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11–13 Mesobuthus caucasicus intermedius (Birula, 1897). Female. 14–16 Mesobuthus caucasicus przewalskii (Birula, 1897). Female. 17–21 Mesobuthus longichelus sp. n. Female holotype. 11, 14, 17 Chela, dorso-external aspect 12, 15, 20 Metasomal segment V, ventral aspect 13, 16, 21 Metasomal segment V and telson, lateral aspect 18 Chela, ventral aspect 19 Disposition of granulations on the dentate margins of the pedipalp chela movable fi nger, dorsal aspect. Scale bar = 1.0mm.
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A new species of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 is described, based on specimens collected in the northern piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang. It is characterized by a slender chela, general coloration yellow to pale brownish-yellow, elongate aculeus and 2–4 markedly large and moderately extroversive lobed granules of the ventrolateral...
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A new eyeless false scorpion, Microchthonius elegantissimus n. sp. from inside an underground (cave) system, i.e. Jama Golubinka u Kalaševin Dugin Njivaman Cave (= Kalaševa Jama Pit), Kladnjice, Croatia, is described. This new pseudoscorpion differs from all other congeners. There exists a probability that the new false scorpion belongs to relicts...
The adult male of Cryptoiclus rodriguezi Teruel & Kovařík, 2012, is herein described and illustrated in detail. It represents both the single species of its genus and on of the most seldom-collected, endemic scorpiones from Cuba. Its generic diagnosis is emended and new data on its morphological, morphometric and meristic variability are contribute...
Citations
... Kovařík [50] found four lateral eyes for Butheolus species, and pointed out that ''the fourth eye'' ''may possibly be overlooked''. In our study, we found species M. martensii [9,10,11,15], M. caucasicus [11,15,16,17,51] and M. eupeus with their subspecies [11,12,13,14,15,51] were studied numerous of times. Though there was no lack of good descriptions with drawings or high-tech photography among these studies, e.g. ...
... Though there was no lack of good descriptions with drawings or high-tech photography among these studies, e.g. Qi, et al. [10], Sun & Zhu [16], Mirshamsi, et al. [14], Sun & Sun [11], these ''extra'' lateral eyes were also not mentioned. Even the scanning electron microscopy were used in morphological studies, the same case still occurs, for example, Figure 2 of Lourenço & Leguin [26] illustrated a ''Five-eye'' model, but unfortunately, the No. 4 and 5 lateral eyes were not recognized. ...
This study reports the results of a re-analysis of the number of lateral eyes in extant buthids. Specimens studied were confined mostly to those from China and the adjacent areas. 353 specimens belonging to 20 species (subspecies) and 8 genera were rechecked and found to have 5 pairs of lateral eyes contrary to earlier published works which reported the presence of 3 pairs of lateral eyes only. Combined with reported examples collected through reference investigation including 63 species from 16 genera, our study here shows a total of 79 species from 21 genera of scorpions spanning Asia and Africa had 5 pairs of lateral eyes. Reasons for not observing the presence of the extra lateral eyes are discussed and new protocols for examining specimens including using UV light are proposed to aid lateral eye recognition. Besides, a majority of genera in Buthidae are suggested to be in “Five-eye” model and a re-examination of all previously published taxonomic studies of buthid species is highly recommended.
... Mesobuthus agnetis (Werner, 1936), Mesobuthus macmahoni (Pocock, 1900), Mesobuthus vesiculatus (Pocock, 1899) and Mesobuthus extremus (Werner, 1936)], and a few localized new species reported within the last few years remain largely controversial (e.g. Mesobuthus songi from southern Tibet has been transferred to the genus Hottentotta after further examination; Sun et al. 2010;Teruel & Rein 2010). In addition, Gantenbein et al. (2000) recognized a new species endemic to the Island Cyprus, Mesobuthus cyprius Gantenbein and Kropf. ...
The aridification from Middle Miocene onwards has transformed the Asian interior into an arid environment, and the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial oscillations exerted further ecological impact. Therefore, both aridification and glaciation would have considerably influenced the evolution of many mid-latitude species in temperate Asia. Here, we tested this perspective by a phylogeographic study of the mesobuthid scorpions across temperate Asia using one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. Concordant mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees were obtained, which are consistent with species tree inferred using a Bayesian approach. The age of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all the studied scorpions was estimated to be 12.49 Ma (late Middle Miocene); Mesobuthus eupeus diverged from the clade composing Mesobuthus caucasicus and Mesobuthus martensii in early Late Miocene (10.21 Ma); M. martensii diverged from M. caucasicus at 5.53 Ma in Late Miocene. The estimated MRCA ages of M. martensii and the Chinese lineage of M. eupeus were 2.37 and 0.68 Ma, respectively. Central Asia was identified as the ancestral area for the lineage leading to M. martensii and M. caucasicus and the Chinese lineage of M. eupeus. The ancestral habitat of the genus Mesobuthus is likely to have been characterized by an arid environment; a shift towards more humid habitat occurred in the MRCA of M. martensii and a lineage of M. caucasicus, finally leading to the adaptation of M. martensii to humid environment. Our data strongly support the idea that the stepwise intensified aridifications from Mid-Miocene onwards drove the diversification of mesobuthid scorpions, and suggest that M. martensii and M. eupeus observed today in China originated from an ancestral lineage distributed in Central Asia. Both the colonization and the ensuing evolution of these species in East Asia appear to have been further moulded by Quaternary glaciations.
... Kovařík [50] found four lateral eyes for Butheolus species, and pointed out that ''the fourth eye'' ''may possibly be overlooked''. In our study, we found species M. martensii [9,10,11,15], M. caucasicus [11,15,16,17,51] and M. eupeus with their subspecies [11,12,13,14,15,51] were studied numerous of times. Though there was no lack of good descriptions with drawings or high-tech photography among these studies, e.g. ...
