On one of the smallest Amazonian scorpions: a new species of Microtityus (Scorpiones, Buthidae) from Brazil, with amended diagnosis and potential distribution analysis for the genus

A new scorpion species, Microtityus adriki n. sp., is described based on adult specimens collected in Cantá, state of Roraima (RR), northern Brazil. Microtityus adriki n. sp. is the second species of Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 known from Brazil and is one of the smallest scorpion species (12.39-19.47 mm) in the Amazonian region. In this study, we propose an amended generic diagnosis and a specific diagnosis, describe the male hemispermatophore of Microtityus, give the sequence of COI barcode, and present a potential distribution analysis for the genus. The morphology of the male hemispermatophore of Microtityus differs from that of other Neotropical buthid genera, except for the number of lobes (three lobes), which is a character state shared with several genera. The potential distribution model generated by MaxEnt suggests high environmental suitability for the genus in the Antilles and northern South America, with scattered high suitability in several regions of Central America. However, the model did not indicate high suitability in areas where Brazilian species occur (i.e., Microtityus adriki n. sp. and Microtityus vanzolinii Lourenço & Eickstedt, 1983), and this could be explained by a sampling bias. Therefore, future studies, including extensive sampling, are required to better understand the biogeographic processes behind the distribution of this genus.

On the noxious black Amazonian scorpion, Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones, Buthidae): Taxonomic notes, biology, medical importance and envenoming treatment.

Tityus obscurus has caused mild, moderate and severe accidents of medical relevance in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Tityus obscurus has sexual dimorphism although males and females have uniform black coloration. In the Amazon, one of the habitats of this scorpion is seasonally flooded forests (igapós and várzeas). However, most stings occur in terra firme forest areas (non-flooded region), where most rural communities are located. Adults and children stung by T. obscurus may experience an "electric shock" sensation for more than 30 h after the sting. Our data shows that people inhabiting remote forest areas, including rubber tappers, fishermen and indigenous people, with no access to anti-scorpion serum, use parts of native plants, such as seeds and leaves, against pain and vomiting caused by scorpion stings. Although there is a technical effort to produce and distribute antivenoms in the Amazon, many cases of scorpion stings are geographically unpredictable in this region, due to the lack of detailed knowledge of the natural distribution of these animals. In this manuscript, we compile information on the natural history of T. obscurus and the impact of its envenoming on human health. We identify the natural sites that host this scorpion in the Amazon, in order to warn about the risk of human envenoming. The use of specific antivenom serum is the recommended treatment for accidents involving venomous animals. However, atypical symptoms not neutralized by the available commercial antivenom are reported in the Amazon region. Facing this scenario, we present some challenges to the study of venomous animals in the Amazon rainforest and possible experimental bottlenecks and perspectives for establishing a method aimed at producing an efficient antivenom.

On the noxious black amazonian scorpion, Tityus obscurus (Scorpiones, Buthidae): taxonomic notes, biology, medical importance and envenoming treatment

Tityus obscurus has caused mild, moderate and severe accidents of medical relevance in the eastern Brazilian Amazon and French Guiana. Tityus obscurus has sexual dimorphism although males and females have uniform black coloration. In the Amazon, one of the habitats of this scorpion is seasonally flooded forests (igapós and várzeas). However, most stings occur in terra firme forest areas (non-flooded region), where most rural communities are located. Adults and children stung by T. obscurus may experience an “electric shock” sensation for more than 30 h after the sting. Our data shows that people inhabiting remote forest areas, including rubber tappers, fishermen and indigenous people, with no access to anti-scorpion serum, use parts of native plants, such as seeds and leaves, against pain and vomiting caused by scorpion stings. Although there is a technical effort to produce and distribute antivenoms in the Amazon, many cases of scorpion stings are geographically unpredictable in this region, due to the lack of detailed knowledge of the natural distribution of these animals. In this manuscript, we compile information on the natural history of T. obscurus and the impact of its envenoming on human health. We identify the natural sites that host this scorpion in the Amazon, in order to warn about the risk of human envenoming. The use of specific antivenom serum is the recommended treatment for accidents involving venomous animals. However, atypical symptoms not neutralized by the available commercial antivenom are reported in the Amazon region. Facing this scenario, we present some challenges to the study of venomous animals in the Amazon rainforest and possible experimental bottlenecks and perspectives for establishing a method aimed at producing an efficient antivenom.

Bringing order to a complex system: phenotypic and genotypic evidence contribute to the taxonomy of Tityus (Scorpiones, Buthidae) and support the description of a new species.

