Buthus oudjanii Lourenço, 2017

Ythier, Eric & François, Alexandre, 2023, The scorpion fauna of the Oriental region in Morocco (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae) with description of three new species of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus, 1758., Faunitaxys 11 (3), pp. 1-15 : 6

Buthus oudjanii Lourenço, 2017

Material examined (12 ex.).

- Morocco, Jerada , pass between Guenfouda and Jerada, 34.37752 lat. -2.17113lon., ID 12436, 04/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Nador , Gourougou, 35.20045 lat. -3.00725 lon., ID 13380, 06/X/2012 (A. François), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Oujda , Beni Snassen, forest house El Aïn Almou, 34.84735 lat. -2.20283lon., ID 12430, 01/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Oujda , Jbel Bou Keltoum, pic, 34.3701 lat. -2.08187 lon., ID 12435, 04/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ; - Morocco, Oujda , Tafoughalt, Beni Snassen, 34.84771 lat. -2.33716 lon., ID 12429/12464, 01/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Taourirt , Beni Snassen West, 34.81288 lat. -2.70916 lon., ID 12434, 03/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ; - Morocco, Taourirt , Jbel Khouali, antenna, 34.3351 lat. -2.56463 lon., ID 12433, 02/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ; - Morocco, Taourirt , Tanacherfi, Horsts range, 34.33006 lat. -2.60019 lon., ID 12431/12432, 02/VII/2012 (A. François, C. Galkowski, M. Sbai), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Saka , 34.5543 lat. -3.48417 lon., 1558 m alt., ID 25071, 27/ XI/2022 (A. François, G. Liénart, C. Landsmann, O. Chabasseur, J. F. Lima Barbero, R. Triguero Ocana), ECWP ;

- Morocco, Saka , 34.58319 lat. -3.51407 lon., 1790 m alt., ID 25071, 27/ XI/2022 (A. François, G. Liénart, C. Landsmann, O. Chabasseur, J. F. Lima Barbero, R. Triguero Ocana), ECWP ;

- Morocco, 9 km N Tafoughalt , 240 m alt., EY0381, X/2014 (O. Touloun), W. R. Lourenço leg., 26/III/2022, EYPC (misidentified as B. confluens (Lourenço, Touloun & Boumezzough, 2011) in Touloun et al., 2014) .

Distribution and remarks. – Buthus oudjanii , described from the region of Tafoughalt, is considered to be the ‘occidental form’ of Buthus paris , a species widely distributed in the high massifs (Tellian Atlas) of the coastal zones of Tunisia and eastern Algeria (up to Algiers) (Vachon, 1952, Lourenço, 2003, 2017, Touloun et al., 2014, Dupré, 2017,El Hidan et al., 2017,Touloun, 2019,Abidi et al., 2021). In this work, B. oudjanii has been recorded in a large area in the north of the Oriental region, mainly in the massifs ( Fig. 2 ). Touloun et al. (2014) referred to B. paris (C. L. Koch, 1839) specimens collected in Oujda as well as 20-30 km north of Ain Beni Mathar. B. paris does not occur in Morocco and these mightrather be referredto B.oudjanii . Also, Touloun et al., 2014 referred to Buthus confluens Lourenço, Touloun & Boumezzough, 2011 a specimen collected in Tafoughalt, in the north of the Orientalregion. The specimen was examined and it corresponds to B. oudjanii (Material section).

Figures

Fig. 1-4. Topographic map of the Oriental region in Morocco and surroundings areas showing the collection sites of Androctonus, Buthus, Hottentotta and Scorpio species (symbols with white cross showing the type localities). 1. Androctonus. 2. Buthus. 3. Hottentotta. 4. Scorpio.