Scorpion taxidermy - How should you preserve scorpions for research and exhibition

 

Victoria Trang published a very useful article this weekend on scorpion taxidermy. Preserving scorpion specimens in a correct and durable way is essential both for taxonomy science and for other purposes like exhibitions etc. 

Victoria discusses the different techniques of taxidermy and propose guidance for optimal preservation depending on the purpose of the specimen in question. This article should be of great interest both for professionals and scorpion enthusiasts that want to preserve their scorpions after their death.

Abstract:
Scorpions hold a renowned status as iconic creatures across numerous cultures in the world. Traditionally preserved as desiccated specimens for educational purposes, they have been exhibited in museums and pedagogic collections, serving as concrete epistemological conduits for public education on biodiversity. However, these specimens frequently lack meticulous organization, potentially misrepresenting the animals’ ethological characteristics. This brief article aims to offer paradigmatic guidance for taxidermy of scorpions, ensuring a more accurate depiction of their in vivo habitus, achievable through the use of readily obtainable tools and undemanding techniques.

Reference:
Tang V. Methodologies for dry fixation and taxidermy of education-oriented scorpion specimens. Euscorpius. 2024(395):1-24. [Open Access]

Three new species of Scorpiops from Tibet, China

 

Tibet is the highest region on Earth, but has a high scorpion diversity that is still not fully investigated. Victoria Tang and co-workers have recently published a study of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 (Scorpiopidae) from Tibet, and have described three new species.

Scorpiops deshpandei Tang, Ouyang, Liu & Stahlawsky, 2024

Scorpiops kovariki Tang, Ouyang, Liu & Stahlawsky, 2024

Scorpiops matthewi Tang, Ouyang, Liu & Stahlawsky, 2024

The authors introduce a new morphological term, "ocular islet" in this article.

One thing I think is very positive with this article is that the authors have a critical discussion about the practice of describing species and when a species should be given species status. They are very transparent about their discussion of the validity of their own new species.

Abstract:
Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 are described from Tibet Autonomous Region, China. S. deshpandei sp. n. is described based on an adult male and an immature pair collected from Mêdog County, Nyingchi, with additional molecular evidence substantiating its validity against S. longimanus Pocock, 1893. S. kovariki sp. n. is featured by a single adult female from Zayü. This species is only weakly supported by its genetic distance from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, but empirical understanding of the morphological variation in Scorpiops species motivated us to consider them as distinct. S. matthewi sp. n. is based on three adult females, all collected from Xigazê. Its species delineation is based solely on morphological characteristics due to the lack of material of its morphological relative (S. rufus Lv & Di, 2023). New specimens of S. margerisonae Kovařík, 2000 are obtained from Nyêmo, Lhasa, and compared with S. wrzecionkoi Kovařík, 2020. A new term, “ocular islet”, is introduced to portray the periocular morphology of Scorpiops median ocelli, categorized into four preliminary types. Finally, a comparative matrix summarizing the quantitative and qualitative diagnostic characters of Tibetan Scorpiops species based on preceding publications is provided.

Reference:
Tang V, Ouyang K, Liu Z, Stahlavsky F. Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 from Tibet, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), with implications for the diagnostic values of qualitative characters. Euscorpius. 2024(394):1-40. [Open Access]

Thanks to Victoria for informing me about their article!

Family Scorpiopidae

A new Euscorpius species from Turkey

 

The number of species in the genus Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Euscorpiidae)has exploded in many parts of southern Europe in the last decades and the same is also the case in Turkey. Ersen Yagmur recently published an article describing a new species from the Konya Province inTurkey.

Euscorpius gulhanimae Yagmur, 2024

Abstract:
A new species Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. is described from southern Turkey (Beyşehir District of Konya Province). It differs by trichobothrial numbers in Pv and et series; these numbers are the highest in all species of Euscorpius in Turkey. E. gulhanimae sp. n. has light greyish yellow mesosoma, dark reddish-brown chela and dark brown metasomal segments III-V; the new species is distinguished by this two-colored feature from all Euscorpius species. With this description, the known number of species in the family Euscorpiidae in Turkey is increased to 21.

Reference:
Yagmur EA. Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. from the Konya Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Euscorpius. 2024(393):1-13. [Open Access]

Family Euscorpiidae

A new species of Alpiscorpius from Turkey

 Gioele Tropea and co-workers just published a new paper describing a new species of Alpiscorpius Gantenbein et al., 1999 (Euscorpiidae) from the Istanbul Province in Turkey.

Alpiscorpius istanbulensis Tropea, Yagmur & Parmakelis, 2024

Abstract:
A new scorpion species, Alpiscorpius istanbulensis sp. n., from Istanbul Province, Turkey, is described based on morphological and molecular evidence, raising the number of Euscorpiinae species to 19, including 12 related or phylogenetically close to the genus Alpiscorpius.

Reference:
Tropea G, Yagmur EA, Parmakelis A. A new Alpiscorpius from İstanbul Province of Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae). Biologia Serbica. 2024;46. [Open Access]

Thanks to Ersen Yagmur and Gerard Dupre for sending me this article!

Family Euscorpiidae

Three new species in the buthid genus Gint from Ethiopia and Somaliland

Frantisek Kovarik and co-workers have recently published a new article in their ongoing study of the scorpion fauna of The Horn of Africa. This time, three new species in the genus Gint Kovarik, Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013 (Buthidae) are described from Somaliland and Ethiopia.

Gint abshiri Kovarik, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024 (Ethiopia)

Gint derbiae Kovarik, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024  (Ethiopia)

Gint sahil Kovarik, Elmi & Stahlavsky, 2024 (Somaliland)

The article has an updated identification key for the genus. 

