Buthoidea
| Buthidae Temporal range: Lutetian to Recent |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Odonturus dentatus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Scorpiones |
| Superfamily: | Buthoidea |
| Family: |
Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837 |
| Subfamilies | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Akentrobuthinae Lamoral, 1976 |
|
Akentrobuthinae Lamoral, 1976
Ananterinae Pocock, 1900
Androctonides C.L.Koch, 1837
Babycurini Pocock, 1896
Buthides C.L.Koch, 1837
"Centruroidinae" Roewer, 1943 (nomen nudum)
Charminae Birula, 1917
Isometrini Kraepelin, 1891
Orthochirinae Birula, 1917
Rhopalurinae Bücherl, 1971 (non Stunkard 1937: preoccupied)
Rhopalurusinae Bücherl, 1969
Tityinae Kraepelin, 1905
Uroplectaria Pavlovsky, 1924
The Buthidae are 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. A few very large genera (like Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus or Tityus) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. 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 the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.
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 12 cm (about 5 in). Most of them have between two and five pairs of eyes. Some resemble the Vaejovidae. The Chaerilidae and Chactidae have one pair of eyes at most, and the former show a yellowish spot between and to the rear of these.
...
Wikipedia