Vaejovidae

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Vaejovidae
Vaejovis carolinensis

Vaejovis carolinensis

Systematics
Over trunk : Molting animals (Ecdysozoa)
Trunk : Arthropod (arthropoda)
Sub-stem : Jawbearers (Chelicerata)
Class : Arachnids (arachnida)
Order : Scorpions (Scorpionides)
Family : Vaejovidae
Scientific name
Vaejovidae
Thorell , 1876

The Vaejovidae (a synonym used for a long time in the 20th century : Vejovidae) are a family of scorpions (Scorpiones) that occur in the arid , semi-arid and cold regions of North America.

features

The exact differentiation of the Vaejovidae from other families of scorpions is difficult. Currently, two apomorphies are used as features for characterizing the family.

  • The patella , the leg link between the femur and tibia in all arachnids, including all scorpions , is particularly pronounced on the pedipalps that carry the powerful claws. It has an elongated keel on the inside, which is not found in the scorpions of other families.
  • The spermatophores , actually hemispermatophores in the case of the scorpions, are structures made of chitin that are deposited by the males during the mating dance and contain the sperm at the tip. These hemispermatophores are important for the systematic differentiation of scorpions. Characteristic of the Vaejovidae is a pocket-like, invaginated sperm channel on the hemispermatophore.

distribution and habitat

With around 150 species , the Vaejovidae surpass the number of species of all other scorpion families in North America, which together are represented by around 85 species.

Representatives of the Vaejovidae live in southwest Canada , the USA and Mexico . The southernmost distribution area is in Guatemala . These scorpions can be found in almost all habitats and are specially adapted to their respective habitat. They live mainly in arid desert and semi-desert areas . Some species can be found in mountains up to 3000 meters high, others are adapted to frost and cold. The species found furthest in the north is Paruroctonus boreus , the species found in the south to Guatemala is Vaejovis chiappas .

Systematics

William David Sissom summarized ten genres in 2000 . Since then, various researchers have regrouped, but these are not yet final and have not been generally recognized.

The following genera were grouped together as Vaejovidae:

In 2005 ME Soleglad and V. Fet placed five species of the genus Vaejovis together with a newly described species in a new genus:

In 2006 and 2007, some species of the genus Serradigitus were divided into two new genera along with a new species:

In 2008, many species of the large genus Vaejovis were spun off from ME Soleglad and V. Fet and placed together with some new species in four newly described genera:

  • Hoffmannius Soleglad & Fet, 2008 (dissolved in 2013)
  • Kochius Soleglad & Fet, 2008
  • Thorellius Soleglad & Fet, 2008
  • Wernerius Soleglad & Fet, 2008

In 2010 Franke and Ponce-Saveedra described a new genus:

  • Kuarapu Franke & Ponce-Saavedra, 2010

In 2013 a comprehensive revision of the subfamily Syntropinae within the Vaejovidae took place, in which the genus Hoffmannius Soleglad & Fet was dissolved in 2008 and six new genera were described:

  • Balsateres González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013
  • Chihuahuanus González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013
  • Konetontli González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013
  • Maaykuyak González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013
  • Mesomexovis González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013
  • Vizcaino González-Santillán & Lorenzo Prendini, 2013

According to the current status, the family thus contains 23 genera with a total of more than 200 species.

Vaejovidae and humans

Some species of the Vaejovidae are regularly kept as terrarium animals. The sting is painful but harmless.

Surname

Vaeiovis (linguistically correct but Veiovis , older Vediovis ) was the name of an ancient Roman underworld deity, an "anti-Jupiter", therefore equated with the (destructive or avenging) Apollo. The name is perhaps corrupted in Vesuvius , who had given rest for over 500 years before the devastating eruption in AD 79 and had disappeared from the Romans' memory as a volcano.

literature

  • WD Sissom: Family Vaejovidae. In: V. Fet, WD Sissom, G. Lowe and ME Braunwalder: Catalog of the Scorpions of the World (1758-1998). Pp. 503-553. The New York Entomological Society, New York, 2000.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Family vaejovidae Thorell 1876
  2. ^ ME Soleglad and V. Fet: Contributions to scorpion systematics. III. Subfamilies Smeringurinae and Syntropinae (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Euscorpius, 71, pp. 1-115, 2008
  3. ^ Oscar F. Francke, Javier Ponce-Saavedra: A new genus and species of scorpion (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae) from Michoacán, Mexico. Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (SEA) 46, 2010; Pp. 51-57. Full text )
  4. ^ Edmundo González-Santillán, Lorenzo Prendini: Redefinition and Generic Revision of the North American Vaejovid Scorpion Subfamily Syntropinae Kraepelin, 1905, with Descriptions of Six New Genera. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 382, ​​2013; Pp. 1-71. doi : 10.1206 / 830.1

Web links

Commons : Vaejovidae  - Collection of images, videos and audio files