We present a molecular phylogenetic analysis including a survey for overlooked phenotypic characters. Based on both analysis and characters a new cave-dwelling species is described: Tityus (Tityus) spelaeussp. nov. from the Russão II cave, Posse, state of Goiás, Central Brazil. Characters such as the glandular regions of the female pectinal basal piece and basal middle lamellae of pectines, and the distribution of the ventral setae of telotarsi I-IV proved to be useful to constructing the taxonomy of species and species groups of Tityus. The new species is a member of the Tityustrivittatus species-group of Tityus (Tityus) and can be readily recognized by the immaculate coloration pattern and the more developed glandular region on the female pectinal basal piece. In addition, we provide a discussion of the phylogenetic relationships observed within Tityus, on the relevance of the new phenotypic characters to the modern taxonomy of the genus Tityus, and to the records of Brazilian cave scorpions.

Two new species of the whip-spider genus Heterophrynus (Arachnida: Amblypygi) with complementary information of four species.

The family Phrynidae has been mainly recorded from America, including the Antilles, and Heterophrynus is one of its genera endemic of South America and is mainly associated with Amazonian ecosystems. Currently, the genus has 16 valid species, but many original descriptions are ambiguous or incomplete. The more complete work about this genus only includes seven of the currently valid species, and in some cases, some characters useful for the species identification, were not described. This situation hampers the species recognition and the comparison among species to propose diagnosis accurate. Using characters from the male and female genitalia to improve the diagnosis, we present complementary descriptions for four species of Heterophrynus and describe two new species. We present details of morphologic variation, compare the pedipalp spines among the species, present actualized distributions, and for first time, we present a complete illustration of the male genital of eight species using SEM pictures.

p>Taxonomic revision of the Colombian Tityus (Archaeotityus) (Scorpiones, Buthidae) species: a morphological and morphometric approach, with a description of a new species.

We present a taxonomic revision of the Colombian Tityus (Archaeotityus) species based on morphological and morphometric evidence. We examined more than 385 specimens and evaluated new and previously used qualitative and quantitative morphological characters. We redescribe the Colombian species and present morphological characters for both sexes and an emended diagnosis for the subgenus Tityus (Archaeotityus). We describe a new species Tityus guane sp. nov. from Santander department, Colombia, Tityus betschi Lourenço 1992 is synonymized with Tityus parvulus Kraepelin, 1914, and Tityus wayuu Rojas-Runjaic Armas, 2007 is synonymized with Tityus tayrona Lourenço, 1991. We measured 186 specimens and performed a multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) for 34 selected morphometric ratios for each sex. We found that a few morphological ratios support species level distinctions within the Colombian species. We provide updated distributional maps with new records and an identification key for both sexes. Furthermore, we provide an updated checklist for the subgenus and a discussion about the character systems used within Tityus (Archaeotityus). The new morphological characters proposed and the traditional morphometry examined with a PCA are useful for studying Tityus (Archaeotityus) taxonomy.

A new remarkable short-tailed whip-scorpion species of Piaroa (Arachnida, Schizomida, Hubbardiidae) from the Colombian Caribbean region.

Herein, we describe a new schizomid species from the genus Piaroa Villarreal, Giuponni Tourinho, 2008, Piaroa turbacoensis sp. nov., based on individuals collected in the Botanical Garden "Guillermo Piñeres", Turbaco, Bolivar, Colombian Caribbean region. Piaroa turbacoensis is the sixth species of the genus to be found in Colombia, and the tenth to be found with regards to the genus as a whole. This species is the first Colombian species to be recorded in a Dry Tropical Forest biome. Piaroa turbacoensis is easily distinguishable by the presence of spermathecae lateral lobes with massive circular stalk bases, and male pedipalp with ventroectal truncate process over the femur and ventroectal depression over the patella. Here, we provide an updated distribution map of the genus and comments about the natural history of the new species.

Two new species of Piaroa (Arachnida: Schizomida, Hubbardiidae) from Colombia, with comments on the genus taxonomy and the flagellar setae pattern of Hubbardiinae.

Two new species of the genus Piaroa Villarreal, Tourinho & Giupponi, 2008, P. escalerete sp. nov. and P. bacata sp. nov. are described from Valle del Cauca, and Cundinamarca departments, Colombia, respectively. The female flagellum is fully illustrated for a Piaroa species for the first time; the generic diagnosis is also emended and the relationships of the new species with those previously described are discussed. New characters for Piaroa species, a new nomenclature for the chitinized arch and a reinterpretation of the Hubbardiinae flagellar setae pattern are proposed. A distribution map of the known species of Piaroa is provided.