The Scorpion Files Newsblog

 

In 2023, Daniella Sherwood and Luis de Armas published an article presenting old and new records of scorpions detected as stowaways in the United Kingdom. In a recent article, Daniella Sherwood and co-workers present updated information on scorpion stowaways discovered in the UK.

Abstract:
No abstract.

Reference:
Sherwood D, De Armas L, Tchilinguirian J. Additions to the list of scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) intercepted as stowaways in the United Kingdom. Newsletter of the British Arachnological Society. 2024(161):3-5. [Access supplied by authors]

Thanks to Daniella for sending me link to the article!

 

It is well known that southern parts mainland United Kingdom has an established colony of introduced Tetratrichobothrius flavicaudis (DeGeer, 1778) (Euscorpiidae). But UK also have several overseas territories (see map above for an overview) and little has been published on the scorpion fauna found there. 

Danniella Sherwood and co-workers have recently published an interesting review article summing up the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution, ecology, and medical importance of the scorpions reported from the United Kingdom Overseas Territories.

Abstract:
Current knowledge on the diversity, distribution, ecology and medical importance of the scorpions from the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is synthesised and discussed. Scorpions are absent from British Antarctic and British Indian Ocean territories, the Falkland Islands, the Pitcairn Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. No scorpions are native to Bermuda, but a single stowaway buthid has previously been detected and successfully intercepted. The remaining territories all contain endemic or long-term established introduced species, which is discussed in detail for each territory. Maps of the distribution of endemic and non-endemic taxa are presented, alongside photographs of specimens in life. Future research directions, particularly the need for additional research in biodiversity hotspots of the Caribbean, are discussed.

Reference:
Sherwood D, de Armas LF, Sharp A, Fowler L, Wilkins V. Scorpions (Arachnida Scorpiones) of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories: current knowledge and future directions. Biodiversity Journal. 2024;15(1):41-52. [Open Access provided by author]

Thanks to Danniella Sherwood and Victoria Tang for informing me about this article!

 

It is well known that scorpions occasionally are discovered in areas and countries where they do not belong. These are usually accidental introductions from holiday luggage and shipments of goods. In most cases these scorpions will not be established in their new country. 

Daniella Sherwood and Luis de Armas have recently published an article presenting old and new records of scorpions detected as stowaways in the United Kingdom.

Abstract:
Previous and new records of scorpions detected as stowaways in the United Kingdom are presented and discussed. Five taxa are recorded in the scientific literature for the first time: Centruroides insulanus (Thorell, 1876, Centruroides sp. (nigrovariatus species group), Hottentotta cf. tamulus (Fabricius, 1798), Mesobuthus sp. and Cercophonius squama (Gervais, 1844). Also, we discuss a sixth undeterminable scorpion of which only a single photograph was available.

Reference:
Sherwood D, de Armas LF. Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) as stowaways accidently imported into The United Kingdom. Revista Iberica de Arachnologia. 2023(42):209-13. [Full text supplied by author]

Thanks to Daniella for sending me this article!

I got the sad news this morning from ISA that that the eminent British zoologist and arachnologist, Professor John Cloudsley-Thompson, died on October 4th at the age of 92. Professor Cloudsley-Thompson is especially known for his work on scorpions and other desert arachnids, but he also worked on other animal groups.

Professor Cloudsley-Thompson also wrote several books, including the popular book Spiders, Scorpions, Centipedes and Mites from 1958.

When starting to search for literature for my masters thesis in 1987, I quickly found several interesting articles on scorpions in Africa by the professor. Later, I was able to meet him in a conference and gave him a copy of an article that I was a co-author of (my first scientific article). Some time later I very proudly discovered that he had cited the article in his book Ecophysiology of Desert Arthropods and Reptiles (Adaptations of Desert Organisms), published in 1991.

In 2011, the online Journal Euscorpius celebrated professor John L. Cloudsley-Thompson's 90th Birthday by publishing a special volume with 10 articles by 19 authors.

RIP

Jan Ove Rein
Editor of The Scorpion Files