Buthidae

Buthidae
Temporal range: Cenomanian to recent
Odonturus dentatus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Superfamily: Buthoidea
Family: Buthidae
C. L. Koch, 1837
Subfamilies
Synonyms [1]
List
  • Akentrobuthinae Lamoral, 1976
  • Ananterinae Pocock, 1900
  • Androctonides C.L.Koch, 1837
  • Babycurini Pocock, 1896
  • Buthides C.L.Koch, 1837
  • "Centruroidinae" Roewer, 1943
  • Charminae Birula, 1917
  • Isometrini Kraepelin, 1891
  • Orthochirinae Birula, 1917
  • Microcharmidae Lourenco, 1996
  • Rhopalurinae Bücherl, 1971 (non Stunkard 1937)
  • Rhopalurusinae Bücherl, 1969
  • Tityinae Kraepelin, 1905
  • Uroplectaria Pavlovsky, 1924

The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1339 species as of 2022.[2] A few very large genera (Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus, or Tityus) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist.[2] New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year.[2] They have a cosmopolitan distribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide.[2] Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.[2]

Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these (Hemiscorpius lepturus) are members of the Buthidae.[3] In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.

  1. ^ Teruel, Rolando & Fet, Victor (eds.) (2005): Snyopsis of the described scorpions of the world - Family Buthidae Archived 2009-05-10 at the Wayback Machine. Version of 3/7/2005. Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d e Rein, Jan Ove (2022). "Buthidae". The Scorpion Files. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Davies, E. (27 July 2016). The world's worst stinger has a surprising owner. BBC Earth. Retrieved 19 July 2016.