The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

and 1339 species as of 2022. A few very large genera ('' Ananteris'', '' Centruroides'', ''

Compsobuthus ''Compsobuthus'' is a genus of buthid scorpions. Species ''Compsobuthus'' contains many species, including: *'' Compsobuthus abyssinicus'' (Birula, 1903) *'' Compsobuthus acutecarinatus'' (Simon, 1882) *'' Compsobuthus afghanus'' Kovarik & Ahm ...

'', or '' Tityus'') are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. They have a osmopolitandistribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the

superfamily SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...

Buthoidea Buthoidea is the largest superfamily of scorpions. Its members are known as fat-tailed scorpions and bark scorpions. A few very large genera (''Ananteris'', ''Centruroides'', '' Compsobuthus'', or '' Tityus'') are known, but a high number of spec ...

. The family was established by

Carl Ludwig Koch Carl Ludwig Koch (21 September 1778 – 23 August 1857) was a German entomologist and arachnologist. He was responsible for classifying a great number of spiders, including the Brazilian whiteknee tarantula and common house spider. He was born ...

in 1837. Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these (''

Hemiscorpius lepturus ''Hemiscorpius lepturus'' is a species of scorpion in the family Hemiscorpiidae. It is found in deserts of the Middle East, especially in southern Iraq and Iran. These scorpions have long, thin tails and wide bodies and grow to 8 cm in males and ...

'') are members of the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.

List of genera and number of species

The following genera are recognised in the family Buthidae: * '' Aegaeobuthus'' Kovarik, 2019 (4 sp) * '' Afroisometrus'' Kovarik, 1997 (1 sp) * ''

Afrolychas ''Afrolychas'' is a genus of scorpion in the family Buthidae. There are two species in this genus, both of which used to belong to the genus ''Lychas''. The genus was described in 2019 by František Kovařík. The genus name ''Afrolychas'' is a r ...

'' Kovarik, 2019 (2 sp) * '' Akentrobuthus'' Lamoral, 1976 (2 sp) * '' Alayotityus'' Armas, 1973 (8 sp) * '' Ananteris'' Thorell, 1891 (92 sp) * '' Ananteroides'' Borelli, 1911 (2 sp) * ''

Androctonus Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus ''Androctonus'', one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species in the world.Hendrixson, B. E. 2006. Buthid scorpions of Saudi Arabia, with notes ...

'' Ehrenberg, 1828 (29 sp) * '' Anomalobuthus'' Kraepelin, 1900 (6 sp) * ''

Apistobuthus ''Apistobuthus'' is a genus of scorpions in the family Buthidae. It was described by Susan Finnegan in 1932, and was for a long time considered to be monotypic, containing the single species '' A. pterygocercus''. In 1998, a second species, ...

'' Finnegan, 1932 (2 sp) *

† A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...

'' Archaeoananteroides'' Lourenço & Velten, 2016 (

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

, Burmese amber) * '' Australobuthus'' Locket, 1990 (1 sp) * ''

Babycurus ''Babycurus'' is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. Species * '' Babycurus ansorgei'' Hirst, 1911 * '' Babycurus buettneri'' Karsch, 1886 * '' Babycurus crassicaudatus'' Roewer, 1952 * '' Babycurus crassimanus'' Caporiacco, 1936 ...

'' Karsch, 1886 (14 sp) * '' Baloorthochirus'' Kovarik, 1996 (1 sp) * '' Barbaracurus'' Kovarik, Lowe & Stahlavsky, 2018 (10 sp) * '' Birulatus'' Vachon, 1974 (4 sp) * ''

Buthacus ''Buthacus'' is a genus of scorpion of the family Buthidae. It is distributed across northern and western Africa, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Taxonomy The genus was ...

'' Birula, 1908 (23 sp) * '' Butheoloides'' Hirst, 1925 (19 sp) * '' Butheolus'' Simon, 1882 (6 sp) * '' Buthiscus'' Birula, 1905 (1 sp) * '' Buthoscorpio'' Werner, 1936 (5 sp) * ''

Buthus ''Buthus'' is a genus of scorpion belonging and being eponymous to the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across northern Africa, including Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan, Somali ...

'' Leach, 1815 (65 sp) * '' Centruroides'' Marx, 1890 (93 sp) * ''

Charmus Charmus of Kolyttus ( mid-6th century BCE) was an Athenian polemarch (557/6) during the Pisistratid dynasty, and also ''eromenos'' of Pisistratus.Plutarch''Life of Solon'' 1.4/ref> He is known for being the father of Hipparchus of the deme Cholar ...

'' Karsch, 1879 (5 sp) * '' Chaneke'' Francke, Teruel & Santibanez-Lopez, 2014 (4 sp) * '' Cicileiurus'' Teruel, 2007 (1 sp) * '' Cicileus'' Vachon, 1948 (5 sp) * ''

'' Vachon, 1949 (49 sp) * '' Congobuthus'' Lourenço, 1999 (1 sp) * '' Darchenia'' Vachon, 1977 (1 sp) * '' Egyptobuthus'' Lourenço, 1999 (1 sp) * '' Femtobuthus'' Lowe, 2010 (1 sp) * '' Fetilinia'' Lowe & Kovarik, 2021 (1 sp) * '' Gint'' Kovarik, Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013 (12 sp) * '' Grosphus'' Simon, 1880 (34 sp) * '' Hemibuthus'' Pocock, 1900 (2 sp) * '' Hemilychas'' Hirst, 1911 (1 sp) * '' Heteroctenus'' Pocock, 1893 (9 sp) * '' Himalayotityobuthus'' Lourenço, 1997 (2 sp) * ''

Hottentotta ''Hottentotta'' is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across Africa, except for most of the Sahara desert. Species in the genus also occur in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, southeastern Turkey, Iraq, I ...

'' Birula, 1908 (58 sp) * '' Iranobuthus'' Kovarik, 1997 (1 sp) * '' Ischnotelson'' Esposito, Yamaguti, Souza, Pinto da Rocha & Prendini (2 sp) * '' Isometroides'' Keyserling, 1885 (1 sp) * '' Isometrus'' Ehrenberg, 1828 (10 sp) * '' Jaguajir'' Esposito, Yamaguti, Souza, Pinto da Rocha & Prendini, 2017 (3 sp) * '' Janalychas'' Kovarik, 2019 (9 sp) * '' Karasbergia'' Hewitt, 1913 (1 sp) * '' Kraepelinia'' Vachon, 1974 (1 sp) * '' Lanzatus'' Kovarik, 2001 (2 sp) * ''

Leiurus ''Leiurus'' is a genus of scorpion of the family Buthidae. The most common species, ''L. quinquestriatus'', is also known under the common name Deathstalker. It is distributed widely across North Africa and the Middle East, including the w ...

'' Ehrenberg, 1828 (17 sp) * '' Liobuthus'' Birula, 1898 (1 sp) * '' Lissothus'' Vachon, 1948 (3 sp) * '' Lychas'' C.L. Koch, 1845 (31 sp) * '' Lychasoides'' Vachon, 1974 (1 sp) * '' Mauritanobuthus'' Qi & Lourenço (1 sp) * '' Mesobuthus'' Vachon, 1950 (12 sp) * '' Mesotityus'' Gonzalez-Sponga, 1981 (1 sp) * '' Microananteris'' Lourenço, 2003 (1 sp) * '' Microbuthus'' Kraepelin, 1898 (7 sp) * ''

Microcharmus ''Microcharmus'' is a genus of scorpions in the family Buthidae. The species are endemic to Madagascar. List of species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Microcharmus'': * '' Microcharmus andrei'' Lourenço, Waeber & Wilme, ...

