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...

Two new species of the genus Nemaspela Šilhavý, 1966 (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae) from Georgian caves

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Two new species of the genus Nemaspela Šilhavý, 1966 (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae) from Georgian caves

Abstract

Two new cavernicolous harvestmen species, Nemaspela sakavria sp. nov. from Sakavria Cave and Nemaspela sakinule sp. nov. from Sakinule (Nikortsminda) and Melia (Nikortsminda) caves, are described from the Racha karst massif in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region of western Georgia. A differential diagnosis is provided in relation to morphologically similar species, as well as a key for the identification of species of the genus Nemaspela. This study provides the first molecular genetic data for the genus Nemaspela. Pairwise genetic distances for the COI-5P barcode region showed clear differentiation between the two new and one unidentified Nemaspela species examined.

Modebadze, N., Barjadze, S. & Karaman, I. (2026) Two new species of the genus Nemaspela Šilhavý, 1966 (Opiliones: Nemastomatidae) from Georgian caves. Zootaxa, 5853 (4), 545–560. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5853.4.5