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. 2016 Jun 22:(600):75-87.
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.600.8913. eCollection 2016.

A preliminary synopsis on amber scorpions with special reference to Burmite species: an extraordinary development of our knowledge in only 20 years

Wilson R Lourenço  1
Affiliations

A preliminary synopsis on amber scorpions with special reference to Burmite species: an extraordinary development of our knowledge in only 20 years

Wilson R Lourenço. Zookeys. .

Abstract

A preliminary study on fossil scorpions found in amber, from the Lower Cretaceous through the Palaeocene and up to the Miocene is proposed. Scorpions remain rare among the arthropods found trapped in amber. Only 24 specimens are known from Cretaceous amber, representing eight families and subfamilies, ten genera and 21 species; in parallel, 10 specimens have been recorded from Baltic amber representing seven genera and ten species. A few more recent fossils from Dominican and Mexican amber have also been described. The present study of a new scorpion specimen from the Cretaceous amber of Myanmar (Burmite) resulted in the description of one new species, Betaburmesebuthus bellus sp. n. - belonging to the subfamily Palaeoburmesebuthinae Lourenço, 2015. The new description brings further elements to the clarification of the status of this subfamily, which is now raised to family level. Once again, this new Burmite element attests to the considerable degree of diversity in the Burmese amber-producing forests.

Keywords: Burmite; Cretaceous; Myanmar; Palaeoburmesebuthidae; fossil; new species; scorpion.

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Figures

Figures 1–4.
Figures 1–4.
Betaburmesebuthus bellus sp. n. Male holotype. 1–2 Habitus, dorsal and ventral aspects 3 Ventral aspect in detail, showing sternum, genital operculum and pectines 4 Tergites VI-VII, metasomal segments and telson, dorso-lateral aspect.
Figures 5–7.
Figures 5–7.
Betaburmesebuthus bellus sp. n. Male holotype. 5 Chelicera, carapace and tergites I-III, dorsal aspect 6 Sternites V-VII showing carinae and spiracles and metasomal segments I-V and telson, ventro-lateral aspect 7 Ventral aspect, showing Coxapophysis, sternum, genital operculum, pectines and sternites with spiracles. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.
Figures 8–9.
Figures 8–9.
Betaburmesebuthus bellus sp. n. Male holotype. Righ pedipalp, dorsal and ventral aspects, showing trichobothrial pattern. Dorsal aspect is partially covered by an inclusion. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
World map showing the sites where scorpions included in amber have been found.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Lourenço WR. (2001) A remarkable scorpion fossil from the amber of Lebanon. Implications for the phylogeny of Buthoidea. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris 332: 641–646. doi: 10.1016/s1251-8050(01)01583-x - DOI

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