'' Lourenço, 1995 (16 sp) * '' Microtityus'' Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 (40 sp) * '' Neobuthus'' Hirst, 1911 (16 sp) * '' Neogrosphus'' Lourenço, 1995 (3 sp) * '' Neoprotobuthus'' Lourenço, 2000 (1 sp) * ''

Odontobuthus ''Odontobuthus'' is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. Species * '' Odontobuthus bidentatus'' Lourenço & Pézier, 2002 * ''Odontobuthus doriae ''Odontobuthus doriae'', the Yellow Iranian scorpion, is a species of scorpions belongi ...

'' Vachon, 1950 (6 sp) * '' Odonturus'' Karsch, 1879 (1 sp) * '' Olivierus'' Farzanpay, 1987 (18 sp) * '' Orthochiroides'' Kovarik, 1998 (3 sp) * '' Orthochirus'' Karsch, 1891 (53 sp) * '' Pantobuthus'' Lourenço & Duhem, 2009 (1 sp) * '' Parabuthus'' Pocock, 1890 (38 sp) * '' Pectinibuthus'' Fet in Orlov & Vasilyev, 1984 (1 sp) * '' Physoctonus'' Mello-Leitao, 1934 (3 sp) * '' Picobuthus'' Lowe, 2010 (2 sp) * '' Plesiobuthus'' Pocock, 1900 (1 sp) * '' Polisius'' Fet, Capes & Sissom, 2001 (1 sp) * '' Pseudolissothus'' Lourenço, 2001 (1 sp) * '' Pseudolychas'' Kraepelin, 1911 (3 sp) * '' Pseudouroplectes'' Lourenço, 1995 (5 sp) * '' Razianus'' Farzanpay, 1987 (4 sp) * ''

Reddyanus ''Reddyanus'' is a genus of buthid scorpions native to Oriental region from India, Sri Lanka, China: Tibet, to Melanesia. The genus was previously described as a subgenus of '' Isometrus''. Description They are medium sized buthid scorpions, wh ...

'' Vachon, 1972 (34 sp) * '' Rhopalurus'' Thorell, 1876 (3 sp) * '' Saharobuthus'' Lourenço & Duhem, 2009 (1 sp) * '' Sassanidotus'' Farzanpay, 1987 (2 sp) * '' Somalibuthus'' Kovarik, 1998 (1 sp) * '' Somalicharmus'' Kovarik, 1998 (1 sp) * '' Spelaeolychas'' Kovarik, 2019 (1 sp) * '' Teruelius'' Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 (22 sp) * '' Thaicharmus'' Kovarik, 1995 (4 sp) * '' Tityobuthus'' Pocock, 1893 (19 sp) * '' Tityopsis'' Armas, 1974 (6 sp) * '' Tityus'' C. L. Koch, 1836 (223 sp) * '' Troglorhopalurus'' Lourenço, Baptista & Giupponi, 2004 (2 sp) * '' Troglotityobuthus'' Lourenço, 2000 (1 sp) * '' Trypanothacus'' Lowe, Kovarik, Stockmann & Stahlavsky, 2019 (2 sp) *

'' Uintascorpio'' Perry, 1995 (

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

, Green River Formation) * ''

Uroplectes ''Uroplectes'' is a genus of scorpions in the family Buthidae. They are known commonly as the lesser thick-tailed scorpions. There are about 40 species distributed in the Afrotropical realm.Vachoniolus'' Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973 (4 sp) * '' Vachonus'' Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (4 sp) * '' Xenobuthus'' Lowe, 2018 (3 sp) * '' Zabius'' Thorell, 1893 (3 sp)

Description

Few Buthidae scorpions are among the larger scorpions; on average the members of this family are mid-sized tending towards smallish. '' Microtityus'' and '' Microbuthus'' barely reach 2 cm (0.8 in). The largest members are found among ''Androctonus'' (

fattail scorpion Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus ''Androctonus'', one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species in the world.Hendrixson, B. E. 2006. Buthid scorpions of Saudi Arabia, with notes ...

s), ''

'', '' Centruroides'', and '' Parabuthus''; and can reach 12 cm (about 5 in). Most of them have between two and five pairs of eyes. Some resemble the

Vaejovidae Vaejovidae is a family of scorpions, comprising 25 genera and 227 species, found in North America. The species of the genus are found in Mexico and the southern United States, and ''Paruroctonus boreus'' is found in Canada and is the northernmo ...

