Scorpio basraensis sp. n. from southern Iraq (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae)

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  Scorpio basraensis sp. n. from southern Iraq (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) Abstract A new scorpion species, Scorpio basraensis sp. n. , is described and illustrated from Basra Province, southern Iraq. Scorpio basraensis sp. n. is compared with all known species of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758 occurring in countries surrounding Iraq. The new species can be distinguished by the circular genital operculum in males and the cordiform genital operculum in females (not posteriorly elongated), a densely hirsute body, appendages and metasoma, a distinctly elongated telson vesicle, discrete granules on the external surface of the chela manus that are not flattened, and pectinal tooth counts of 11–13 in males and 9–11 in females. With the description of this species, the number of scorpion species known from Iraq increases to 22, whereas the number of recognized species in the genus Scorpio reaches 33. Yağmur, Ersen A.; Makki, Jafar A.; and Najim, Shurooq A. (2026) " Scorpio basraen...

On the genus Paccius (Araneae, Trachelidae) in Madagascar: two new species, redescriptions, and a key to the species

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On the genus Paccius (Araneae, Trachelidae) in Madagascar: two new species, redescriptions, and a key to the species

Abstract

The Malagasy and Seychellois endemic dark sac spider genus Paccius Simon, 1898 is a putatively highly diverse radiation of trachelids that is currently very poorly known. Here, we describe two new species based on recently collected specimens in Madagascar: P. haddadi sp. nov., from the dry forests of the north-west, and P. mahimborondro sp. nov., from rainforests in the far north. We also redescribe P. madagascariensis (Simon, 1889) and P. mucronatus Simon, 1898, species previously described without illustrations, and provide the first key to the species of the genus.

Pett, B.L., Escobar-Toledo, J. & Ferreira, E. (2025) On the genus Paccius (Araneae, Trachelidae) in Madagascar: two new species, redescriptions, and a key to the species. Zootaxa, 5716 (2), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5716.2.5