Buthidae

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Buthidae
Temporal range: Cenomanian to recent
Odonturus dentatus.png
Odonturus dentatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Superfamily: Buthoidea
Family: Buthidae
C. L. Koch, 1837
Subfamilies
Synonyms   [1]
List
  • Akentrobuthinae Lamoral, 1976
  • Ananterinae Pocock, 1900
  • Androctonides C.L.Koch, 1837
  • Babycurini Pocock, 1896
  • Buthides C.L.Koch, 1837
  • "Centruroidinae" Roewer, 1943
  • Charminae Birula, 1917
  • Isometrini Kraepelin, 1891
  • Orthochirinae Birula, 1917
  • Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996
  • Rhopalurinae Bücherl, 1971 (non Stunkard 1937)
  • Rhopalurusinae Bücherl, 1969
  • Tityinae Kraepelin, 1905
  • Uroplectaria Pavlovsky, 1924

The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1339 species as of 2022. [2] A few very large genera ( Ananteris , Centruroides , Compsobuthus , or Tityus ) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. [2] New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. [2] They have a cosmopolitan distribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. [2] Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837. [2]

Contents

Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these ( Hemiscorpius lepturus ) are members of the Buthidae. [3] In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.

List of genera and number of species

The following genera are recognised in the family Buthidae: [2]

Description

Few Buthidae scorpions are among the larger scorpions; on average the members of this family are mid-sized tending towards smallish. Microtityus and Microbuthus barely reach 2 cm (0.8 in). The largest members are found among Androctonus (fattail scorpions), Apistobuthus , Centruroides , and Parabuthus ; and can reach 12 cm (about 5 in). Most of them have between two and five pairs of eyes. Some resemble the Vaejovidae. The Chaerilidae and Chactidae have one pair of eyes at most, and the former show a yellowish spot between and to the rear of these. [2]

Their vernacular name refers to the thick tails found in many Buthidae, especially in the Old World. The pedipalps, though, tend to be weak, slender, and tweezer-like. The Buthidae are generally rather cryptically colored, quite uniformly ochre to brown, but some are black or (like Centruroides and Uroplectes ) more vividly colored. More conspicuous patterns and shapes occur, e.g., in Isometrus or Lychas . [2]

Toxicity and relationship with humans

Scorpions from the genera Androctonus , Centruroides , Hottentotta , [Note 1] Leiurus , Parabuthus , and Tityus are notorious for their strong venom. Human fatalities have been recorded from fewer than two dozen species; identification of a particular Tityus is likely problematic and detailed data on the venom exists only for a small fraction of the Buthidae (see BmKAEP from the venom of Mesobuthus martensii , for example). [2] The venom of Rhopalurus junceus is used in Cuban traditional medicine and has been tested as a medication for cancer. [6]

Mechanism of toxicity

Studied Buthidae toxins have been found to hyperpolarize nerves and slow inactivation, causing painful nerve firing that can last for hours. Many toxins trigger Na+ channels to open prematurely, causing excess sodium ion leakage that triggers nerve signal transduction. [7] Other toxins have been found to bind K+ leak channels to prevent the flow of potassium ions, disallowing the hyperpolarized nerve membrane from depolarizing and returning to its resting state. [7]

The Na+ channel toxins of both Old World and New World Buthids (from Africa/Asia and the Americas, respectively) have a similar protein homology and mechanism of action. [7] It is speculated that toxins from these two groups are derived from the evolutionary ancestor before divergence 150 million years ago. [7]

Notes

  1. May include some Mesobuthus , like the Indian red scorpion (M. tamulus)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fattail scorpion</span> Genus of scorpions

Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus Androctonus, one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species in the world. The genus was first described in 1828 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.

<i>Centruroides</i> Genus of scorpions

Centruroides is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. Several North American species are known by the common vernacular name bark scorpion. Numerous species are extensively found throughout the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Antilles and northern South America. Some are known for their interesting patterning or large size ; most if not all fluoresce strongly under ultraviolet illumination, except after moulting. They contain several highly venomous species, and fatalities are known to occur. The venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides limpidus limpidus contains the neurotoxins Cll1 and Cll2.

<i>Euscorpius</i> Genus of scorpions

Euscorpius is a genus of scorpions, commonly called small wood-scorpions. It presently contains 65 species and is the type genus of the family Euscorpiidae – long included in the Chactidae – and the subfamily Euscorpiinae.

<i>Tityus</i> (genus) Genus of scorpions

Tityus is a large genus of thick-tailed scorpions, the namesake of its subfamily Tityinae. As of 2021, Tityus contains more than 220 described species distributed in Central America and South America, from Costa Rica to Argentina. Species in the genus Tityus have been studied for hundreds of years, long before the taxonomic classification was put in place. Tityus tend to be of medium size for scorpions, roughly 50 to 70 millimeters long. They are dark brown or red in color, and can exhibit sexual dimorphism. They can live in a variety of environments, ranging from urban to arid mountains to the Amazon Rainforest. Tityus scorpions are best known for their venom and potent sting. The genus contains several dangerously venomous scorpions, the best known of which is the Brazilian yellow scorpion, T. serrulatus. Its venom can cause severe illness, and in the young, old and infirm even death. Some experts have argued that the genus as a whole may be paraphyletic, which could explain the knowledge gaps related to Tityus

Buthacus is a genus of scorpion of the family Buthidae. It is distributed across northern and western Africa, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The taxonomy of scorpions deals with the classification of this predatory arthropod into 13 extant families and about 1,400 described species and subspecies. In addition, 111 described taxa of extinct scorpions are known.

<i>Hottentotta</i> Genus of scorpions

Hottentotta is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across Africa, except for most of the Sahara desert. Species in the genus also occur in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, southeastern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Cape Verde Islands, and Sri Lanka (introduced).

<i>Heterometrus</i> Genus of scorpions

Heterometrus, whose members are also known by the collective vernacular name giant forest scorpions, is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is distributed widely across tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, including Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and China (Hainan). It is notable for containing some of the largest living species of scorpions.

<i>Leiurus</i> Genus of scorpions

Leiurus is a genus of scorpion of the family Buthidae. The most common species, L. quinquestriatus, is also known under the common name Deathstalker. It is distributed widely across North Africa and the Middle East, including the western and southern Arabian Peninsula and southeastern Turkey. At least one species occurs in West Africa.

<i>Compsobuthus</i> Genus of scorpions

Compsobuthus is a genus of buthid scorpions.

<i>Buthus</i> Genus of arachnids

Buthus is a genus of scorpion belonging and being eponymous to the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across northern Africa, including Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, as well as the Middle East, including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and possibly Saudi Arabia and southern Turkey. Its European range includes the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, and Cyprus.

<i>Chaerilus</i> Genus of scorpions

Chaerilus is a genus of scorpions in the family Chaerilidae. They live in tropical parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. A fossil genus Electrochaerilus is known from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) aged Burmese amber.

<i>Isometrus</i> Genus of scorpions

Isometrus is a genus of scorpion belonging and being eponymous to the family Buthidae. Some species are currently assigned to the genus Reddyanus.

Mesobuthus is an Asian genus of scorpions in the family Buthidae.

<i>Scorpiops</i> Genus of scorpions

Scorpiops is a genus of scorpions in the family Scorpiopidae. It is distributed throughout much of Asia. The taxonomy of the group is unclear because new species and subgenera are described often, and one subgroup may represent a species complex.

Hottentotta jalalabadensis is a species of scorpion of the family Buthidae. It was first found in Afghanistan.

<i>Lychas</i>

Lychas is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Buthidae. It is one of the most widespread genus of the scorpions, where the species are found throughout in Africa and Seychelles, and in the Oriental region from India to Melanesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charmus (scorpion)</span> Genus of scorpions

Charmus is a genus of buthid scorpions native to India and Sri Lanka.

<i>Reddyanus</i> Genus of scorpions

Reddyanus is a genus of buthid scorpions native to Oriental region from India, Sri Lanka, China: Tibet, to Melanesia. The genus was previously described as a subgenus of Isometrus.

Orthochirus is a genus of scorpion in the family Buthidae, first described by Ferdinand Karsch in 1891.

References

  1. Teruel, Rolando & Fet, Victor (eds.) (2005): Snyopsis of the described scorpions of the world - Family Buthidae Archived 2009-05-10 at the Wayback Machine . Version of 3/7/2005. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Rein, Jan Ove (2022). "Buthidae". The Scorpion Files. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  3. Davies, E. (27 July 2016). The world's worst stinger has a surprising owner. BBC Earth. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  4. Wilson R. Lourenço; Jürgen Velten (2016). "A new genus and species of fossil scorpion from Burmese Cretaceous amber (Scorpiones: Buthoidea: Buthidae)". Arachnida – Rivista Aracnologica Italiana. 10: 2–9.
  5. Santiago-Blay, Jorge A.; Soleglad, Michael E.; Fet, Victor (2004). "A redescription and family placement of Uintascorpio Perry, 1995 from the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation (middle Eocene) of Colorado, USA (Scorpiones: Buthidae)" (PDF). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología . 10: 7–16. ISSN   1576-9518.
  6. Giovannini, Catia; Baglioni, Michele; Baron Toaldo, Marco; Cescon, Matteo; Bolondi, Luigi; Gramantieri, Laura (2017-03-21). "Vidatox 30 CH has tumor activating effect in hepatocellular carcinoma". Scientific Reports. 7 (1): 44685. doi:10.1038/srep44685. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   5359575 . PMID   28322221.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Rowe,A.H., Xiao, Y., Scales, J., Linse, K.D., Rowe, M.P., Cummins, T.R., Zakon, H.H. (2011): Isolation and Characterization of CvIV4: A Pain Inducing α- Scorpion Toxin - . Retrieved June July 20, 2020.