Systematic revision of the Savignia genus group (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) with notes on their cephalic lobe evolution

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  Systematic revision of the Savignia genus group (Araneae: Linyphiidae: Erigoninae) with notes on their cephalic lobe evolution Abstract The Savignia genus group includes nine morphologically complex yet similar genera where species were assigned based mainly on the cephalic lobes. Among these genera, males of Diplocephalus Bertkau, 1883, Savignia Blackwall, 1833 and Araeoncus Simon, 1884 show some of the most extraordinary cephalic lobes among dwarf spiders (Linyphiidae, Erigoninae). In this study we undertake the first phylogenetic analysis of the Savignia genus group. We use 269 morphological characters (175 newly defined) and 70 taxa (59 ingroup taxa) to reconstruct the relationships and evolutionary trends of cephalic lobes in this lineage. Our findings show that cephalic lobes with varying shapes and sizes appear in several Savignia genus group lineages, highlighting that it is not a good diagnostic character. The high support in several clades allows the redefinition of t...

Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XLII. Parabuthus qaraaf sp. n. from Ethiopia (Buthidae)

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Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XLII. Parabuthus qaraaf sp. n. from Ethiopia (Buthidae)

Abstract


A new species Parabuthus qaraaf sp. n. from Ethiopia is described. Combination of six characters: metasoma V black; pectine teeth number 33–42 in both sexes; pedipalp chela length/ width ratio 3.3 in male and 4.2 in female; pedipalp patella length/ wide ratio 2.36–2.38 in both sexes; fingers of pedipalp of male with inner side of base smooth, no trace of tubercle; metasoma V length/ wide ratio is 1.50 in male distinguish P. qaraaf sp. n. from all other species in the region. Included is also a map of distribution of Parabuthus species in Horn of Africa, with newly confirmed localities for Parabuthus granimanus Pocock, 1895 and P. robustus Kovařík et al., 2019.


Kovařík, F., & Elmi, H. S. 2025 . Scorpions of the Horn of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part XLII. Parabuthus qaraaf sp. n. from Ethiopia (Buthidae). Euscorpius, No. 419: 1-q1. https://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/vol2025/iss419/1/