New species of Diplocentrus from Mexico

Carlos Santibanez-Lopez has recently published a new species of Diplocentrus Peters, 1861 (Scorpionidae) from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Diplocentrus franckei Santibanez-Lopez, 2014

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Diplocentrus Peters, 1861 is described, based on several specimens collected in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is characterized by a high telotarsal spiniform setae count (4- 5/5:5/6:6/6:6/6-7), and the pectinal tooth counts of 12–15, mode = 13 (male) or 11–13, mode = 12 (female). With the description of this species, the diversity of the genus is increased to 51 species in Mexico.

Reference:
Santibanez-Lopez CE. A new species of the genus Diplocentrus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones, Diplocentridae) from Oaxaca, Mexico. Zookeys. 2014 (412):103-16. [Free full text]

Thanks to Oscar Francke for sending me this paper!

A new high altitude Scorpiops from the Himalays, India

Amod Zambre and co-workers have described a new and fascinating species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Euscorpiidae) from Indian Himalays in a forthcoming issue of the journal Comptes Rendus Biologies.

Scorpiops spitiensis Zambre, Sanap & Mirza, 2014

The new species was found while ground being dug for the construction of houses in Spiti Valley at an altitude of 4000 - 4200 m. Mean summer temperature in this area is around 25 °C, but can drop to minus 35 °C during winters. Precipitation is in the form of snow during months of December to March.The new species must have an interesting strategy to cope with this kind of climatic challenges (burrowing and hibernation is probably involved).

Abstract:
A new high-elevation scorpion species of the genus Scorpiops is described from the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Scorpiops spitiensis sp. nov. is the second highest-elevation scorpion species in Asia and the first one from India occurring at elevations above 4200 m. The new species closely resembles Scorpiops petersii, but it can be distinguished from it based on a suit of characters, one of which is the presence of 16 trichobothria on the external aspect of the patella, which is unique to the new species.

Reference:
Zambre A, Sanap RV, Mirza ZA. A new high-elevation scorpion species of the genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae: Scorpiopinae) from the Himalayas, India. Comptes Rendus Biologies. 2014;In Press. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Zeeshan Mirza for sending me their paper!

Family Euscorpiidae

A new species of Androctonus from Tunisia

Rolando Teruel and Frantisek Kovarik have described a new species of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Buthidae) from Tunisia.

Androctonus turieli Teruel & Kovarik, 2014

Androctonus bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828 is redescribed. This widespread species reported from Africa and the Middle East need further investigations to establish its real distribution and to see if there are hidden species within these populations.

Abstract:
We redescribe Androctonus bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828, a scorpion species widely distributed across northeast Africa and the Middle East, on the basis of the study of nine original syntypes and supplementary material from its entire distribution area. In order to stabilize nomenclature, we also designate a lectotype, update its diagnosis according to modern standards, and provide a full illustrated complement to facilitate the recognition of this species as compared to all of its congeners. Also, a new, closely related species from eastern Tunisia is described.

Reference:
Teruel R, Kovarik F. Redescription of Androctonus bicolor Ehrenberg, 1828, and Description of Androctonus turieli sp. n. from Tunisia (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2014 (186):1-15. [Free full text]

Family Buthidae

Fine structure of the stinger in Euscorpius

Rainer Foelix and co-workers have recently published an interesting study investigating the fine structure of the aculeus (stinger) in scorpions in the genus Euscorpius (Euscorpiidae). In addition to showing the presence of two venom ducts open to the outside, the authors also report of several small dimples containing sunken sensory hairs. Its seems from these observations that the aculeus is not merely an injection device, but also able to integrate mechanical and chemical stimuli.

Abstract:
A scorpion’s last metasomal segment (telson) consists of a bulbous base that contains two venom glands and a curved tip (aculeus) where two venom ducts open to the outside. These two openings lie laterally just before the very tip of the aculeus; to see both of them at the same time, the stinger has to be looked at ‘‘tail-on’’ from the dorsal side. The two venom ducts have a distinct cuticular lining, which can be recognized in a transparent exuvia as long tubes (1 mm) extending from the distal pores back to the venom glands. Whereas the proximal bulb has many long sensory hairs on its surface, the distal aculeus is very smooth but contains small pits with tiny club-shaped hairs. These are probably contact chemoreceptors. The advantage of such sunken sensory hairs is certainly that the stinger can penetrate into prey (or foe) but can still perceive mechanical or chemical stimuli. Additionally, the aculeus bears several slit sensilla and numerous fine pores of unknown function. The aculeus is thus not only a well-adapted injection device but also contains sensory structures, which provide information on mechanical and chemical input.

Reference:
Foelix R, Erb B, Braunwalder M. Fine structure of the stinger (aculeus) in Euscorpius. Journal of Arachnology. 2014;42(1):119-22. [Subscription required for full text]

Male sprinters and fighting females: Morphology and anti-predator strategies in Bark scorpions

Sexual dimorphism is present in many scorpion species. In many species, the males are more slender and having longer tails, while the females are larger and heavier with shorter tails. Bradley Carlson and co-workers have tested if these differences in morphology have an impact on the genders anti-predator strategies in the errant scorpion Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821) (Buthidae).

Males sprinted faster than females, while females were more aggressive and used their stinger significantly more often than males. The larger and heavier females (burdened by being pregnant 80% of the year) can not run away from potential predators and have in stead evolved a higher aggression and sting use as the main defense. Males, unburdened by a load of developing embryos in the their abdomen, have developed morphological traits enhancing their running abilities as the main defensive behavior.

This article is also mentioned in the ScienceNews blog under the title "Beware of the pregnant scorpion".

Abstract:
Sexual dimorphism can result from sexual or ecological selective pressures, but the importance of alternative reproductive roles and trait compensation in generating phenotypic differences between the sexes is poorly understood. We evaluated morphological and behavioral sexual dimorphism in striped bark scorpions (Centruroides vittatus). We propose that reproductive roles have driven sexually dimorphic body mass in this species which produces sex differences in locomotor performance. Poor locomotor performance in the females (due to the burden of being gravid) favors compensatory aggression as part of an alternative defensive strategy, while male morphology is coadapted to support a sprinting-based defensive strategy. We tested the effects of sex and morphology on stinging and sprinting performance and characterized overall differences between the sexes in aggressiveness towards simulated threats. Greater body mass was associated with higher sting rates and slower sprinting within sexes, which explained the greater aggression of females (the heavier sex) and, along with longer legs in males, the improved sprint performance in males. These findings suggest females are aggressive to compensate for locomotor costs of reproduction while males possess longer legs to enhance sprinting for predator evasion and mate finding. Sexual dimorphism in the metasoma (‘‘tail’’) was unrelated to stinging and sprinting performance and may best be explained by sexual selection.

Reference:
Carlson BE, McGinley S, Rowe MP. Meek Males and Fighting Females: Sexually-Dimorphic Antipredator Behavior and Locomotor Performance Is Explained by Morphology in Bark Scorpions (Centruroides vittatus). PLoS One. 2014;9(5):e97648. [Free full text]

Thanks to Matt Simon for informing me about this paper!

A review of the scorpion biogeography of Southeast Asia

Wilson Lourenco has written a book chapter on the biogeography of scorpions of Southeast Asia in the book "Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, volume II". See abstract below for more details.

Abstract:
Biogeographic patterns observed among modern scorpions are the consequence of different major events which can be integrated in the schematic scales proposed by M. Udvardy. The distribution of the principal modern groups (i.e. families and genera) is derived from elements (protofamilies and protogenera of Pulmonate- Neoscorpionina) which originated in Pangea. The main factor in the phylogenetic/palaeobiogeographic scale was probably not the latitudinal and longitudinal overland migration (dispersion) of the ancestors Neoscorpionina, which followed the predominantly southward shift of the warm tropical belt, but a rather more passive vicariant process in association with dispersal in Haffer’s sense, in response to the progressive fragmentation of Pangea. This was followed by continental drift which led to the present configuration of the continents and climates. This suggestion seems to be in accordance with the very poor vagility observed in modern scorpions. On the millennial scale, Pleistocene and post-Pleistocene biogeography has been responsible for the regional level of the distribution pattern which, during its settlement, has led to the selection of some new specific lineages and to the extinction of others. On the secular scale, the ecological biogeography is a consequence of recent natural or anthropic events. This scale has been little used by scorpion biogeographers, mostly because of lack of data on scorpion life history strategies. In this chapter, examples from Southeast (and Wallacea) scorpions are proposed for and discussed in relation to the three biogeographic scales of Udvardy.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. Biogeography of Southeast Asia (and Wallacea) scorpions, a review. In: Telnov D, editor. Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, volume II. Riga: Entomological Society of Latvia; 2014. p. 27-46.

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me this paper!

A new species of Chaerilus from Vietnam

Wilson Lourenco and Dinh-Sac Pham have recently published a new species of Chaerilus discovered in the Pa Thom Caves in the Dien Bien District in northern Vietnam.

Chaerilus pathom Lourenco & Pham, 2014 (Chaerilidae)

The new species was found in caves, but the paper doesn't report about any cave adaptions or if this is a troglophile species.

Recently, Frantisek Kovarik published a revision of Chaerilidae in his book project Illustrated Catalog of Scorpions, Part II. Lourenco & Pham strongly criticize and reject Kovarik's decisions in this revision, and state that species that are synonymized or declared Nomen dubium should be valid until more detailed studies are made.I will post a special blog message later with the consequences for the genus in regard to Kovarik's decisions (which is currently reflected in The scorpion Files species list).

Abstract:
A new species of the genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877 is described from a cave in Dien Bien District, West of Dien Bien Phu city in northern Vietnam. The new species is morphologically similar to other Chaerilus species distributed only in the south of Vietnam and Cambodia and suggests a case of a vicariant species between northern and southern populations in the Southeast Asian peninsula.

Reference:
Lourenco WR, Pham D-S. The genus Chaerilus Simon, 1877 in Vietnam (Scorpiones; Chaerilidae): A possible case of a vicariant species. Comptes Rendus - Biologies. 2014;337:360-4. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to professor Lourenco for sending me this paper!

Family Chaerilidae