New taxonomic considerations on the genus Tityobuthus Pocock, 1890, and description of a new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae)

Abstract

Some new taxonomic considerations are proposed for Tityobuthus Pocock, 1890, a Malagasy genus of the Ananterinae subfamily (sensu Pocock). Tityobuthus elements are only present in Madagascar, but the group does belong to a lineage representing a typical Gondwanian distribution. The number of known Tityobuthus species rose considerably in the last 25 years but most are rarely collected and only known from very few or even a single individual. The reanalysis of certain morphological traits of Tityobuthus species suggests the existence of two possible taxonomic groups within the genus, one comprising species with short chelae and another with long chelae. One new species, Tityobuthus orangea n. sp., is also described from a cave located in the reserve of Orangea in the North of Madagascar. The new species is a possible endemic element to this cave in Orangea.