Scorpions and scorpionism in Panama

Adolfo Borges is the editor of a the book entitled "Los escorpiones y el escorpionismo en Panamá. Volumen I". Co-authors of the book are Roberto Miranda and Hildaura A. de Patino. The book is written in Spanish and was published in the end of 2011, but I didn't know about it until now.

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the book you can contact Science National Secretariat of Panama (SENACYT), The University of Panama, or The Gorgas Memorial Institut. To get a copy of the chapter "Scorpions and their Venoms; Why scorpion venoms can be lethal to humans" it is possible to contact Dr. Adolfo Borges via email: borges.adolfo@gmail.com.

Reference:
Borges A, editor. Los escorpiones y el escorpionismo en Panamá. Volumen I. Panama: Universidad de Panamá (UP), Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la Salud (IGNES), Secretaria Nacional de Ciencias, Tecnología e Innovación (SENACYT); 2011.

Thanks to Dr. Borges for sending me a copy of the book!

A redescription of Diplocentrus zacatecanus and a discussion of the taxonomic use of the male hemispermatophore

Carlos Santibanez Lopez and Oscar Francke have recently published a redescription of Diplocentrus zacatecanus Hoffmann, 1931 (Scorpionidae). The paper also discuss the limitations of using the male hemispermatophore as a diagnostic character for the genus Diplocentrus.

Abstract:
The scorpion Diplocentrus zacatecanus Hoffmann (1931) was originally described as a subspecies of Diplocentrus keyserlingi Karsch 1880 on the basis of six syntypes and was later elevated to species level. We designate a male lectotype and redescribe the species, including illustrations of the hemispermatophore of a male collected near the type locality. In this genus, the hemispermatophore is poorly sclerotized and lacks elaborate capsular structures, which are taxonomically useful in other genera. We review the variability in the hemispermatophores of males from one population, including five comparisons of the right and left hemispermatophores of the same males. Our results showed asymmetry in the length of the right and left hemispermatophores of the same individual. We also observed the presence of ‘‘crenulations’’ or ‘‘spines’’ in two different hemispermatophores (not complementary ones). We conclude that caution should be used when describing the hemispermatophore of only one male and considering it as diagnostic for the species, because of the high levels of intraspecific variation.

Reference:
Santibanez Lopez C, Francke OF. Redescription of Diplocentrus zacatecanus (Scorpiones: Diplocentridae) and limitations of the hemispermatophore as a diagnostic trait for genus Diplocentrus. Journal of Arachnology. 2013;41:1-10. [Subscritpion required for full text, but free full text after 12 months]

Thanks to Carlos Santibanez Lopez for sending me his paper!

A new Centruroides from Mexico

Jose Baldazo-Monsivaiz and co-workers have recently published a new species of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae) from Mexico.

Centruroides villegasi Baldazo-Monsivaiz, Ponce-Saavedra & Flores-Moreno, 2013

The new species is considered medical important.

Abstract:
Centruroides villegasi sp. nov. from the municipality of Chilapa de Álvarez, Guerrero, Mexico is described. It is the nineth species of Centruroides reported for this state. The new species is compared with C. limpidus (Karsch, 1879) which is morphologically similar and inhabits the same geographic zone. The species C. balsasensis Ponce and Francke, 2004, C. meisei Hoffmann, 1938, and C. tecomanus Hoffmann, 1932 are also compared because they are found in Guerrero and belong to the “striped scorpions” group (sensu Hoffmann, 1932), and therefore they are morphologically similar to the new species. It is a species of medical importance that had not been collected or recognized previously. A list of species of scorpions recorded for the state of Guerrero is included after the revision and correction of historical records.

Reference:
Baldazo-Monsivaiz JG, Ponce-Saavedra J, Flores-Moreno M. Una especie nueva de alacrán del género Centruroides de importancia médica (Scorpiones: Buthidae) del estado de Guerrero, México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad. 2013;84:100-16. [Full text not online yet, but may be freely available from this link later]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for sending me this paper!

Family Buthidae

A new edition of Gerard Dupre's World Scorpion Bibliography is now available

Gerard Dupre has collected all kinds of scorpion references from both scientific and popular science sourced for many years. He has now published a new edition of his extensive World Scorpion Bibliography, and has made this available on The Scorpion Files.

The bibliography contains more than 19.000 references from journals, books, reports, thesis, magazines, web pages etc.

Reference:
Dupre G. Worldwide bibliography of scorpions (2. ed.). 2013. Available from: http://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/dupre.php [Free full text]

A big thanks to Gerard for sharing his impressive work with the users of The Scorpion Files!

A fossil Tityus in amber from The Dominican Republic

Wilson Lourenco has recently published another species from specimens discovered in amber. This time a new species of Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Buthidae) had been described in amber from The Dominican Republic. This is an extinct species and is not added to the species list in The Scorpion Files.

Tityus azari Lourenco, 2013
 
Abstract:
Tityus azari sp. n., a new species of fossil scorpion belonging to the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 is described based on a specimen in amber from the Dominican Republic. Although the new species can be associated with the extant fauna of the Neotropical region, it presents some particular morphological features such as the presence of sharp denticles on the edge of pedipalp fingers. Due to the incompleteness of the specimen it cannot be assigned to any precise extant subgenera. Once again, this discovery attests to a considerable degree of diversity in the Dominican amber-producing forests.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A new species of Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Dominican amber. Euscorpius. 2013 (156):1-5. [Free full text]

A new Euscorpiops from Thailand

A lot of new species in the last weeks. This time, Kovarik and co-workers have published a new species of Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Euscorpiidae) from Thailand.

Euscorpiops neradi Kovarik, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013

In addition, the name of Euscorpiops thaomischi Kovarik, 2012 is corrected to  E. thaomischorum (which is the correct form in accordance with ICZN rules).

Abstract:
Euscorpiops neradi sp. n. from Thailand is described and compared with other species of the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980. It is the smallest species of the genus, with total length about 25 mm in both sexes. In E. neradi sp. n. external trichobothria on the patella number 16 (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 3 est, 4 et) and ventral trichobothria on the patella number 6. Pedipalp fingers are flexed in males and straight in females.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Pliskova J, Stahlavsky F. Euscorpiops neradi sp. n. from Thailand (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae). Euscorpius. 2013 (158):1-8.  [Free full text]

Family Euscorpiidae

A new Lychas from Laos

Wilson Lourenco recently described a new Lychas C. L. Kock, 1845 (Buthidae) from Laos.

Lychas aberlenci Lourenco, 2013

Abstract:
A new species, Lychas aberlenci sp. n., is described from the rainforest canopy of Khammouane Province in Laos. The new species is characterized by a moderate size as compared to the congeners, the total length of the male measuring 49.8 mm. The coloration is pale yellowish to reddish-yellow with a conspicuous inverted triangle, blackish spot at the anterior margin of the carapace. The pectines arewith 29-30 teeth in the male, the highest number so far observed in a Lychas species; fulcra are present, being conspicuous. With the description of L. aberlenci sp. n., the number of known Lychas species in Laos is increased to three.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. Scorpions from the rainforest canopy of Laos, with the descrption of a new species of Lychas C. L. Koch, 1845 (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Arthropoda Selecta. 2013;22(1):33-40.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me his paper!

Family Buthidae