Tityus exstinctus

Tityus exstinctus is an extinct scorpion species from the family Buthidae. She is known only from a single male, which was collected in 1884 in the northern part of Martinique. The species name is derived from the fact that this taxon was already extinct when it was scientifically described in 1995.

Features

The carapace length of the holotype is 6.9 mm. The length of the first tail segment ( Metasoma I) is 6.6 mm, the length of the fifth tail segment ( metasoma V) is 11.1 mm. The femur length is 7.3 mm, the Femurbreite 2.3 mm, the tibia 8.2 mm, the Tibiabreite 3.3 mm. The length of the chelae ( claws) is 14.2 mm, the width of 4.0 mm. The movable finger with the sting has a length of 8.2 mm.

The basic color is yellowish. The carapace is yellowish. The eyes are surrounded by a black pigment. The tergites are yellowish. The metasomal segments I to III are yellowish, the fourth and the fifth is reddish dark reddish to brown. The abdomen and sternum are yellowish. The chelicerae are yellowish. The fingers are solid red. The Pedipalpus is yellowish. The legs are yellowish without diffuse reddish brown spots.

System

Initially it was assumed that T. exstinctus is a close relative of Tityus trinitatis Pocock, 1897 ( Trinidad and Tobago). A later study, however, revealed that this taxon is more closely related to Tityus pictus and Tityus smithii.

Before the scientific first description by Wilson Lourenço in 1995, three experts have examined the holotype, which is kept in the Muséum national d' histoire naturelle. 1890 synonymisierte Eugène Simon this type with Centrurus insulanus. Embrik beach (no date known) mentioned this as a Scorpio Scorpio marmoratus. Karl Kraepelin was in 1900 the first who identified it as a new and undescribed species within the genus Tityus.