Abstract:
Three new species, Gint sahil sp. n. from Somaliland and Gint abshiri sp. n. and G. derbiae sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of the new species, as well as of their habitats. Furthermore, alongside the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we have provided description of the karyotype of G. abshiri sp. n. This species exhibits karyotype with 2n=27. Included is distribution map and a key for the genus Gint.

Reference:
Kovarik F, Elmi HSA, Stahlavsky F. Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part XXXIII. Three new species of Gint from Ethiopia and Somaliland (Buthidae). Euscorpius. 2024(392):1-25. [Open Access]

Family Buthidae

A new genus and three new species in the family Scorpionidae from Jordan

 

Bassam Abu Afifeh and co-workers recently published a revision of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 (Scorpionidae) in Jordan. The widespread genus had only one species for many decades, but were poorly studied. In recent years the genus has been studies by several authors and many new species have been described, conforming previous suspicions that Scorpio maurus Linné, 1758 was a species complex hiding many cryptic species. 

The revision of the Scorpio from Jordan has resulted in a new genus and three new species.

Jordanius Afifeh, Yagmur, Al-Saraireh & Amr, 2024 (new genus)

Jordanius maysaraensis Afifeh, Yagmur, Al-Saraireh & Amr, 2024 (new species)

Scorpio jordanensis Afifeh, Yagmur, Al-Saraireh & Amr, 2024 (new species)

Scorpio wahbehi Afifeh, Yagmur, Al-Saraireh & Amr, 2024 (new species)

Jordanius granulomanus (Al-Saraireh, Yagmur, Afifeh & Amr, 2023) is transferred to the new genus from Scorpio.

In addition, Scorpio propinquus (Simon, 1872) is considered nomen dubium.

The article has an identification key for the Scorpionidae taxa found in Jordan. 

Abstract:
Several new Scorpio populations are studied from various habitats in Jordan, including specimens previously identified as Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910 and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829). A new scorpionid genus, Jordanius gen. n. is described, mainly differentiated from the genus Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 by the elongation and heavy patterns of granulation of chela manus, and granulated chela fingers. Scorpio granulomanus Al-Saraireh et al., 2023 is transferred to the new genus, and Jordanius maysaraensis gen. et sp. n. is described. Also, Scorpio jordanensis sp. n. and S. wahbehi sp. n. are described. Detailed redescriptions and illustrations of S. palmatus (Ehrenberg, 1828) and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829) are given. A neotype of S. palmatus from Alexandria, Egypt and a neotype of S. fuscus from Lebanon are designated. A key to the family Scorpionidae in Jordan and comments on dubious or incorrect records from Jordan are provided. Lastly, S. propinquus is suggested as nomen dubium.

Reference:
Afifeh BA, Yagmur EA, Al-Saraireh M, Amr Z. Revision of the genus Scorpio in Jordan, with a description of a new genus and three new species (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae). Euscorpius. 2024(391):1-66. [Open Access]

Family Scorpionidae

Using chemical cues to avoid intraguild predators and to find potential mates

 

It is well known that scorpions can detect and use chemical cues thanks to chemosensitive hairs on the pectins and on part of the pedipalps. Chemical cues can be used to discover and seek out conspecifics for mating, but also to avoid conspecifics or other scorpions that want to eat you (cannibalism is well documented in scorpions, often larger individuals preying on smaller and larger females may also kill and eat potential suitors).

Welton Dionisio-da-Silva and co-workers published earlier this summer a study of the use of chemical cues in the two Brazilian scorpions Bothriurus rochai Mello-Leitão, 1932 (Bothriuridae) and Jaguajir rochae (Borelli, 1910) (Buthidae). They tested the behavioral response to chemical cues from a heterospecific scorpion, and the response of male individuals (B. rochai and J. rochae) to chemical cues from conspecific females.

The study showed that smaller individuals avoided sites with the "smell" of larges individuals, whiles larger predators preferred the sites with the "smell" of smaller scorpions. In addition, males of both species trailed the chemical cues of females. 

According to the authors, this is the first evidence of a scorpion species detecting and hunting a heterospecific scorpion through chemical cues.

Abstract:
Chemical perception is essential among arthropods for mate recognition, prey search, and predator avoidance, especially for solitary predators which are often aggressive. Such mechanisms may be intensified in environments like the Caatinga, a seasonally dry tropical forest in Brazil, characterized by low habitat complexity and high seasonal variation. Thus, we investigated chemical perception between two scorpion species from this environment, involved in intraguild competition. Experiments assessed their response to chemical cues from prey, predators, and potential mates. We use Y-mazes to test the time spent by the scorpions between Y-arms with or without a given substrate-borne chemical cue (site preference) and the number of active individuals during trials (presence of activity). Scorpions’ activity was not influenced by chemical stimuli, although they clearly exhibit site preferences. The smaller predators avoided sites with the larger species’ chemical cues, while the larger predators preferred sites with the smaller species’ cues. Additionally, both species trailed female chemical cues. These findings suggest a dual-oriented arms race where prey and predator modulate their behaviour to avoid and hunt heterospecifics, respectively. This study provides the first evidence of a scorpion using chemical cues to detect a heterospecific scorpion and highlights the importance of this trait in arachnids.

References:
Dionisio-da-Silva W, Araujo Rocha-da-Silva KL, Veloso HMG, DaSilva MB. Hide and seek: chemical cues drive site preference among potential mates and intraguild competitors. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2024:blae058. [Subscription required for full text]

Thanks to Welton Dionisio-da-Silva for sending me their article!