An integrative description of Euscorpius diagorasi sp. n. from Rhodes, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae)

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  An integrative description of Euscorpius diagorasi sp. n. from Rhodes, Greece (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) Abstract The genus  Euscorpius  Thorell, 1876 comprises a diverse and taxonomically challenging group of scorpions in the Mediterranean, with Greece representing one of its principal centers of diversity. In this study, we provide an integrative description of  Euscorpius diagorasi   sp. n. , a new species from Rhodes Island, Greece. The new species is described on the basis of adult male and female morphology and mitochondrial COI sequence data. It is a small oligotrichous species characterized by a total length of approximately 21–25 mm, pale yellow to light brown coloration with darker reddish-brown pedipalps, pectinal tooth count of 8 in the male and 7 in the females, Pv = 7–8, Pe-et = 5–6, and a distinct mitochondrial lineage. Phylogenetic analyses based on COI recovered the Rhodian specimens as a strongly supported monophyletic lineage, sister to...

From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history

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From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history

Abstract

Eresidae (velvet spiders) is a relatively small family of spiders, most-diversified in the African continent. The present study provides the first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997, which has remained undiscovered for over two decades. We also briefly review the species’ history and add knowledge of its ecology, biology, and distribution. Diagnostic drawings and digital photographs of female and male copulatory organs, alongside COI barcoding results, photographs of live and preserved specimens, and of microhabitat are also presented.

Seropian A, Bulbulashvili N, Makharadze G, Kovács G (2025) From burrows to spotlight: first description of the female of Eresus lavrosii Mcheidze, 1997 (Araneae, Eresidae), with notes on the natural history. Caucasiana 4: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.4.e151922