The morphology of Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço(Scorpiones: Buthidae) and first description of male with some ecological observations

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The morphology of Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço(Scorpiones: Buthidae) and first description of male with some ecological observations

ABSTRACT

Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço was described based on a female holotype specimen from Cyprus. This species is redescribed based on the holotype and additional specimens collected from Cyprus, with the male description and variational information presented for the first time. Detailed illustrations and UV light images of the female holotype and male specimen are provided. The first ecological observations of B. kunti are presented here. We observed that B. kunti prefers sandy soil and is a burrowing species. Additionally, we observed that B. kunti is associated with the bushes of Cistus salviifolius. According to our observations, specimens sit under the branches of these bushes or climb them. Adults were observed under the bushes, whereas subadult specimens were observed on the branches. We also report the first recorded case of cannibalism in this species, documenting two instances.

Yağmur, E. A., Kunt, K. B., Hadjiconstantis, M., Bağlar, H., & Gücel, S. (2025). The morphology of Buthus kunti Yağmur, Koç & Lourenço(Scorpiones: Buthidae) and first description of male with some ecological observations. Journal of Natural History, 59(25–28), 1775–1805. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2498715