04 May, 2016

A few taxonomical corrections in the genus Tityus


Wilson Lourenco has recently published a paper discussing the taxonomical status for some Amazonian Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 species (Buthidae). Here are the main conclusions:

Tityus apiacas Lourenço 2002 is considered a distinct species from T. obscurus (Gervais, 1843).

Tityus carolineae Kovarik, Teruel, Cozijn & Seiter, 2013 is synonymized with T. metuendus Pocock, 1897.

 Tityus dillerorum Kovarik, Teruel, Lowe & Friedrich, 2015 is synonymized with T. gasci Lourenço, 1982.

Tityus wachteli Kovarik, Teruel, Lowe & Friedrich, 2015 is synonymized with T. silvestris Pocock, 1897.

Abstract:
Some recent taxonomical decisions and descriptions of new species on the genus Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 for the Amazonian region, based only on typological considerations, led to some major errors. The authors of these decisions/descriptions totally neglected the palaeoclimatic and biogeographic factors that strongly influenced the observed patterns of distribution and differentiation of the species in this tropical region of South America. A number of amendments is proposed here to correct these errors: I) Tityus apiacas Lourenco, 2002 is reconsidered as a distinct species from Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843), both species presenting totally allopatric distributions, II) Tityus carolineae Kovarik, teruel, Cozjin et Seiter, 2013 is placed in synonymy of Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1897, III) Tityus dilleorum Kovarik, Teruel, Lowe et Friedrich, 2015 and Tityus wachteli Kovarik, Teruel, Lowe et Friedrich, 2015 are placed respectively in the synonymies of Tityus gasci Lourenco, 1981 and Tityus silvestris Pocock, 1897.

Reference:
Lourenco WR. A propos de quelques amendements sur quelques especes du genre Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) de la region amazonienne. Arachnida - Rivista Aracnologica Italiana. 2016;7:1-17.

Thanks to Eric Ythier for sending me this article!

Family Buthidae

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