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...

Phrynus abstrusus : a new troglophilous whip spider (Amblypygi, Phrynidae) from southern Texas (American Museum novitates no. 4050)

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Phrynus abstrusus : a new troglophilous whip spider (Amblypygi, Phrynidae) from southern Texas (American Museum novitates no. 4050)

Abstract

The arachnid order Amblypygi Thorell, 1883, currently comprises 299 described species in 18 genera and five families, a surprisingly low diversity compared to other globally distributed arachnid orders. The genus Phrynus Lamarck, 1801, the most speciose genus of the Neotropical family Phrynidae Blanchard, 1852, is one of several amblypygid genera that contain much undescribed diversity. For example, its type species, Phrynus operculatus Pocock, 1902, allegedly distributed from southern Texas to Guatemala, appears to represent a complex of more range-restricted cryptic species. Existing records suggest a disjunction in the distribution of P. operculatus, with the Texan population separated from Mexican populations by considerable distance and a potential barrier of unsuitable desert habitat. The recent collection and examination of new material from the Big Bend area of southern Texas revealed that the Texan population is not conspecific with typical P. operculatus material from Mexico and Central America. It differs from the latter in being almost entirely depigmented and is the third troglomorphic species of Phrynus. The morphology and habitat of this unusual troglophilous species, named Phrynus abstrusus, sp. nov., are described herein.

Cazzaniga, Nicolas, Prendini, Lorenzo. (2026). Phrynus abstrusus: A new troglophilous whip spider (Amblypygi, Phrynidae) from southern Texas (American Museum Novitates No. 4050). American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved from https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/items/112d8b7c-04ba-4474-aeb6-943782ffd690