More about the geographical distribution of the Malagasy genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) and description of a vicariant new species

C R Biol. 2015 Nov;338(11):768-76. doi: 10.1016/j.crvi.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Sep 2.

Abstract

The distributional patterns of Malagasy scorpions belonging to the endemic genus Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 are revised. Up to now only two species were known for this genus: Neogrosphus griveaudi (Vachon, 1969), restricted to the dry forests formations in the southern and western portions of Madagascar, and Neogrosphus blanci Lourenço, 1996 only known from the Massifs of the Central region. Diagnoses are proposed for the genus and known species and a new vicariant species is described from the Ankarana Massif. The actual range of distribution of the members of this genus is currently patchy and fragmented over a large area extending from subarid to subhumid bioclimates. Based on the eco-biogeographical analyses of the genus Neogrosphus, we formulate a global rule to explain species diversity and vicariance.

Keywords: Distribution géographique; Geographical distribution; Madagascar; Neogrosphus; New species; Nouvelle espèce; Scorpion; Vicariance.

MeSH terms

  • Animal Distribution
  • Animals
  • Biodiversity*
  • Climate*
  • Madagascar
  • Scorpions / classification*