. The

Chaerilidae Chaerilidae is a family of scorpions. It contains two genera, the extant ''Chaerilus'' (Simon, 1877) and the extinct ''Electrochaerilus'' (Santiago-Blay, Fet, Soleglad & Anderson, 2004). References External links

* Scorpion familie ...

and

Chactidae The Chactidae are a family of scorpions established by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1893. They make up the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Chactoidea. Genera Chactidae contains the following genera: *''Anuroctonus'' Pocock, 1893 *''Auyantepuia'' (Gonz ...

have one pair of eyes at most, and the former show a yellowish spot between and to the rear of these. Their vernacular name refers to the thick tails found in many Buthidae, especially in the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

. The pedipalps, though, tend to be weak, slender, and tweezer-like. The Buthidae are generally rather cryptically colored, quite uniformly ochre to brown, but some are black or (like ''Centruroides'' and ''

Toxicity and relationship with humans

Scorpions from the genera ''

'', '' Centruroides'', ''

'', ''

'', '' Parabuthus'', and '' Tityus'' are notorious for their strong venom. Human fatalities have been recorded from fewer than two dozen species; identification of a particular ''Tityus'' is likely problematic and detailed data on the venom exists only for a small fraction of the Buthidae (see

BmKAEP BmKAEP (or anti-epilepsy peptide) is a neurotoxin from the venom of the Manchurian scorpion ''(Mesobuthus martensii)''. It is a β-toxin, which shift the activation voltage of sodium channels towards more negative potentials. Etymology BmK is ...

from the venom of ''

Mesobuthus martensii ''Olivierus martensii'' is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. Its common names include Chinese scorpion, The venom of ''

Rhopalurus junceus ''Rhopalurus junceus'', the red scorpion or blue scorpion, is an endemic species, one of 36 different types of scorpion found on Cuba and the Dominican Republic, as well as parts of Central America. It is called "blue scorpion" due to the pecul ...

'' is used in Cuban traditional medicine and has been tested as a medication for cancer.

Mechanism of toxicity

Studied Buthidae toxins have been found to hyperpolarize nerves and slow inactivation, causing painful nerve firing that can last for hours. Many toxins trigger Na+ channels to open prematurely, causing excess sodium ion leakage that triggers nerve signal transduction. Rowe,A.H., Xiao, Y., Scales, J., Linse, K.D., Rowe, M.P., Cummins, T.R., Zakon, H.H. (2011): Isolation and Characterization of CvIV4: A Pain Inducing α- Scorpion Toxin

Retrieved June July 20, 2020. Other toxins have been found to bind K+ leak channels to prevent the flow of potassium ions, disallowing the hyperpolarized nerve membrane from depolarizing and returning to its resting state. The Na+ channel toxins of both Old World and New World Buthids (from Africa/Asia and the Americas, respectively) have a similar protein homology and mechanism of action. It is speculated that toxins from these two groups are derived from the evolutionary ancestor before divergence 150 million years ago.

Gallery

image:Buthus occitanus.jpg, ''

Buthus occitanus ''Buthus occitanus'', the common yellow scorpion, is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. It occurs in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. ''B. occitanus'' is 60–80 mm in length, has a yellow or yellow-brown color and is ve ...

'' image:Deathstalker ST 07.JPG, ''

Leiurus quinquestriatus The deathstalker (''Leiurus quinquestriatus'') is a species of scorpion, a member of the family Buthidae. It is also known as the Palestine yellow scorpion, Omdurman scorpion, Naqab desert scorpion and by many other colloquial names, which gen ...

Notes

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q132129 Scorpion families Cenomanian first appearances Taxa named by Carl Ludwig Koch Extant Cenomanian first appearances