... Though there was no lack of good descriptions with drawings or high-tech photography among these studies, e.g. Qi, et al. [10], Sun & Zhu [16], Mirshamsi, et al. [14], Sun & Sun [11], these ''extra'' lateral eyes were also not mentioned. Even the scanning electron microscopy were used in morphological studies, the same case still occurs, for example,Figure 2 of Lourenço & Leguin [26] illustrated a ''Five-eye'' model, but unfortunately, the No. 4 and 5 lateral eyes were not recognized. ...
... Even the scanning electron microscopy were used in morphological studies, the same case still occurs, for example,Figure 2 of Lourenço & Leguin [26] illustrated a ''Five-eye'' model, but unfortunately, the No. 4 and 5 lateral eyes were not recognized. Therefore, the M. eupeus thersites 3 5 10=, 14R, 2 juv China, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan [12,13,14,15] M. caucasicus przewalskii 3 5 1 =,1R China [11,15,16,17] M. caucasicus intermedius 3 5 20=,10R Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan 1 specimen lacks No. 2; 1 specimen has 6 lateral eyes on one side [11,15,16,17] M. bolensis 3 5 1 =, 1R China [18] M. longichelus 3 5 1 R, 2 juv ...
This study reports the results of a re-analysis of the number of lateral eyes in extant buthids. Specimens studied were confined mostly to those from China and the adjacent areas. 353 specimens belonging to 20 species (subspecies) and 8 genera were rechecked and found to have 5 pairs of lateral eyes contrary to earlier published works which reported the presence of 3 pairs of lateral eyes only. Combined with reported examples collected through reference investigation including 63 species from 16 genera, our study here shows a total of 79 species from 21 genera of scorpions spanning Asia and Africa had 5 pairs of lateral eyes. Reasons for not observing the presence of the extra lateral eyes are discussed and new protocols for examining specimens including using UV light are proposed to aid lateral eye recognition. Besides, a majority of genera in Buthidae are suggested to be in ''Five-eye'' model and a re-examination of all previously published taxonomic studies of buthid species is highly recommended.
Following Graham et al. (2019), the recently described desert species Olivierus gorelovi (Fet et al., 2018) from Central Asia is herein restricted to Turkmenistan and southern Uzbekistan. In this contribution, we described other populations formerly included in O. gorelovi as three new species: O. mikhailovi sp. n. (southern Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan), O. tarabaevi sp. n. (Kazakhstan) and O. voldemari sp. n. (Uzbekistan: Ferghana Valley).
Reliable delimitation of venomous scorpions is not only consequential to toxicological studies but also instructive to conservation and exploration of these important medical resources. In the present study, we delimited species boundary for the the Przewalski’s scorpion from arid northwest China through a combined approach employing phylogenetic analysis, ecological niche modeling and morphological comparison. Our results indicate that the Przewalski’s scorpion represent an independent taxonomic unit and should be recognized as full species rank, Mesobuthus przewalskii stat. nov. This species and the Chinese scorpion M. martensii represent the eastern members of the M. caucasicus species group which manifests a trans-Central Asia distribution across the Tianshan Mountains range. We also discussed the likely geographic barrier and climatic boundary that demarcate distributional range of the the Przewalski’s scorpion.
Although venoms of scorpions have been subjected to extensive characterization,species status of venomous scorpions still remain s to be critically and robustly assessed. Reliable delimitation of venomous scorpions is not only consequential to toxicological studies but also instructive to conservation and exploration of these important medical resources. In the present study, we delimited species boundary for the the Przewalski's scorpion from arid northwest China through a combined approach employing phylogenetic analysis, ecological niche modeling and morphological comparison. Our results indicate that the the Przewalski's scorpion represent an independent taxonomic unit and should be recognized as full species rank, Mesobuthus przewalsii stat. n. This species and the Chinese scorpion M. martensii represent the eastern members of the M. caucasicus species group which manifests a trans-Central Asia distribution across the Tianshan Mountains range. We also discussed the likely geographic barrier and climatic boundary that demarcate distributional range of the the Przewalski's scorpion.
Scorpions are one of the most ancient groups of terrestrial animals. They have maintained a steady morphology over more than 400 million years of evolution. Their venom arsenals for capturing prey and defending against predators may play a critical role in their ancient and conservative appearance. In the current review, we present the scorpion fauna of China: 53 species covering five families and 12 genera. We also systematically list toxins or genes from Chinese scorpion species, involving eight species covering four families. Furthermore, we review the diverse functions of typical toxins from Chinese scorpion species, involving Na+ channel modulators, K+ channel blockers, antimicrobial peptides and protease inhibitors. Using scorpion species and their toxins from China as an example, we build the bridge between scorpion species and their toxins, which helps us to understand the molecular and functional diversity of scorpion venom arsenal, the dynamic and functional evolution of scorpion toxins, and the potential relationships of scorpion species and their toxins.
Mesobuthus karshius new species from the southern region of Xinjiang, China, is described. Nine species and subspecies of the genus Mesobuthus Vachon 1950 from China are recorded, and diagnoses of M. eupeus mongolicus (Birula 1911), M. eupeus thersites (C.L. Koch 1839) and M. martensii martensii (Karsch 1879) are provided. In addition, M. caucasicus przewalskii (Birula 1897), M. caucasicus intermedius (Birula 1897), M. eupeus mongolicus (Birula 1911), M. karshius sp. nov. and M. martensii martensii (Karsch 1879) are illustrated, and a key to the Chinese Mesobuthus is also provided.
