A new article on the evolution of telson morphology and venom glands in scorpions

 

 The telson of the scorpions includes the stinger and the cenom glands and come in different forms in different taxa. Especially interesting is the presence of an extra "stinger" - the sub-aculear tooth - in some taxa. 

Wilson Lourenco has now published an article discussing  the possible coevolution of telson morphology and venom glands and also the possible origin/function of the sub-aculear tooth.

Abstract:
As in previous contributions to the JVATiTD, the aim of this note is to bring some general information on a particular aspect of the scorpion biology. An attempt is made to explain the possible coevolution of telson morphology and venom glands, which took place during several hundred million years and in particular since scorpions migrated from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Three components can be directly associated with predation and defensive behaviours: (1) morphology of the chelae and structure of the chelae fingers granulations; (2) morphology of the metasoma and in particular of the telson; (3) evolution of tegumentary glands in the telson toward different types of venom glands. Since a number of recent contributions already treated some of these aspects, I will limit my comments to the possible evolution of the telson in relation to the evolution of venom glands. As in previous contributions, the content of this article is basically addressed to non-specialists on scorpions whose research embraces scorpions in several fields such as venom toxins and public health.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. The coevolution between telson morphology and venom glands in scorpions (Arachnida). J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis. 2020;26:e20200128. [Open Access]

A new species of Reddyanus from Laos

 

Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers recently published an article with the description of a new species of Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 (Buthidae) from Laos.

Reddyanus justi Kovarik, Lowe & Stahlavsky, 2020

Abstract:
A new species Reddyanus justi sp. n. from Laos is described, fully complemented with color photographs of live and preserved specimens. The new species is characterized by the irregular quadrilateral shape of the subaculear tubercle in males. In addition to analysis of external morphology and hemispermatophore, we also describe the karyotype (2n=12).

Reference:
Kovarik F, Lowe G, Stahlavsky F. Reddyanus justi sp. n. from Laos (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2020(321):1-11. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

 

 

Advanced warning: Hugh revision of the genus Heterometrus and several parts of Scorpionidae recently published

I just got an email from Gerard Dupre containing a 500 page revision of Heterometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 and other parts of the family Scorpionidae. I normally do not blog about new articles until I have read and "processed" them, but in this case the taxonomical changes are massive and it will take me quite some time to update The Scorpion Files. Because the Scorpionidae is an important and popular family among both professionals and enthusiasts, I'm posting the news about this paper immediately. 

I will post more details in a separate post later.

Abstract:
See article for the large abstract.

Reference:
Prendini L, Loria SF. Systematic revision of the Asian Forest Scorpions (Heterometrinae simon, 1879), revised suprageneric classification of Scorpionidae latreille, 1802, and revalidation of Rugodentidae Bastawade et al., 2005. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2020(442):1-480. [Open Access]

Thanks to Gerard Dupre for informing me about this important paper!

Family Scorpionidae (not updated yet!)

 

 

A new species of Ananteris from Suriname

Wilson Lourenco and co-workers recently published a new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Buthidae) from Suriname. 

Ananteris pierrekondre Lourenço, Chevalier, Gangadin & Ythier, 2020

Abstract:
A new species belonging to the genus Ananteris Thorell is described from a sandy dry forest formation located in Pierre Kondre, nearby Carolina, Para District in Suriname, a site located near the Suriname river. The description of this new species brings further evidence about the biogeographic patterns of distribution presented by most species of the genus Ananteris, which are highly endemic in most natural formations of South America. The new species is the second one of the genus Ananteris to be described from Suriname.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Chevalier J, Gangadin A, Ythier E. Description of a new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891, from Suriname (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 2020;125(3):233-9. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Eric Ythier for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

 

A new species of Euscorpiops from China

 

Here is another recent paper by Zhiyoung Di and Sha Qiao. In this paper they describe a new species in the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Euscorpiidae) from China. 

Euscorpiops lii Di & Qiao, 2020

The article also presents an identification key for the genus in China.

Abstract:
A new species, Euscorpiops lii sp. nov., from Xizang (Tibet) in southwest China is described herein. Adult scorpions in this species are principally characterized by yellow-brown colour, a length of less than 40 mm, 17 trichobothria on the external surface of the pedipalp patella and usually six trichobothria on the ventral surface of the pedipalp patella in both sexes. With the description of this new species, the number of known species of the genus Euscorpiops from China is raised to 13 (five species found in Xizang, including the new species, and eight other species in Yunnan). A key to the species of the genus Euscorpiops from China is presented.

Reference:
Di Z, Qiao S. Euscorpiops lii sp. nov. and a key of the genus Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Scorpiones, Scorpiopidae) from China. ZooKeys. 2020(968):71-83. [Open Access]

Thanks to Zhiyoung Di and Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

A new species of Scorpiops from China

 Zhiyoung Di and Sha Qiao have recently published a new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Euscorpiidae) from China. 

Scorpiops songi Di & Qiao, 2020

The article also has an identification key for all Scorpiops species found in China.

Abstract:
A new species, Scorpiops songi sp.n., from Xizang (China), is described and illustrated. It is characterized by light yellow brown color in living individuals, large size (length of adult male about 72.0 mm), small and dense granules on integument, a pair of small median eyes (diameter< 0.5 mm), 17 trichobothria (5 eb, 2 esb, 2 em, 4 est, 4 et) on the external surface of pedipalp patella and 7 or 8 trichobothria on the ventral surface of pedipalp patella, chela with a length/ width ratio about 2.4 in one adult male and average of 2.8 in two immature females, pedipalp chela fingers on adult females and males scalloped, pectinal teeth count 7 in five males and 6 in three females, pectinal fulcra vestigial. The number of known species of Scorpiops from China is raised to 16, is more than half of the known species (29) in the world.

Reference:
Di Z, Qiao S. Scorpiops songi sp.n. and key to species of Scorpiops from China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae). Arthropoda Selecta. 2020;29:316-24. [Open Access]

Thanks to  Zhiyoung Di and Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

 

Evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions

I have stolen the original title from this article for this post as I must admit that the topic is beyond my knowledge. I do have a master in zoology, but back then we learned very little about genetics. 

Anyway, Frantisek Stahlavsky and several other co-workers have recently published a study on the evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions. The study provides the first analysis of karyotype evolution within a phylogenetic context for the whole of the family Buthidae. For more information you can check out the abstract or the article.

Abstract:
We examined the distribution of genes for major ribosomal RNAs (rDNA) on holokinetic chromosomes of 74 species belonging to 19 genera of scorpions from the family Buthidae using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Our analysis revealed differences between the two main evolutionary lineages within the family. The genera belonging to the ‘Buthus group’, with a proposed Laurasian origin, possess one pair of rDNA mainly in an interstitial position, with the only exceptions being the terminal location found in some Hottentotta and Buthacus species, possibly as a result of chromosome fissions. All the remaining buthid ‘groups’ possess rDNA found strictly in a terminal position. However, the number of signals may increase from an ancestral state of one pair of rDNA loci to up to seven signals in Reddyanus ceylonensis Kovařík et al., 2016. Despite the differences in evolutionary dynamics of the rDNA clusters between the ‘Buthus group’ and other lineages investigated, we found a high incidence of reciprocal translocations and presence of multivalent associations during meiosis in the majority of the genera studied. These phenomena seem to be typical for the whole family Buthidae.

Reference:
Šťáhlavský F, Nguyen P, Sadílek D, Štundlová J, Just P, Haddad CR, et al. Evolutionary dynamics of rDNA clusters on chromosomes of buthid scorpions (Chelicerata: Arachnida). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2020;Online first:1-19. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Frantisek Kovarik for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae