A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

New Species of the Digger Scorpions, Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) from Southern Iran

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New Species of the Digger Scorpions, Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) from Southern Iran

Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950, with nine described species, is a genus of digger scorpions in the Buthidae family, which can be distinguished by having large tooth-like processes on the ventrosubmedian carinae of the second and third metasomal segments. Morphological and molecular investigation of coastal specimens from the Hormozgan province in Iran led to the discovery of a new species named Odontobuthus persicus sp. nov. that is described here. It is closely related to O. chabaharensis morphologically. The new Odontobuthus species has two large and conical tooth-like processes on ventrosubmedian carinae of the second and third metasomal segments, while O. chabaharensis has three or four medium to large tooth-like processes. Based on phylogenetic analysis using partial COI sequences, the new species is placed as a sister taxon of O. brevidigitus. Genetic differences with the other species of Odontobuthus (mean = 0.107) confirmed the validity of this species.

Acknowledgments: I would like to thank Hossein Barahoei (Ms.c) from the Research Institute of Zabol
I.R.IRAN, for forwarding this work and paper. 

Barahoei H, Shahi M. 2024. New species of the digger scorpions, Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 (Buthidae) from Southern Iran. Zool Stud 63:48. doi:10.6620/ZS.2024.63-48.