True Scorpions - Superfamily: Scorpionoidea
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Among the True Scorpions are counted 7 families for a total of 477 extant species in 44 genera. As of April 2024, 'The Scorpion Files' does not concur with this and it retains the Urodacidae still abolished as per Soleglad, Fet and Kovarik, 2005 which argued for the inclusion of the Urodacidae as a subfamily of the Sorpionidae. However, other , more recent sources such as Vollschenk and Prendini, 2008 have rejected this decision. The Family: Diplocentridae, likewise, has been going back and forth between family and subfamily status with the latest research from 2017 again reinstating it as a family. These are just two examples of the debate and disagreements pertaining the taxonomy of scorpions.
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Considering the total number of species and the fact that the 21 species of the Genus: Urodacus (Scorpionidae) are all endemic to Australia, it is disappointing that only one species has been confirmed from the Northern Rivers region although a further two are possible candidates for local status. The largest scorpions in the world belong in this group and True Scorpions are on average larger than scorpions in other superfamilies. Those in the Family: Hormuridae have a flattened aspect. A relative few are of medical importance but those that are can be deadly. And finally many species build burrows in which they hide during the daytime.
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Fossils of Scorpionoids are rather uncommon with the only ones found to date belonging to three genera - one of which extinct - of the Family: Scorpionidae. The oldest fossil discovered sofar dates back to the Miocene 20.4 to 16 My ago and were found in 'mudstone' in China. Considering that scorpions are among the oldest sea and land creatures on earth and came onto the scene during the Silurian some 440 My ago one would have to draw the conclusion that the diverity we see at present is in fact, a fairly recent thing.
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Family: Hormuridae
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Rainforest Scorpion - Hormurus waigensis (possible occurrence)
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Family: Scorpionidae
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Urodacus macrurus (possible occurrence)
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Urodacus manicatus
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Taxonomy:
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Scorpiones (Scorpions)
> Suborder: Neoscorpionina
> Infraorder: Orthosterni
> Parvorder: Iurida
> Superfamily: Scorpionoidea (True Scorpions)
> Family: Hormuridae ^
> Genus: Hormurus ^
> Species: H. waigensis - Rainforest Scorpion ^
> Family: Scorpionidae (Largeclaw Scorpions)
> Genus: Urodacus
> Species: U. macrurus ^
> Species: U. manicatus
* = likely
^ = possibly
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
> Subphylum: Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
> Class: Arachnida (Arachnids)
> Order: Scorpiones (Scorpions)
> Suborder: Neoscorpionina
> Infraorder: Orthosterni
> Parvorder: Iurida
> Superfamily: Scorpionoidea (True Scorpions)
> Family: Hormuridae ^
> Genus: Hormurus ^
> Species: H. waigensis - Rainforest Scorpion ^
> Family: Scorpionidae (Largeclaw Scorpions)
> Genus: Urodacus
> Species: U. macrurus ^
> Species: U. manicatus
* = likely
^ = possibly
References and links:
> Soleglad, M.E., Fet, V., and Kovařík, F., (2005). ‘The systematic position of the scorpion genera Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903 and Urodacus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea).’ Euscorpius, No. 20: 1-37.
> Volschenk, E.S. and Prendini, L., (2008). 'Aops oncodactylus, gen. et sp. nov, the first troglobitic urodacid (Urodacidae: Scorpiones),with a re-assessment of cavernicolus, troglobitic and troglomorphicscorpions.’ Invertebrate Systematics. 2008; 22: 235.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/127715-Scorpionoidea
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-4303016.html
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/scorpionidae.php
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/scorpionidae_updates.pdf
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/urodacidae.php
> Soleglad, M.E., Fet, V., and Kovařík, F., (2005). ‘The systematic position of the scorpion genera Heteroscorpion Birula, 1903 and Urodacus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones: Scorpionoidea).’ Euscorpius, No. 20: 1-37.
> Volschenk, E.S. and Prendini, L., (2008). 'Aops oncodactylus, gen. et sp. nov, the first troglobitic urodacid (Urodacidae: Scorpiones),with a re-assessment of cavernicolus, troglobitic and troglomorphicscorpions.’ Invertebrate Systematics. 2008; 22: 235.
https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/127715-Scorpionoidea
https://www.mindat.org/taxon-4303016.html
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/scorpionidae.php
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/scorpionidae_updates.pdf
https://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/urodacidae.php
Photographic Contributions: