Two New Species of Scorpions (Scorpiones: Chactidae) from Northernmost Brazilian Amazon

2026/06/06 by André F. A. Lira, Edmundo González-Santillán, Andria P. Santos-da-Silva +9 · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies #Subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy #Marine Invertebrate Physiology and Ecology

paper · doi:10.3390/d18060345

openalex publication_date 2026/06/06 · openalex created_date 2026/06/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

Amid an ongoing environmental crisis marked by high deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon, two new species of chactid scorpions are herein described. Cayooca puchus sp. n. is described from an inselberg in the municipality of Mucajaí, state of Roraima, northern Brazilian Amazon. The new species resembles Cayooca venezuelensis but differs by denser body granulation and strongly costate, scattered granular ventromedian and ventral prosubmedian carinae. Brotheas cernii sp. n., described from the same locality, resembles Brotheas granulatus and B. subgranulatus but differs by smaller body size, granular ventral carinae on metasomal segment I, strongly granular pedipalp chelae, and spinoid granules on ventral metasomal carinae of segments III–V. These findings reinforce the Amazon as a major center of biodiversity and highlight the likelihood that numerous species remain undescribed.

Discussions

• The discovered arthropods were named Cayooca puchus and Brotheas cernii. The study was published in the journal Diversity (doi.org/10.3390/d180...). Now, researchers are investigating the venom molec [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]

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