Six new species of Centruroides from Guatemala and Mexico

 

Aaron Goodman and co-workers have recently published a phylogenetic analysis based on morphology and genetics of the Neotropical “thorellii” clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890 (Buthidae). Six new species have been described. All of them are tree- and bark living, some of them having been found more than 15 meters above the ground. 

Centruroides berstoni Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Guatemala)

Centruroides catemacoensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides chanae Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides cuauhmapan Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides hamadryas Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Centruroides yucatanensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 (Mexico)

Revised diagnosis are given for Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996, Centruroides rileyi Sissom, 1995, and Centruroides schmidti Sissom, 1995. A identification key for the species in the “thorellii” clade of Centruroides is also available.

Abstract:
The arboreal Neotropical “thorellii” clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890, bark scorpions (Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837) is revised, using a novel approach to species delimitation. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 112 morphological characters and 1078 aligned DNA nucleotides from the mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI) gene, provided the framework for placing singletons from geographically disparate localities (and often with suboptimal preservation) using COI minibarcodes, thereby enlarging the taxon sample for diagnosis and delimitation of morphological species. Six new species are described, tripling the known diversity in the clade to nine: Centruroides berstoni, sp. nov.; Centruroides catemacoensis, sp. nov.; Centruroides chanae, sp. nov.; Centruroides cuauhmapan, sp. nov.; Centruroides hamadryas, sp. nov.; Centruroides yucatanensis, sp. nov. Revised diagnoses are presented for Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996, Centruroides rileyi Sissom, 1995, and Centruroides schmidti Sissom, 1995. Comparative images, a key and distribution maps for all species of the clade are provided, along with a summary of available data for their ecology.

Reference:
Goodman AM, Prendini L, Francke OF, Esposito LA. Systematic Revision of the Arboreal Neotropical “Thorellii” Clade of Centruroides Marx, 1890, Bark Scorpions (Buthidae C.L. Koch, 1837) with Descriptions of Six New Species. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2021(452):1-92. [Open Access]

Thanks to Oscar Francke for sending me their article!

Family Buthidae

 

A new species of Androctonus from Burkina Faso

 

Eric Ythier has describe a new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from the Sahelian wooded steppes of Burkina Faso. 

Androctonus burkinensis Ythier, 2021

Abstract:
A new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 is described on the basis of one male specimen collected in the wooded steppes of Sahel in Northern Burkina Faso. The new species is characterized by a small size in relation to other species of the genus, a yellowish coloration without any darker spots, and metasomal segments narrow with a moderately deep dorsal depression. This new scorpion taxon represents the 30th known species of the genus Androctonus.

Reference:
Ythier E. A new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from the Sahelian wooded steppes of Burkina Faso (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Faunitaxys. 2021;9(31):1-7. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new species of Compsobuthus from Saudi Arabia

 

Bassam Abu Afifeha and co-workers have recently described a new species of Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 (Buthidae) from Ain El-Hamah, Khaybar, Saudi Arabia.

Compsobuthus  khaybari Abu Afifeh, Aloufi & Al-Saraireh, 2021

An identification key for the species of Compsobuthus from Saudi Arabia is included. 

Abstract:
A new species of scorpion belonging to the genus Compsobuthus is described based on a single male specimen collected from Ain El-Hamah, Khaybar, Saudi Arabia. The new species, Compsobuthus khaybari sp. n., belongs to the werneri group of Compsobuthus and is closely related with C. longipalpis and C. fuscatus. A key for species of the genus Compsobuthus known from Saudi Arabia is given. With this new species, the number of Compsobuthus species increases to six.

Reference:
Afifeh BA, Aloufi A, Al-Saraireh M, Amr Z. A new species of Compsobuthus from Saudi Arabia (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Zoology in the Middle East. 2021;Published online: 21 Sep 2021. [Open Access]

Thanks to Luis A. Roque for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

A new species of Pseudouroctonus from Arizona, USA

 

Richard Ayrey and co-workers are continuing their investigations into US vaejovids. This time they have published a descritpion of a new species of  Pseudouroctonus Stahnke, 1974 (Vaejovidae) from Arizona, USA.

Pseudouroctonus moyeri Ayrey, Kovarik & Myers, 2021

In their paper they also synonymize Ruberhieronymus Rossi, 2018 with Pseudouroctonus Stahnke, 1974. The former taxa was never included in The Scorpion Files so change have been done regarding this decision.

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Pseudouroctonus moyeri sp. n. (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) is described. This large, dark, reddish brown species is found in the Pinaleño Mountains, Arizona. This is the largest species of Pseudouroctonus found in Arizona. Ruberhieronymus Rossi, 2018 is synonymized with Pseudouroctonus Stahnke, 1974

Reference:
Ayrey RF, Kovarik F, Myers BT. A new species of Pseudouroctonus from the Pinaleño Mountains, southern Arizona (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius. 2021(338):1-12. [Open Access]

Family Vaejovidae

Two new species of Brachistosternus from high altitude habitats in Chile

 

The deserts in northern Chile have a high scorpion diversity, but many parts of this region are not yet fully investigated. Andres Ojanguren-Affilastro and co-workers have recently publish an article describing two new species of  Brachistosternus Pocock, 1893 (Bothriruidae) from high altitude habitats in the Antofagasta Region in Chile.

Brachistosternus chimba Ojanguren Affilastro, Alfaro & Pizarro-Araya, 2021

Brachistosternus llullaillaco Ojanguren Affilastro, Alfaro & Pizarro-Araya, 2021

Abstract:
We describe two new scorpion species of genus Brachistosternus from protected areas of Antofagasta Region in northern Chile. Brachistosternus chimba n. sp. has only been collected in La Chimba National Reserve, in the Chilean Coast Range. Brachistosternus llullaillaco n. sp. is a high altitude Andean species of the Lullaillaco National Park. Both species were collected as part of the first survey of the terrestrial arthropods of the protected areas of Antofagasta Region, in the frame of the First National Biodiversity Inventory of Chile of the Integrated System for Monitoring and Evaluation of Native Forest Ecosystems (SIMEF) and Project FIC-R Recovery Plan for La Chimba National Reserve.

Reference:
Ojanguren Affilastro AA, Alfaro FM, Pizarro-Araya J. Two new scorpion species from protected areas in Antofagasta Region, Chile (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae, Brachistosternus). Zootaxa. 2021;5040(1):111-31. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this article and to Andres for sending it to me! 

Family Bothriuridae

Scorpions found at elevated altitudes of an area of conservation in the Caatinga, Brazil

 

In a 2020 article, Phelipe Rêgo Lisboa de Souza and co-workers presented the results of a study of the scorpion fauna at elevated altitudes of an area of conservation in the Caatinga, Brazil. Nine species from Buthidae and Bothriuridae were found in the study area.

Abstract:
This study aims to report the diversity of scorpions at elevated altitudes in the Parque Estadual das Sete Passagens (PESP), in an area of conservation located in the Chapada Diamantina within the Caatinga domain in north-eastern Brazil. Data collection occurred in December 2016 and December 2017, through the use of pitfall traps and nocturnal manual collection with the help of ultraviolet torches. 86 individuals were collected, pertaining to nine species, grouped into two families. The Bothriuridae represented 71% of samples, with Bothriurus sp. 1 occurring at all sample altitudes. Whereas, the Buthidae represente 29% of samples, with Ananteris sp, the most represented species, occurring at altitudes of 1,000m and 1,076m and Tityus stigmurus inhabiting areas with extensive human presence. The ample diversity found in the PESP, reveals that this location can be considered representative of the scorpiofauna of Bahia and of the Caatinga, especially due to the lack of data available on scorpions in semi-arid environments.

Reference:
de Souza PRL, Benati KR, Peres MCL. Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) at elevated altitudes of an area of conservation in the Caatinga. Ciencia e Natura. 2021;42:e29. [Open Access]

Thanks to Phelipe Rêgo Lisboa de Souza for sending me their article!

Phylogeny of the Asian forest scorpions and the evolution of ecomorphotypes

Last year,  Lorenzo Prendini and Stephanie Loria published a huge systematic revision of the Asian Forest Scorpions (Scorpionidae). Recently, they have published a follow-up article with a phylogenetic analysis of these scorpions. This analysis seems to confirm the taxonomic decisions made in the 2020 paper. 

The new article also looks into the ecomorphological adaptions seen in Heterometrinae. Three ecomorphotypes were found: A wet silvicolous (living in or inhabiting woodlands) ecomorphotype inhabiting evergreen forest, a dry silvicolous ecomorphotype inhabiting deciduous forest, and a savannicolous ecomorphotype inhabiting savanna or scrubland. Most Asian scorpionid genera exhibited one or two of these ecomorphotypes among their species. The authors conclude that the ancestor of Asian scorpionids probably was wet silvicolous and inhabited humid, evergreen forests.

Abstract:
Asian forest scorpions (Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802: Heterometrinae Simon, 1879) are distributed across South and Southeast Asia. All are fossorial, constructing burrows under stones or in open ground, in habitats differing in precipitation and vegetation cover, from rainforests and tropical deciduous forests to savanna and scrubland. The systematics of these scorpions has long been confused due to bad taxonomy and the absence of a phylogenetic framework. Although the monophyly of the group was previously confirmed as part of broader phylogenetic analyses based on exemplar species, the only quantitative analysis of species-level variation to date was based on overall similarity. This contribution presents the first species-level phylogenetic analysis of Asian Scorpionidae, based on 186 morphological characters and 4188 aligned base-pairs of DNA sequence data from two nuclear and three mitochondrial loci for 132 terminals including all 41 ingroup species and four outgroup species. Simultaneous analyses of the morphological and molecular datasets with parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference provided the framework for a revised classification presented elsewhere. In order to understand how adaptation following dispersal into new habitats has driven the morphological diversification of Asian forest scorpions, species were scored for 10 characters concerning morphology and burrow architecture, which contributed to an ensemble index of adaptation to habitat aridity. Species were classified into three ecomorphotypes based on the index, and ancestral state reconstruction of ecomorphotypes performed on the phylogeny. A pattern was recovered in which lineages and species occurring in different habitats on a continuum from wet (evergreen forest) to dry (savanna, scrubland) exhibited characters presumed to be adaptive and hence responsible for driving scorpion diversification.

Reference:
Loria SF, Prendini L. Burrowing into the forest: Phylogeny of the Asian forest scorpions (Scorpionidae: Heterometrinae) and the evolution of ecomorphotypes. Cladistics. 2021;37(2):109-61. [Subscription required for full text]

Family Scorpionidae