Taxonomic Updates, Taxonomy, Information and ID Keys For Scorpions

[skinheaddave]

Valdez, A., Davila, S., Licea, A., Corona, M., Zamudio, F.Z., Garcia-Valdes, J., Boyer, L. and Possani, L. (2004) Biochemical, genetic and physiological characterization of venom components from two species of scorpions : Centruroides exilicauda Wood and Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing. Biochimie 86 : 387-396.

This document provides a strong argument for the Arizona and Baja California populations of Centruroides exilicauda being seperate species. The synonymization of the two as C.exilicauda by Williams has been in debate for a while but this document shows evidence of substantial molecular differences as well as differences in venom strength that would suggest that the Arizona population should be returned to C.sculpuratus as described by Ewing. The document also references a general argument towards the clumping of biota within the Sonoran desert region into two seperate zones. Indeed, the two populations of C.exilicauda/C.sculpturatus are disjunct. The document promises a morphological analysis that I do not believe has actually followed (but then C.vittatus and C.exilicauda/C.sculpturatus are indistinct morphologically). Perhaps as a result of the intended morphological review, there is no formal renouncement of the Williams synonymization. That being said, it would seem that there is some acceptance of this paper as being a revision and I have found myself referring to the Arizona/NM population as C.sculpturatus

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Nazgul]

Hi,

interestingly a lot of biochemical papers on scorpion venom seem to never have accepted the synonymization by Williams, as there are a lot of publications from between 1980 (synonymization by Williams) and 2001 (first DNA sequencing results of C. exilicauda from different populations) which are on venom of C. exilicauda and C. sculpturatus.


A new website on North-American Vaejovidae is online: www.vaejovidae.com. It´s the website of the REVSYS project to study the systematics of the scorpion family Vaejovidae. Besides other interesting stuff the page is containing an updated chapter of the Catalog of the Scorpions of the World for the family Vaejovidae which can be downloaded here: http://www.vaejovidae.com/Vaejovidae%20catalog.pdf

 

[Jeremy Huff]

Check out our lab's website at scorpion.amnh.org
Under publications you can download pdf's of many scorpion taxonomic papers published by people in our lab.

Hope this helps

Jeremy

 

[Jeremy Huff]

Scorpion website update

We have updated the AMNH Scorpion Systematics Group website with several new trips and papers.

Jeremy

 

[Zoltan]

A couple of scorpion-related articles in the new issue of the Journal of Arachnology, vol. 38. no. 2.:

• Pedro, S., E. Froufe, P. C. Alves & D. J. Harris. 2010. Genetic diversity within scorpions of the genus Buthus from the Iberian Peninsula: mitochondrial DNA sequence data indicate additional distinct cryptic lineages. Journal of Arachnology 38(2): 206-211.

Abstract. Historically Buthus occitanus (Amoreux 1789) was recognized as the sole species of the genus present in the Iberian Peninsula, but recent morphological studies have identified and named two additional species. In addition, molecular data on the Moroccan fauna has shed light on the diversity within the genus. More species have since been described from North Africa, where diversity within the genus is highest. In this study we assessed the genetic diversity within specimens of Buthus Leach 1815 from across the Iberian Peninsula using cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) mitochondrial DNA sequences. The known range of B. ibericus Lourenço & Vachon 2004 was greatly expanded, with the species widespread in most of the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. Five distinct mtDNA lineages were found within Buthus from the Iberian Peninsula, two of which were reported for the first time in this study. However, both B. ibericus and B. occitanus included highly divergent lineages and thus further studies are needed to fully comprehend the taxonomy of Buthus from this region.

• Graham, M. R. & R. W. Bryson Jr. 2010. Vaejovis montanus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), a new species from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Journal of Arachnology 38(2): 285-293.

Abstract. A new species of montane scorpion is described from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. The species is morphologically similar to scorpions distributed throughout the "sky island" region of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico and is a member of the "vorhiesi" subgroup of the Vaejovis "mexicanus" group. The morphology of the new species is compared to that of "vorhiesi" subgroup taxa, and biogeographic hypotheses about the diversification of this group are provided.

• Toscano-Gadea, C. A. 2010. Sexual behavior of Bothriurus buecherli (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) and comparison with the B. prospicuus group. Journal of Arachnology 38(2): 360-363.

Abstract. This paper describes the sexual behavior of Bothriurus buecherli San Martín 1963 and compares it with the rest of the B. prospicuus group. The mating behavior was very similar to other species of the group, but B. buecherli presented some differences in the initial stages, one being a long period of inactivity after the male grasps the female pedipalps. Information presented includes reference to the sexual sting, post-partum copulation, and an analysis of a case of cannibalism by the female.

 

[Zoltan]

2 scorpion-related articles in the new issue of the Journal of Arachnology, vol. 38. no. 3.:

• Kloock, C. T., A. Kubli, & R. Reynolds. 2010. Ultraviolet light detection: a function of scorpion fluorescence. The Journal of Arachnology 38(3): 441-445.

Abstract. The hypothesis that fluorescence in scorpions functions in the detection of ultraviolet light was tested. We reduced the fluorescence of scorpions by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light on a 16:8 h light:dark cycle and compared their activity levels and light environment choices to unmodified scorpions in simple arenas that were half in shadow and half exposed to light. Three different lighting conditions were tested: infrared (IR) light only, IR + ultraviolet light and IR + white light. Treatments were illuminated by infrared light for videotaping. Activity level was measured by the number of transitions from the exposed to shadowed regions, and choice was measured by the percentage of time spent in the shadowed portion of the arena. Under IR + ultraviolet light, fluorescent scorpions reduced their activity levels and the variance in habitat choice increased, compared with reduced-fluorescence scorpions. There were no differences between fluorescent and non-fluorescent scorpions in the IR only condition or in the IR + white light condition. This is interpreted as evidence that fluorescence aids in the detection of and response to ultraviolet light, and possible implications of this result in natural habitats are discussed. This is the first experimental demonstration of a possible function for scorpion fluorescence.

• Santibáñez-López, C. E. & O. F. Francke. 2010. New and poorly known species of the mexicanus group of the genus Vaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) from Oaxaca, Mexico. The Journal of Arachnology 38(3): 555-571.

Abstract. Four new species belonging to the mexicanus group of the genus Vaejovis C.L. Koch 1836 from Oaxaca, Mexico are described. The number of species of this group for the state is raised to seven. The males of V. franckei and V. setosus are described for the first time. A key to Oaxacan species of the mexicanus group is provided.