Tityus ythieri Lourenço, 2007 is a synonym of Tityus magnimanus Pocock, 1897 (Scorpiones: Buthidae): a combined approach using morphology, hybridization experiments, chromosomes, and mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

Diagnostic morphological differences to distinguish between two scorpion species, Tityus ythieri Lourenço, 2007 and T. magnimanus Pocock, 1897 do not exist; moreover, the two easily hybridize to produce fertile offspring. Therefore, we suggest that T. ythieri is a synonym of T. magnimanus. This conclusion is further supported by (1) very similar distribution of relative sizes of chromosome bivalents in both species, (2) regular pairing of homologous chromosomes in meiosis of their hybrids, and (3) identical sequences of mitochondrial DNA (COI) markers.