Systematic Revision of the Neotropical Club-Tailed Scorpions,Physoctonus,Rhopalurus, andTroglorhopalurus, Revalidation ofHeteroctenus, and Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species (Buthidae: Rhopalurusinae)

A new species of Physoctonus Mello-Leitão, 1934 from the ‘Campos formations’ of southern Amazonia (Scorpiones, Buthidae)

“…In an unpublished thesis Yamaguti (2011) suggested the existence of a new species from a region of Caatinga formation in the city of Oeiras in the north-east state of Piauí. Finally, this presumably new species was recently described by Esposito et al (2017). In this contribution, one new species of Physoctonus , collected in the Amazonian Campos of Pará is described.…”

“…Esposito et al (2017) proposed important modifications in the classification of the scorpions associated to the genera Rhopalurus, Physoctonus , and Troglorhopalurus Lourenço, Cerqueira Baptista & Giupponi, 2004 within a redefined subfamily Rhopalurusinae. In this difficult and sometimes confusing publication, the authors propose a division of the genus Rhopalurus creating what I would define as artificial generic groups.…”

“…The two known species belonging to the genus Physoctonus , P. debilis (C. L. Koch, 1840) and P. striatus Esposito et al, 2017 are found exclusively in sites of the north-east region of Brazil (Fig. 1), but remain uncommon (Lourenço 2007; Porto et al 2014; Esposito et al 2017).…”

“…1), but remain uncommon (Lourenço 2007; Porto et al 2014; Esposito et al 2017). For several decades, Physoctonus debilis was associated to the genus Rhopalurus Thorell, 1876 as Rhopalurus debilis , but for long was also the subject of great taxonomic confusion.…”

“…Until now only Physoctonus debilis (C. L. Koch, 1840) and Physoctonus striatus Esposito et al, 2017, were known from sites located in the caatingas of the north-east region of Brazil. The new species of Physoctonus was collected by the French arachnologist J. Vellard in the Campos do Pará during his field trips back to the 1920/1930, and entrusted to the author in the early 1980s.…”