A New Scorpion Discovered in Death Valley in the U.S.

A new species of scorpion called Wernerius inyoensis , was discovered in the Death Valley National Park in the United States. The animal, which measures about 16 mm, spends most of his time underground.

Scorpions, of the Arachnida, cousins of the spiders are now represented by 13 families. © Webber 2012, Zookeys

Even in those parks particularly studied, it is still possible to find new species. A scorpion has been discovered by biologists at the University of Nevada in the Death Valley National Park, which straddles on Nevada and California. The newfound scorpion is a member of a notoriously mysterious group. The Wernerius genus contains only two other known species, native to California’s Joshua Tree National Park and a rocky region of the Colorado River near the town of Parker, Ariz. Those species have rarely been seen or captured.

The researchers found it in an unusual location, they said, since it lies hundreds of miles north of the known habitat of the newfound species’ closest relatives.

This kind of scorpion is easily distinguished by a remarkable feature: at the last segment of the tail, a small spine is visible just above the sting which they use to sting. To differentiate W. inyonensis, the authors explain the discovery, in Journal Zookeys: they did not have too much difficulty: individuals are much smaller (about 16 mm for the male discovered), the femora thickest and the pedipalps (appendages with claws) more short.

The species of this genus are rarely show and it is not obvious to notice. The authors suggest there may be two reasons for this , simply, populations are small, these animals live is just the surface and spend most of their time underground, or in the crevices of rocks. And the small size of these scorpions, which allows them to slip easily between the stones.

The species is one of the smallest ever discovered in North America. Although it was captured in 2009, officially describing a new species is a lengthy process, thus the lag time between discovery and announcement.

Tagged Animals, death valley scorpion, Wernerius inyoensis