Systematic revision and phylogenetic analysis of Tityus (Archaeotityus) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) based upon morphological and molecular characters

• Grant number: 15/18376-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: May 16, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Pinto da Rocha
• Grantee: Jairo Andrés Moreno González
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/26824-3 - Morphology still matters in the genomic era: a case study in the scorpion subgenera Tityus (Archaeotityus) Lourenço, 2006 and the genus Mesotityus González-Sponga, 1981 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), BE.EP.DD

Abstract

The family Buthidae Koch, 1837 is so far the most diverse among the order Scorpiones and contains most of the toxic species to humans. However, the phylogeny of their genera has not been widely evaluated, and there are few revisions in which the cladistic method has been used. The genus Tityus Koch, 1937 is a member of Buthidae and represents the most diverse taxon among the entire order and contains a great quantity of species involved in scorpionism cases, its taxonomy is chaotic and only recently a proposal of five subgenera was presented based upon morphological characters as subaculear tooth shape, development degree of fulcra, total size (length) and general coloration: Tityus (Archaeotityus) Lourenço, 2006, T. (Atreus) Gervais, 1843, T. (Brazilotityus) Lourenço, 2006, T. (Caribetityus) Lourenço, 1999 y T. (Tityus) Koch, 1836. Of them T. (Archaeotityus) Lourenço, 2006, was recently object of a taxonomic revision, It is considered as plesiomorphic with respect to other subgenera and It is suspected to be monophyletic based on the follow putative synapomorphies: a general maculate coloration pattern and metasomal segments with a distal terminal tooth over the dorsosubmedian carenae. Currently Tityus (Archaeotityus) have 23 valid species being distributed in the neotropical region. The present proyect pretend to propose a phylogenetic analysis between the T. (Archaeotityus) species, to evaluate the phylogenetic position of the subgenus with respect to other subgenera, and to describe possible new species detected. (AU)

Scientific publications

(8)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.; PINTO-DA-ROCHA, RICARDO; CABRA-GARCIA, JIMMY. On the Tityus forcipula species group: redescription of Tityus forcipula (Scorpiones, Buthidae), description of a new Andean species, and notes on the taxonomy of the group. Zootaxa, v. 5155, n. 2, p. 36-pg., 2022-06-21. (13/50297-0, 15/18376-2)

CHIRIVI-JOYA, DANIEL; MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.; FAGUA, GIOVANNY. Two new species of the whip-spider genus Heterophrynus (Arachnida: Amblypygi) with complementary information of four species. Zootaxa, v. 4803, n. 1, p. 1-41, JUN 25 2020. (15/18376-2)

SEGOVIA-PACCINI, ALEJANDRO; AHUMADA-C, DANIELA; MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.. A new remarkable short-tailed whip-scorpion species of Piaroa (Arachnida, Schizomida, Hubbardiidae) from the Colombian Caribbean region. Zootaxa, v. 4500, n. 1, p. 91-103, OCT 15 2018. (15/18376-2)

GIRIBET, GONZALO; MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.. Notes on brooding in the arachnid order Schizomida. JOURNAL OF ARACHNOLOGY, v. 49, n. 3, p. 410-414, DEC 2021. (15/18376-2)

MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.; PINTO-DA-ROCHA, RICARDO; GALLAO, JONAS E.. Bringing order to a complex system: phenotypic and genotypic evidence contribute to the taxonomy of Tityus (Scorpiones, Buthidae) and support the description of a new species. ZOOKEYS, n. 1075, p. 33-75, DEC 7 2021. (15/18376-2, 10/08459-4, 13/50297-0)

MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.; VILLARREAL, OSVALDO M.. Two new species of Calima Moreno-Gonzalez and Villarreal, 2012 (Arachnida: Schizomida: Hubbardiidae) from the Colombian Andes, with a discussion on the male flagellar microsetae of Hubbardiinae. Journal of Natural History, v. 51, n. 45-46, p. 2681-2700, 2017. (15/18376-2)

MORENO-GONZALEZ, JAIRO A.; GONZALEZ O, RANULFO; FLOREZ D, EDUARDO. Taxonomic revision of the Colombian Tityus (Archaeotityus) (Scorpiones, Buthidae) species: a morphological and morphometric approach, with a description of a new species. Zootaxa, v. 4660, n. 1, p. 1-94, AUG 26 2019. (15/18376-2)

OSVALDO VILLARREAL; NESTOR SÁNCHEZ; ANTONIO DE ASCENÇÃO; LEONARDO S. CARVALHO; LEONARDO DELGADO-SANTA; JAIRO A. MORENO-GONZÁLEZ. The alien species Stenochrus portoricensis (Schizomida: Hubbardiidae): decreasing the Wallacean shortfall in the New World. IHERINGIA SERIE ZOOLOGIA, v. 113, 2023-04-07. (15/18376-2)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

GONZÁLEZ, Jairo Andrés Moreno. Phylogenetic analysis of the Tityus clathratus species group and other Tityus groups and subgenera (Scorpiones, Buthidae) based on molecular and morphological characters. 2021. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Biociências (IBIOC/SB) São Paulo.