DNA barcoding of scorpions from Kosovo, with the first record of Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae)

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  DNA barcoding of scorpions from Kosovo, with the first record of Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) ABSTRACT This study presents DNA barcoding data for Alpiscorpius dinaricus (Di Caporiacco) and Euscorpius hadzii Caporiacco. Barcode sequences were compared with publicly available reference data to support species identification, together with the evaluation of diagnostic morphological characters. Alpiscorpius dinaricus is recorded from Kosovo for the first time, representing a new national record and contributing to the knowledge of euscorpiid diversity in the region. Diagnostic illustrations of A. dinaricus are provided to facilitate reliable identification and to support future faunistic, taxonomic, and biogeographic studies. Euscorpius hadzii , previously known only from Prizren district, is now reported also from Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains (Western Kosovo). Geci, D., Ibrahimi, H., Bilalli, A., Musliu, M., Strohmeier, T., Koblmüller, S., … S...

Spot the difference: on the genus Hapalopus Ausserer, 1875 in Colombia and a new related genus from Brazil and Bolivia (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

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Spot the difference: on the genus Hapalopus Ausserer, 1875 in Colombia and a new related genus from Brazil and Bolivia (Araneae: Theraphosidae)

Abstract
An incongruence in palpal bulb and spermathecal morphologies between groupings of species of the genus Hapalopus Ausserer, 1875 has persisted for some time. We redefine Hapalopus based on examination of the holotype male of the type species, Hapalopus formosus Ausserer, 1875, housed in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien. Three new species of Hapalopus are described from Colombia: H. guerreroi Benavides, Osorio, Sherwood, Gabriel, Peñaherrera-R., Hörweg, Brescovit & Lucas sp. nov., H. platnicki Sherwood, Gabriel, Osorio, Benavides, Peñaherrera-R., Hörweg, Brescovit & Lucas sp. nov., and H. vangoghi Osorio, Benavides, Sherwood, Gabriel, Peñaherrera-R., Hörweg, Brescovit & Lucas sp. nov. The new genus Notahapalopus Sherwood, Gabriel, Peñaherrera-R., Osorio, Benavides, Hörweg, Brescovit & Lucas gen. nov. is described to house Notahapalopus aymara (Perdomo, Panzera & Pérez-Miles, 2009) comb. nov. (type species), Notahapalopus gasci (Maréchal, 1996) comb. nov., N. parauapebas Sherwood, Gabriel, Osorio, Benavides,Peñaherrera-R., Hörweg, Brescovit & Lucas sp. nov., and N. serrapelada (Fonseca-Ferreira, Zampaulo & Guadanucci, 2017) comb. nov. Discussion on the biogeography of Hapalopus and Notahapalopus gen. nov. is also provided. Hapalopus lesleyae Gabriel, 2011 is transferred to Jambu Miglio, Perafán & Pérez-Miles, 2024 based on palpal bulb morphology, giving the new combination Jambu lesleyae comb. nov.

A special thank you to Danni Sherwood for reaching out with this publication as well as some additional information to be shared here regarding this research. She also mentions that a totally new character was discovered in theraphosids in this paper, pits on the metatarsus!

Sherwood, D., Gabriel, R., Osorio, L. M., Benavides, L. R., Peñaherrera-R., P., Hörweg, C., Brescovit, A. D. & Lucas, S. M. (2024b). Spot the difference: on the genus Hapalopus Ausserer, 1875 in Colombia and a new related genus from Brazil and Bolivia (Araneae: Theraphosidae). ZooNova 32: 1-44. doi:10.5281/zenodo.11458605