Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan: A new species of Scorpion from Thailand.

The Scorpion genus Scorpiops comprises medium-sized, generally brown Scorpions found across South,  Southeast, and  East Asia.  The genus is generally split into several subgenera, although not all of these are accepted by all experts in the field, while some  Scorpion  specialists elevate some or all of the subgenera to genus level.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 6 March 2024, Wasin Nawanetiwong of the Department of Biology at Chulalongkorn University, Ondřej Košulič of the Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management at Mendel University in Brno, Natapot Warrit, also of Chulalongkorn University, Wilson Lourenço of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, and Eric Ythier of BYG Taxa, describe a new species of Scorpiops from the Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand.

The new species is described on the basis of three male and one female specimens, all collected within the park. It is placed within the subgenus Euscorpiops, and given the specific name krachan, in reference to the national park.

Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan. (A), (B) Male holotype, habitus, dorsal (A) and ventral (B) aspects. (C), (D) Female paratype, habitus, dorsal (C) and ventral (D) aspects. Scale bar is 1 cm. Nawanetiwong et al. (2024).

Male specimens of Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan ranged from 21.7mm to 26.9 mm in length, while the female specimen measured 25.9 mm, small for the subgenus. These Scorpions are brownish yellow in colour, with the females being darker than the males. Males have notably longer pedipalps and chelae than the females. The carapace has a weakly granular texture.

Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan, female with pre-juveniles (instar I). Nawanetiwong et al. (2024).

Members of the genus Scorpiops have been described from a wide range of forest types at altitudes of between 40 m and 1800 m above sealevel. Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan is the second member of the genus to be reported in Phetchaburi Province, and is found in the Tenasserim Mountain Range, which is covered by rainforests. Specimens were found under rocks in a transitional zone between secondary and primary rainforest. Members of the genus Scorpiops are ambush predators, giving them a rather sedentary lifestyle, and therefore limited distribution potential, which leads to a high rate of  endemism within the genus.

Natural habitat of Scorpiops (Euscorpiops) krachan in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi Province, Thailand. Nawanetiwong et al. (2024).

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