New molecular and morphological data on the “Euscorpius carpathicus” species complex (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) from Italy, Malta, and Greece justify the elevation of E. c. sicanus (C. L. Koch, 1837) to the species level

Abstract

The first mitochondrial DNA phylogeny (based on 17 unique haplotypes) is presented for a number of scorpion populations from Italy, Malta, and Greece, previously classified under the "catch-all" name Euscorpius carpathicus (Linnaeus, 1767). A comparative analysis of the mitochondrial gene for 16S (large subunit) ribosomal RNA suggests that at least two clearly separated lineages are present. However, neither of these belongs to E. carpathicus (L.) in a strict sense, which was limited to Romania in a recent morphological study. The first, "western" lineage, found in northern and central Italy (also present in southern France, Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria) corresponds to E. tergestinus (C. L. Koch, 1837) as recently defined by Fet & Soleglad. Another monophyletic, "southern" lineage is elevated here to the species rank as E. sicanus (C. L. Koch, 1837). Originally described from Sicily, E. sicanus includes as new synonyms E. carpathicus canestrinii (Fanzago, 1872) and six subspecies described by Caporiacco: E. c. calabriae, E. c. ilvanus, E. c. garganicus, E. c. argentarii, E. c. palmarolae, and E. c. linosae. Morphology confirms the existence of two lineages: E. sicanus is characterized by a unique trichobothrial pattern and number where series eb, and in some populations also series eba, have 5 trichobothria (all E. tergestinus possess only four of them). E. sicanus is found in southern Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia), northern Africa, Malta, and Greece. The enigmatic "E. mesotrichus Hadži" from Greece also belongs to E. sicanus.