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...

Three new species of the segmented spider genus Songthela (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae) from Guizhou, China

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Three new species of the segmented spider genus Songthela (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae) from Guizhou, China

Abstract

Three new species of the primitively segmented spider genus Songthela Ono, 2000 are described from Guizhou, China: S. chunguang sp. nov. (♂♀), S. congjiang sp. nov. (♂♀), and S. jinxing sp. nov. (♂♀). All three species are assigned to the multidentata-group based on morphology of the male palps and female genitalia. Detailed diagnoses, descriptions, photographs and a distribution map are provided. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of the holotypes are also presented to facilitate future identification and molecular studies.

Yuan, J., Zhang, Y. & Xu, X. (2026) Three new species of the segmented spider genus Songthela (Araneae: Mesothelae: Liphistiidae) from Guizhou, China. Zootaxa, 5792 (1), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5792.1.8