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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.sculpturatusValdez, 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.
Cheers,
Dave