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Intraspecific molecular and morphological variations among geographically isolated populations are useful for understanding the evolutionary processes, which is considered early stage of allopatric speciation. Also, the knowledge of the regional variation of scorpion venom composition is needed to improve antivenom therapeutic management. Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) is the most common and medically important species in Arabia and the Middle East. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the geographic morphological variation among A.crassicauda populations, regarding its geographical distribution in unexplored arid regions in Saudi Arabia. Samples were collected and examined morphologically under a dissecting microscope from different four eco-geographical regions. The results of ANOVA and multivariate statistical analyses provide strong evidence of geographical variation. The two populations from OTU3 and OUT4 showed the greatest degree of morphological difference from populations of OUT1 and OUT2. Each OTU3 and OTU4 populations showed significant speciation without overlapping in the two groups, while the remaining overlapped groups comprised two other populations. Several body variables influenced male separation, including carapace posterior width, metasoma 3rd length, and metasoma 2nd length. For females, telson length, metasoma 1st width, and sternite 7th width were highly influential variables. Such variation may suggest the existence of cryptic taxa within A. crassicauda populations in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, metasoma ratios can be used as good indicators in intraspecific variation studies of Scorpions., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2022 Alqahtani et al.)

Simple Summary: A well-designed conservation strategy for natural reserves cannot be accomplished without providing the necessary information regarding the abundance and density of animal fauna in respect to seasonal variation and the floral components. Using active and passive survey methods in some sites representing all of the ecosystems in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, the first biodiversity survey was conducted during winter (January–February), spring (May), summer (August–September), and autumn (October–November) of the year 2023. The results of this survey can be considered as baseline data for the KARR (to be compared spatiotemporally with further surveys), and it reflected the abundance and density (in term of Simpson's index) of some species of scorpions, spiders, centipedes, malacostraca, and branchiopods, among other groups of fauna and flora. The obtained baseline data will help to monitor the threshold of any threats. This study strongly recommends continuing routine seasonal surveys (to support the baseline data), in parallel with other ecological studies aimed to assess the interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of the KARR ecosystem. The biodiversity of invertebrate animals is largely affected by climatic changes. This study evaluates the seasonal abundance and diversity of non-insect arthropods in the King Abdulaziz Royal Reserve (KARR), Saudi Arabia, over four collection periods (summer, autumn, winter, and spring) during 2023. Sampling was conducted across multiple sites in the reserve using both active (manual collection and active surveying for the diurnal species) and passive (pitfall traps and malaise traps for the nocturnal species) methods. A total of 586 non-insect arthropod specimens were collected, representing four classes: Arachnida, Chilopoda, Branchiopoda, and Malacostraca. The results show that the most abundant species was the jumping spider Plexippus paykulli, which dominated collections across two seasons, with a peak abundance of 50.7% in late summer. Seasonal variations in non-insect arthropod diversity were observed, with a lower diversity recorded during January–March (4 species, and this may be attributed to this period revealing the lowest temperature reading recorded during the study period) and higher diversity in August–September (end of summer) and October–November (mid of autumn), with 14 species. Scorpions, particularly species from the families Buthidae and Scorpionidae, were common during the summer months, while solifuges and centipedes showed sporadic occurrences across seasons. These findings align with the results for arthropod distribution in arid regions, with temperature and resource availability as key drivers of biodiversity in desert environments because of their direct effects on the biochemical processes of these creatures. This study contributes valuable baseline data on the non-insect arthropod fauna of the KARR. The insights gained from this study can aid in conservation efforts and provide a foundation for further research on non-insect arthropod ecology in arid landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species, Leiurus hadb Al-Qahtni, Al-Salem, Alqahtani & Badry, sp. nov., is described and illustrated from the Majami al-Hadb Protected Area in the Riyadh Province of Saudi Arabia. The new species is compared with species of Leiurus distributed in Saudi Arabia, especially L. arabicus Lowe, Yağmur & Kovařík, 2014. The integrated results indicate that the population found in Majami al-Hadb represents a distinct species, which is described herein. Moreover, the molecular analysis is conducted on the mitochondrial gene 16S rRNA to compare L. hadb sp. nov. with samples of L. arabicus and L. haenggii from Saudi Arabia. The analysis revealed a genetic divergence ranging from 6.0 to 12%. The combination of molecular evidence and morphological characteristics provides adequate support for recognizing the Majami al-Hadb population as a distinct species. Additionally, an identification key for the genus Leiurus found in Saudi Arabia is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Nebo has been identified as a medically important scorpion species distributed across Arabia and the Middle East. However, its taxonomic status remains unclear. Aim: The molecular phylogeny of two Nebo species from Saudi Arabia and comparative sequences from Palestine is presented based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Methodology: Scorpion specimens were collected from two different localities, mainly the Southern part of Saudi Arabia. Then, DNA was extracted, amplified using invertebrate universal primers, and sequenced to identify the COI gene. The obtained sequences were analyzed, and phylogenetic trees based on maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, and Bayesian inference were constructed. Results: The inferred phylogeny indicates the monophyletic status of the family Diplocentridae and its subfamily Nebinae and Diplocentrinae. Also, the phylogenetic analyses support the existence of interspecific and intraspecific variations among/ within Nebo hierichonticus and Nebo yemenensis which may indicate distinct species. Conclusion: Further morphological studies with additional specimens from the Arabian Peninsula may reveal possible undiscovered and cryptic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe and illustrate a new scorpion species, Androctonus tihamicus sp. nov., from the Mecca Province of southwestern Saudi Arabia. The new species is compared to the genus Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828, which is distributed throughout the Middle East, and especially to A. australis (Linnaeus, 1758). We provide the molecular phylogeny for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rare anomaly of telson vesicle with two functional aculei is observed and discussed in a Parabuthus liosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) specimen collected from Jizan, Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of the scorpion fauna of the southwestern part of Saudi Arabia was examined based on a large collection covering most of four major regions. Fifteen scorpion species were collected during field expedition and identified in a light of recent revisionary systematics. Family Buthidae was represented by twelve species in nine genera (Androctonus, Buthacus, Compsobuthus, Hottentotta, Leiurus, Orthochirus, Parabuthus, Trypanothacus and Vachoniolus) and family Scorpionidae by three species in two genera (Nebo and Scorpio). Buthacus yotvatensis is recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]