Buthidae

Buthidae is the largest family of scorpions, containing about 80 genera and over 800 species as of mid-2008. Its members are known as, for example, fat-tailed scorpions and bark scorpions. There are a few very large genera (like Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus or Tityus), but also a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones. New taxa are being described at a rate of several to several dozen new species per year. They occur in the warmer parts of every major landmass on Earth, except on New Zealand. Together with the Microcharmidae, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.

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

List of genera and species

Afghanobuthus Lourenco, 2005
Afroisometrus Kovarik, 1997
Akentrobuthus Lamoral, 1976
Alayotityus Armas, 1973
Ananteris
Androctonus – fattail scorpions
Anomalobuthus
Apistobuthus
Australobuthus
Babycurus
Baloorthochirus
Birulatus
Buthacus
Butheoloides
Butheolus
Buthiscus
Buthoscorpio (includes "Stenochirus" jinnahii and "S." rahmatii)
Buthus
Centruroides – typical bark scorpions
Charmus
Cicileus
Cicileiurus
Compsobuthus
Congobuthus
Darchenia
Egyptobuthus
Grosphus
Hemibuthus
Hemilychas
Himalayotityobuthus
Hoplocystis (a nomen dubium)
Hottentotta
Iranobuthus
Isometrus
Isometroides
Karasbergia
Kraepelinia
Lanzatus
Leiurus
Liobuthus
Lissothus
Lychas
Lychasoides
Mauritanobuthus
Mesobuthus (paraphyletic?)
Mesotityus
Microananteris
Microbuthus
Microtityus
Neobuthus
Neogrosphus
Odontobuthus
Odonturus
Orthochirus
Orthochiroides
Orthochirus (includes Paraorthochirus and Simonoides)
Parabuthus
Pectinibuthus
Physoctonus
Plesiobuthus
Polisius
Psammobuthus
Pseudolissothus
Pseudolychas
Pseudouroplectes
Razianus
Rhopalurus
Sabinebuthus
Sassanidothus
Somalibuthus
Somalicharmus
Thaicharmus
Tityobuthus
Tityopsis
Tityus
Troglorhopalurus
Troglotityobuthus
†Uintascorpio (Eocene, Green River Formation)
Uroplectes
Uroplectoides
Vachoniolus
Vachonus
Zabius
Description

Few Buthidae scorpions are among the larger scorpions; on average the members of this family are mid-sized tending towards smallish. Microtityus and Microbuthus barely reach 2 cm (0.8 in). The largest members are found among Androctonus (fattail scorpions), Apistobuthus, and Centruroides; and can reach a dozen cm (approximately 5 inches). Most of them have between two and five pairs of eyes. Some resemble Vaejovidae. Chaerilidae and Chactidae have one pair of eyes at most, and the former show a yellowish spot between and to the rear of these.

Their vernacular name refers to the thick tails found in many Buthidae, especially in the Old World. The pedipalps on the other hand tend to be weak, slender and tweezer-like. Members of Buthidae are generally rather cryptically colored, quite uniformly ochre to brown, but some are black or (like Centruroides and Uroplectes) more vividly colored. More conspicuous patterns and shapes occur e.g. in Isometrus or Lychas.

Toxicity and relationship with humans

Scorpion § Scorpion sting and venom

A handful of sometimes species-rich genera – fattail scorpions (Androctonus), Centruroides, Hottentotta,[Note 1] Leiurus, Parabuthus and Tityus – are notorious for their strong venom. Human fatalities have been recorded from fewer than two dozen species; identification of e.g. a particular Tityus is likely problematic and detailed data on the venom exists only for a small fraction of the Buthidae (see BmKAEP from the venom of Mesobuthus martensii, for an example).

source - Wikipedia
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