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Abstract

The scorpiopids comprise a large scorpion family, distributed widely across the Oriental region, that currently encompasses 82 species placed under 8 genera and one subgenus. A variety of morphological characters have been used in the diagnoses of these genera or subgenera. Some characters were introduced by Vachon (1980) and Soleglad & Sissom (2001) when less than a few dozen species were known, while other more recent characters have not been fully evaluated. We critically review all characters that have been applied to generic or subgeneric taxonomy of the family, as well as several others hitherto neglected. We analyze their variation in the context of currently known species, including new species described herein. They are: 1) placement of trichobothrium Eb3 with respect to Db and Dt on the pedipalp chela manus; 2) annular ring on the telson, at juncture between vesicle and aculeus; 3) alignment of trichobothria db and eb on the chela fixed finger; 4) neobothriotaxy on ventral chela manus; 5) number of inner accessory denticles (IAD) on pedipalp chela movable finger; 6) neobothriotaxy on external surface of pedipalp patella; 7) neobothriotaxy on ventral surface of pedipalp patella; 8) apophysis on movable finger of pedipalp chela; 9) sexual dimorphism; 10) number and size of lateral eyes; 11) spination of leg tarsus; 12) pectine morphology; and 13) hemispermatophore morphology. Genera Alloscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Dasyscorpiops Vachon, 1974, Euscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Neoscorpiops Vachon, 1980, Plethoscorpiops Lourenço, 2017, and Vietscorpiops Lourenço & Pham, 2015, and subgenus Alloscorpiops (Laoscorpiops) Lourenço, 2013, are all synonymized under Scorpiops Peters, 1861, syn. n. We describe 15 new species from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam: Scorpiops bastawadei sp. n., S. birulai sp. n., S. ciki sp. n., S. dii sp. n., S. dunlopi sp. n., S. kautti sp. n., S. krabiensis sp. n., S. pakseensis sp. n., S. phatoensis sp. n., S. prasiti sp. n., S. scheibeae sp. n., S. schumacheri sp. n., S. sherwoodae sp. n., S. solegladi sp. n., and S. thailandus sp. n. Descriptions are complemented with color photographs of both live and preserved specimens, as well as their habitats. In addition to analysis of morphology, we also summarize known data about the cytogenetic characteristics of the Scorpiopidae. Moreover, we supplement this information with the karyograms of 16 species whose karyotypes were previously described without direct visualization. New synonymies proposed at the species level are: Scorpiops (Vietscorpiops) dentidactylus Lourenço & Pham, 2015 = Scorpiops farkaci Kovařík, 1993, syn. n.; Euscorpiops karschi Lourenço, Zhu & Qi, 2005 = Scorpiops novaki (Kovařík, 2005), comb. n., syn. n.; Scorpiops atomatus Qi, Zhu & Lourenço, 2005 = Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911, syn. n.; Scorpiops pococki Zhu, Qi & Lourenço, 2005 = Scorpiops tibetanus Hirst, 1911, syn. n.; Euscorpiops validus Di et al., 2010 = Scorpiops vachoni (Zhu et al., 2005), comb. n., syn. n. A distribution map of Scorpiopidae (95 species) is included.

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