Tityus (genus)

Genus of scorpions

Tityus

Temporal range: Palaeogene–present

PreꞒ

Tityus discrepans
Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Subphylum:  | Chelicerata
Class:  | Arachnida
Order:  | Scorpiones
Family:  | Buthidae
Genus:  | Tityus
Koch, 1836
Species

More than 200, see text

Tityus is a large genus of thick-tailed scorpions (family Buthidae), the namesake of its subfamily Tityinae. As of 2021, Tityus contains more than 220 described species distributed in Central America and South America, from Costa Rica to Argentina.[1][2] Species in the genus Tityus have been studied for hundreds of years, long before the taxonomic classification was put in place. Tityus tend to be of medium size for scorpions, roughly 50 to 70 millimeters long.[3] They are dark brown or red in color, and can exhibit sexual dimorphism.[3] They can live in a variety of environments, ranging from urban to arid mountains to the Amazon Rainforest. Tityus scorpions are best known for their venom and potent sting.[4][5] The genus contains several dangerously venomous scorpions, the best known of which is the Brazilian yellow scorpion, T. serrulatus. Its venom can cause severe illness (including pancreatitis), and in the young, old and infirm even death.[6] Some experts have argued that the genus as a whole may be paraphyletic, which could explain the knowledge gaps related to Tityus.  [3][5]

## Geography[edit]

Scorpions in the genus Tityus can live in several distinct environments across South America. However, there appears to be a clear geographic distinction that exists between species.[7] A species that inhabits the Andes Mountains will not also live in the Amazon Rainforest. In some South American countries, such as Argentina, the geographic range of Tityus scorpions is expanding.[7][8] This creates a problem for the general public and healthcare. When scorpion stings become more frequent, it puts more strain on hospitals and healthcare facilities.[5] [7][8]

## Venom[edit]

The genus Tityus is most well known for its venomous species.[5] Tityus serrulatus venom contains a powerful neurotoxin that affects almost all anatomical body systems.[4] The most dangerous species in the genus Tityus is serrulatus.[9] The nature of their venom and its ability to impact the entire body make Tityus serrulatus a particularly dangerous species. However, their stings are not often lethal, which may be due to low venom mass injected.[4][10] Young children and seniors are at a higher risk of death than the general population.[4] Many factors are important for determining how dangerous a scorpion sting will be.[11] Variables such as venom composition, location of the sting, and the overall health makeup of the victim in question play a role in determining the lethality of a sting.[11] Scorpion stings are the most common cause of envenomation in Brazil, and are seen as a risk in urban environments.[4] [5] Scorpions in the genus Tityus have been studied by medical researchers for the purpose of identifying and understanding the toxins produced by various species.[4] [8]

## Behavior[edit]

Little is known and fully understood about scorpion behavior in the genus Tityus. This is especially true regarding reproduction. However, several species of Tityus (including Tityus serrulatus) is parthenogenic.[12] Scorpions are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. Parthenogenesis is the process of laying unfertilized eggs.[12] This survival strategy may contribute to their success in a variety of environments.[12] It is believed that females use a form of chemical communication to induce male courtship.[13] After being exposed to compounds associated with female scorpions, male scorpions will alter their behavior and perform behaviors characteristic of courtship.[13] Tityus scorpions use their stingers for defense, which is a behavior demonstrated by both sexes.[14] Venom is energetically expensive to create, so scorpions only use their stinger when seriously threatened.[14]

## Diet[edit]

Scorpions in the genus Tityus are carnivores.[3] They feed on insects such as cockroaches and crickets.[3] It is believed that members of the genus Tityus can survive for over a year without food, and even give birth after lengthy periods of starvation.[3] This is another survival technique that helps them outlast unfavorable conditions.

## Species[edit]

* Tityus aba Candido, Lucas, de Souza, Diaz & Lira-da-Silva, 2005
* Tityus abudi Armas, 1999
* Tityus acananensis González-Sponga, 2009
* Tityus adisi Lourenço, 2002
* Tityus adrianoi Lourenço, 2003
* Tityus ahincoi González-Sponga, 2001
* Tityus altithronus Armas, 1999
* Tityus anasilviae Armas & Abud Antun, 2004
* Tityus androcottoides (Karsch, 1879)
* Tityus anduzei González-Sponga, 1997
* Tityus angelesae Santiago-Blay, 2009
* Tityus anneae Lourenço, 1997
* Tityus antioquensis Lourenço & Otero Patiño, 1998
* Tityus apiacas Lourenço,2002
* †Tityus apozonalli Riquelme, Villegas & González, 2015[15]
* Tityus arellanoparrai González-Sponga, 1985
* Tityus argentinus Borelli, 1899
* Tityus asthenes Pocock, 1893
* Tityus atriventer Pocock, 1897
* Tityus bahiensis (Perty, 1833)
* Tityus bahoruco Teruel & Armas, 2006
* Tityus barquisimetanus González-Sponga, 1994
* Tityus bastosi Lourenço, 1984
* Tityus bellulus Armas, 1999
* Tityus betschi Lourenço, 1992
* Tityus birabeni Abalos, 1955
* Tityus blanci Lourenço, 1994
* Tityus blaseri Mello-Leitão, 1931
* Tityus boconoensis González-Sponga, 1981
* Tityus bolivanus Kraepelin, 1895
* Tityus brazilae Lourenço & Eickstedt, 1984
* Tityus breweri González-Sponga, 1997
* Tityus cachipalensis González-Sponga, 2002
* Tityus caesarbarrioi González-Sponga, 2001
* Tityus canopensis Lourenço, 2002
* Tityus carabobensis González-Sponga, 1987
* Tityus carinatoides Mello-Leitão, 1945
* Tityus caripitensis Quiroga, deSousa & Parrilla-Alvarez, 2000
* Tityus carvalhoi Mello-Leitão, 1945
* Tityus cerroazul Lourenço, 1986
* Tityus championi Pocock, 1898
* Tityus charalaensis Mello-Leitão, 1940
* Tityus charreyroni Vellard, 1932
* Tityus chilensis Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus cisandinus Lourenço & Ythier, 2017
* Tityus clathratus C. L. Koch, 1844
* Tityus columbianus (Thorell, 1876)
* Tityus confluens Borelli, 1899
* Tityus costatus (Karsch, 1879)
* Tityus crassicauda (Lourenço, 2013)
* Tityus crassimanus (Thorell, 1876)
* Tityus cuellari Lourenço, 1994
* Tityus culebrensis González-Sponga, 1994
* Tityus cylindricus (Karsch, 1879)
* Tityus dasyurus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus dedoslargos Francke & Stockwell, 1987
* Tityus demangei Lourenço, 1981
* Tityus dinizi Lourenço, 1997
* Tityus discrepans (Karsch, 1879)
* Tityus dorae González-Sponga, 2001
* