01 August, 2013

First record of a cave species of Euscorpiops from Viet Nam

Wilson Lourenco and Dinh-Sac Pham have recently published the findings of a cave dwelling species of Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980 (Euscorpiidae) in the Hua Ma cave in Viet Nam.

Euscorpiops cavernicola Lourenco & Pham, 2013

This is the first species in Euscorpiidae that seems to be adapted to a cave habitat, but the new species doesn't show major signs of a full adaption to cave life.

Abstract:
Euscorpiops cavernicola sp. n., belonging to the family Euscorpiidae Laurie, is described on the basis of two male and two female specimens collected in the Hua Ma cave located in the Quang Khe commune, Ba Be district of Bac Kan province in Viet Nam. The new species presents most features exhibited by scorpions within the genus Euscorpiops, however it may represent the first discovered Scorpiopinae species exhibiting certain adaptations to cave life.

Reference:
Lourenço WR, Pham DS. First record of a cave species of Euscorpiops Vachon from Viet Nam (Scorpiones, Euscorpiidae, Scorpiopinae). Comptes Rendus - Biologies. 2013;In Press. [Subscription required for full text]

Family Euscorpiidae

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