Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

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  Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from southern Algeria (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Abstract A new scorpion species, Cicileus derradji sp. nov., is described from Tin Zaouatine District, In Guezzam Province, southern Algeria. The description is based on an adult male holotype, an adult female paratype and a juvenile specimen, and is supported by detailed morphological analyses, including colouration, morphometrics, carination patterns and trichobothrial arrangement. This discovery extends the known distribution of the genus Cicileus approximately 500 km southwestward within Algeria. With the addition of this species, the number of recognised species in the genus increases to six. The new species is compared with all previously known species of Cicileus , and detailed colour photographs, including images taken under ultraviolet illumination, are provided. Derradj, L., Aydın Yağmur, E., Benali, N., & Bikada, M. (2026). Cicileus derradji sp. nov., a new species from south...

The genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Oman

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The genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Oman

Abstract


The taxonomic position of Androctonus populations in Oman was investigated by analyzing morphological variation in a comprehensive sample representing 150 records gathered from 95 localities spread throughout the country. Two new allopatric species are described, separated by multivariate morphometric analysis and meristic characters: (1) A. omanensis sp. n., distributed across most of Oman, is characterized by wider, deeper metasomal segments IV–V, shorter legs, more robust pedipalps, more granules on lateral inframedian carinae of metasoma II–III, and sparser setation on basitarsal spurs; and (2) A. ammophilus sp. n., distributed in the dunes of the Rub’ al-Khali (Empty Quarter) of northwest Oman, and adjacent Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, is characterized by narrower, shallower metasomal segments IV–V, longer legs, more elongate pedipalps, fewer granules on lateral inframedian carinae of metasoma II–III, and denser setation on basitarsal spurs. The emergence of the Rub’ al-Khali sand system during Pleistocene glaciations, and the transition to hyper-arid conditions in the region, are hypothesized to be abiotic factors promoting ecological speciation of A. ammophilus sp. n., and vicariant speciation of A. omanensis sp. n.

Lowe, G. 2025 . The genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Oman. Euscorpius, No. 424: 1-59. https://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/vol2025/iss424/1/