钳蝎系统分类研究概况

传统观点认为蝎类是蛛形纲中最原始的类群,但是最近的形态分析和分子系统发生研究表明蝎类与单胫类(Haplocnemata=Solifugae Pseudoscorpiones)构成姐妹群,并与盲蛛类一起在蛛形纲形成一个独立的分支.钳蝎科是蝎目中种类最多分布最广的一个科,目前已知82属600余种.钳蝎一直被认为是蝎目中最原始的类群,但是随着Pseudochactidae的发现和建立,其原始的地位也被取代.钳蝎科中亚科的划分一直存在很大的争议,至今尚没有一个亚科划分意见被广泛接受.同样,钳蝎科中属种的界定也存在问题,一些建立较早的属亟待修订.本文对钳蝎的系统发生和分类进行了综述,并对国内外文献中已记载的中国钳蝎种类进行了汇总和记述,即东亚钳蝎Mesobuthus martensii(Karsch,1879),条斑钳蝎蒙古亚种M.eupeus mongolicus(Birula,1911)、凶恶亚种M.e.thersites(C.L.Koch,1839),高加索钳蝎间型亚种M.caucasicus intermedius(Birula,1897)、普氏亚种M.c.przewaklskii(Birula,1897),细尖狼蝎Lychas mucronatus(Fabricius,1798),斑等蝎Isometrus maculates(DeGeer,1778),凹直钳蝎Orthochirus scrobiculosus(Grube,1873).

A REVIEW OF THE SYSTEMATIC RESEARCH ON BUTHID SCORPIONS (SCORPIONES,BUTHIDAE)

Scorpions are traditionally regarded as the most primitive group among arachnids, but recent evidences from morphological and molecular data appear to support the following scheme of relationships: (Opiliones(Scorpiones(Solifugae +Pseudoscorpiones))). In the Order of Scorpiones, the family Buthidae is the largest and most widely distributed group, with 82 genera and over 600 species recognized (comprising more than one third of the total fauna of the Scorpiones). Buthids have been deemed to be the most primitive of all scorpions for nearly two hundred years. However, this view has been challenged with the discovery of a new taxon, Psuedochactidae,in 1998. The classification of subfamilies in Buthidae has been a subject of much disagreement. Previous attempts for solution are unsatisfactory. Similarly, gen- era and species delineations are also confusing, and taxonomic revisions of some old genera are clearly needed. In China, although buthid scorpions have long been used in traditional medicine, their taxonomy has seldom been addressed scientifically. Here, all scorpions reported from China are catalogued, and information on their distribution is also provided. This involves 8 species and subspecies belonging to 4 genera of Buthidae, viz: Mesobuthus martensii (Karsch, 1879), M. eupeus mongolicus (Birula, 1911), M. e. thersites (Koch, 1839), M. caucasicus intermedius (Birula, 1897), M. c. przewaklskii (Birula, 1897), Lychas mucronatus (Fabricius,1798), Isometrus maculates (DeGeer, 1778) and Orthochirus scrobiculosus (Grube, 1873).