Higher taxonomy and phylogeny in scorpions.

Recently, there have been several papers concerning the higher taxonomy and phylogeny of scorpions. Soleglad & Fet published a paper in 2003 revising the phylogeny of scorpions.

In November 2005, Prendini & Wheeler published an extensive paper criticizing in detail many of the changes published on scorpion higher phylogeny and taxonomy in recent years, especially the works of Soleglad and Fet. Prendini & Wheeler rejected most of the previous published changes and chose to revert to a taxonomic situation which the authors believe is the correct situation to date pending the outcome of future, more rigorous phylogenetic analyses that are currently in progress.

Fet & Soleglad quickly published a paper rejecting the conclusions made by Prendini & Wheeler (in December 2005), and restored the taxonomy back to the status before Prendini & Wheeler (2005). There is a major split in the scorpion research community about which system is the correct one, and more publications on this topic are expected in the future.

The Scorpion Files' family and species lists reflect the most recent published works, and not necessarily which system the editor believes is correct. The editor does not have the proper academic background in phylogeny to be able to assess which view to follow, therefore, I choose to stay neutral and use the most recent publications. The higher systematics in The Scorpion Files therefore follows Fet & Soleglad (2005) until new changes are published..

Some authors have chosen to follow the family structure according to Prendini & Wheeler in recent publications. Because of this, I think it is important also to present this system in The Scorpion Files. Below is the list of families and their genera according to Prendini & Wheeler (2005). NB! This is is the list presented in Prendini & Wheeler (2005), and changes and new taxa published after this publication are not included. Author names are omitted for simplicity.

Bothriuridae
Bothriurus, Brachistosternus, Brandbergia, Brazilobothriurus, Centromachetes, Cercophonius, Lisposoma, Orobothriurus, Pachakutej, Phoniocercus, Tehuankea, Thestylus, Timogenes, Urophonius, Vachonia

Buthidae
Afroisometrus, Akentrobuthus, Alayotityus, Ananteris, Androctonus, Anomalobuthus, Apistobuthus, Australobuthus, Babycurus, Baloorthochirus, Birulatus, Buthacus, Butheoloides, Butheolus, Buthiscus, Buthoscorpio, Buthus, Centruroides, Charmus, Cicileus, Compsobuthus, Congobuthus, Darchenia, Egyptobuthus, Grosphus, Hemibuthus, Hemilychas, Himalayotityobuthus, Hottentotta, Iranobuthus, Isometroides, Isometrus, Karasbergia, Kraepelina, Lanzatus, Leiurus, Liobuthus, Lissothus, Lychas, Lychasioides, Mesobuthus, Mesotityus, Microananteris, Microbuthus, Microtityus, Neobuthus, Neogrosphus, Odontobuthus, Odonturus, Orthochirus, Orthochiroides, Parabuthus, Paraorthochirus, Pectinobuthus, Plesiobuthus, Polisius, Psammobuthus, Pseudolissothus, Pseudolychas, Pseudouroplectes, Razianus, Rhopalurus, Sabinebuthus, Sassanidothus, Simonoides, Somalibuthus, Somalicharmus, Thaicharmus, Tityobuthus, Tityopsis, Tityus, Troglorhopalurus, Troglotityobuthus, Uroplectes, Uroplectoides, Vachoniolus, Vachonus, Zabius

Chactidae
Auyantepuia, Brotheas, Brotechactas, Cayooca, Chactas, Chactopsis, Guyanochactas, Hadrurochactas, Nullibrotheas, Teuthraustes, Vachoniochactas

Chaerilidae
Chaerilus

Diplocentridae
Bioculus, Cazierius, Didymocentrus, Diplocentrus, Heteronebo, Nebo, Oiclus, Tarsoporosus

Euscorpiidae
Euscorpius, Megacormus, Plesiochactas, Troglocormus

Hemiscorpiidae
Habibiella, Hemiscorpius

Heteroscorpionidae
Heteroscorpion

Iuridae
Anuroctonus, Calchas, Caraboctonus, Hadruroides, Hadrurus, Iurus

Liochelidae

Cheloctonus, Chiromachetes, Chiromachus, Hadogenes, Iomachus, Liocheles, Opisthacanthus, Palaeocheloctonus

Microcharmidae
Ankaranocharmus, Microcharmus, Neoprotobuthus

Pseudochactidae
Pseoduchactas

Scorpionidae
Heterometrus, Opistophthalmus, Pandinus, Scorpio

Scorpiopidae
Alloscorpiops, Dasyscorpiops, Euscorpiops, Neoscorpiops, Parascorpiops, Scorpiops

Superstitioniidae
Alcran, Sotanochactas, Superstitionia, Typhlochactas

Troglotayosicidae
Belisarius, Troglotayosicus

Urodacidae
Urodacus

Vaejovidae
Paravaejovis, Paruroctonus, Pseudouroctonus, Serradigitus, Smeringerus, Syntropis, Uroctonites, Uroctonus, Vaejovis, Vejovoidus

Bibliography:

Fet, V. & M. E. Soleglad (2005)
Contributions to scorpion systematics. I. On recent changes in high-level taxonomy.
Euscorpius 31:1-13.
Fulltext

Prendini, L. & W. C. Wheeler (2005)
Scorpion higher phylogeny and classification, taxonomic anarchy, and standards for peer review in online publishing.
Cladistics 21(5):446-494.
Fulltext

Soleglad, M. E. & V. Fet (2003)
High-level systematics and phylogeny of the extant scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni).
Euscorpius 11:1-175.
Fulltext