Published December 3, 2025
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A new species of Androctonus from the Najd Plateau of Saudi Arabia (Scorpiones, Buthidae)
Authors/Creators
- 1. Manisa Celal Bayar University, Alaşehir, Turkiye
- 2. University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia
- 3. Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
Description
A new scorpion species, Androctonus najdensis sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Saudi Arabia. It is compared with existing species from the Middle East and Iran, notably A. crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) and the recently described A. tihamicus Alqahtani, Yağmur & Badry, 2023. Molecular analysis using the COI mitochondrial gene revealed a genetic divergence of 7.0 to 11% between A. najdensis sp. nov. and A. crassicauda sensu lato samples from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran. The combination of molecular and morphological data supports the recognition of the Najd populations as a distinct species. Additionally, an identification key for Androctonus species in Iran and the Middle East is provided.
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References
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