & Lourenco, 2008

The other Chinese Chaerilus (C. tessellatus and C. triznai) are redescribed. C. pictus has previously been reported from China, but the authors doubt the presence of this species in China (probably missidentifications).

The paper includes an identification key for the chaerilid scorpions of China.

Reference:
Zhu MS, Han GX, Lourenco WR. The chaerilid scorpions of China (Scorpiones: Chaerilidae). Zootaxa. 2008(1943):37-52. [Subscritpion required for fulltext]

Family Chaerilidae

Scorpio maurus - A species complex?

Happy New Year!

The Scorpionidae genus Scorpio is presently considered a monotypic genus with one species (Scorpio maurus) , but with 17 subspecies described (Birula's 1910 paper on Scorpio maurus is available online at The Scorpion Files).

There has not been any modern revision of Scorpio, but now Elsa Froufe and co-workers (2008) have done a study to assess genetic diversity within specimens from Morocco. They conclude that the results demonstrate that Scorpio maurus includes highly genetically divergent mtDNA linages within Morocco and that this is a strong indication that Scorpio maurus is a species complex with two or more "hidden" species. More research and testing of all subspecies within Scorpio is necessary before any taxonomical decisions can be made.

Abstract:

The large-clawed scorpion, Scorpio maurus, is a medically important scorpion and yet nothing is known regarding genetic diversity within this species. As a preliminary analysis we determined variation within the cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) mitochondrial gene from specimens from Morocco. High levels of genetic diversity were found that presented some geographical coherence. Of the two identified subspecies from Morocco, S. maurus birulai and S. maurus fuliginosus, the latter included genetically distinct lineages (8.0% uncorrected sequence divergence), indicating a detailed morphological and molecular revision is needed for this species.

I have one problem with this article: The authors end the article by saying "Our preliminary results from S. maurus, another scorpion of considerable medical importance, ....". As far as I know, there are no evidence in the medical literature that Scorpio maurus is a dangerous scorpion. It is possible that the authors have adopted the error in the book "Scorpions of Medical Importance" (Keegan, 1980), where the author has mixed information from a primary source (the information concerning the potential danger of Scorpio maurus was actually for Buthus occitanus). Please let me know if anyone has any information about any serious morbidity connected with Scorpio maurus!

Reference:
Froufe E, Sousa P, Alves PC, Harris DJ. Genetic diversity within Scorpio maurus (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) from Morocco: Preliminary evidence based on CO1 mitochondrial DNA sequences. Biologia (Bratisl). 2008;63(6):1157-60. [Subscription required for fulltext]

Family Scorpionidae

Tityus paraensis is synonymized with the restored species Tityus obscurus

After discovering old materials in the collections of the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Lourenco & Leguin have concluded that Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843) is a senior synonym of both Tityus paraensis Kraepelin, 1896 and Tityus cambridgei Pocock, 1897 (previously synonymized with T. paraensis). This means that T. paraensis is synonymized with T. obscurus:

Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843) = Tityus paraensis Kraepelin, 1896

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Leguin E-A. The true indentity of Scorpio (Atreus) obscurus Gervais, 1843 (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2008(75):1-9. [Free fulltext]

Family Buthidae

Tityus falconensis is a junior synonym of Tityus magnimanus

Lourenco 2008 has decided that Tityus falconensis Gonzalez_Sponga, 1974 is a junior synonym of Tityus magnimanus Pocock, 1987. This means that Tityus falconensis is not a valid species name anymore, and that the valid name for this taxa is now Tityus magnimanus.

References:
Lourenco WR. Description of Tityus (Atreus) neblina sp. n. (Scorpiones, Buthidae), from the "Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina", in Brazil/Venezuela, with comments on some related species. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2008(43):75-9.

Family Buthidae

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

Cladistic analysis of superfamily Iuroidea, with emphasis on subfamily Hadrurinae (Scorpiones: Iurida) and Hoffmannihadurus is reinstated

The Caraboctonid genus Hoffmannihadrurus Fet & Soleglad, 2004 was synonized with Hadrurus by Francke & Prendini, 2008 in June in their review of the taxonomic history of the North American genus Hadrurus.

This decision has now been refuted by Fet & Soleglad, 2008 in their recently published cladistic analysis of superfamily Iuroidea, with emphasis on subfamily Hadrurinae. The genus Hoffmannihadrurus is reinstated and the two species belonging to the genus are transfered from Hadrurus:

Hoffmannihadrurus Fet & Soleglad, 2004 (Caraboctonidae)

Hoffmannihadrurus aztecus (Pocock, 1902)
Hoffmannihadrurus gertschi (Soleglad, 1976)

References:
Fet V, Soleglad ME. Cladistic analysis of superfamily Iuroidea, with emphasis on subfamily Hadrurinae (Scorpiones: Iurida). Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2008(43):255-81.

Family Caraboctonidae

Two new species from Venezuela and Brazil

Rojas-Runjaic, Borges & Armas have described the following new species from northeastern Venezuela:

Opisthacanthus brevicauda Rojas-Runjaic, Borges & Armas, 2008 (Hemiscorpiidae)

This scorpion has previously been misidentified as O. elatus (Gervais, 1844)

Lourenco has described a new Tityus species from the "Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina" region in Brazil/Venezuela:

Tityus neblina Lourenco, 2008 (Buthidae).

References:
Rojas-Runjaic FJM, Borges A, de Armas LF. Nueva especie de Opisthacanthus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones, Hemiscorpiidae) de la Sierra de Perija, Venezuela, basada en criteros morfologicos y moleculares. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2008(43):49-59.

Lourenco WR. Description of Tityus (Atreus) neblina sp. n. (Scorpiones, Buthidae), from the "Parque Nacional do Pico da Neblina", in Brazil/Venezuela, with comments on some related species. Boletin Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa. 2008(43):75-9.

Family Buthidae
Family Hemiscorpiidae