New insight into the ovariuterus anatomy of the buthid (Buthidae) scorpions: an overlooked phylogenetic tool

VOLSCHENK, E. S., C. I. MATTONI & L. PRENDINI

São Pedro, São Paulo, Brasil

Congreso; 17th International Congress of Arachnology (ISA); 2007

International Society for Arachnology

Few features of the female reproductive system are utilized in scorpion systematics, in contrast with the increasingly important use of characters from the male reproductive system. Most publications simply highlight the anatomical distinction between the buthid eight-celled ovariuterus and the non-buthid six-celled ovariuterus. With the exception of Tityus, possessing a two-celled arrangement, buthids have been generalized as having an eight-celled ovariuterus anatomy. This study presents the results of an investigation that examines the ovariuterus anatomy of a diverse range of buthid taxa. Several new characters in the ovariuterus of the Buthidae are highlighted and their potential for phylogenetic analysis is discussed.