Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
In 2003, Soleglad & Fet (S&F) rearranged the subfamilies Caraboctoninae (genera Caraboctonus, and Hadruroides) and Hadrurinae (genera Anuroctonus and Hadrurus) into the new family Caraboctonidae based on their cladistic evidence. The methods used for this and other phylogenetic changes in the Order Scorpiones by S&F were found to be flawed by cladists Prendini & Wheeler (P&W; 2005). P&W discussed in detail the problems with the methods S&F developed and used, subsequently returning the taxonomic changes proposed by them to their previous positions. One of the most important characters that is exclusive to all of the members of the family Iuridae is an enlarged tooth on the internal margin of the cheliceral movable finger. (In the American genus Anuroctonus, this tooth is present only in juveniles.)
Numbers
2 subfamilies (Iurinae, Caraboctoninae), 6 genera, 36 spp.
(1); 2 genera in our area:
Anuroctonus (1 sp.),
Hadrurus (3 spp.)
Range
Western North America to western South America; southwestern Eurasia.
Print References
Francke O.F., Soleglad M.E. (1981) The family Iuridae Thorell (Arachnida, Scorpiones). The Journal of Arachnology 9: 233–258.
Prendini L., Wheeler C.W. (2005) Scorpion higher phylogeny and classification, taxonomic anarchy, and standards for peer review in online publishing. Cladisitics 21: 446-494.
Sissom W.D. (1990) Systematics, biogeography and paleontology. In: Polis G.A. (Ed.) The biology of Scorpions. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, pp. 64–160.
Sissom W.D., Fet V. (2000) Family Iuridae Thorell, 1876. In: Fet V., Sissom W.D., Lowe G., Braunwalder M.E. (Eds.) Catalog of the scorpions of the world (1758–1998). The New York Entomological Society, New York, pp. 409–420.
Soleglad M.E., Fet V. (2003) High-level systematics and phylogeny of the extant scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni). Euscorpius 11: ii+1–175.
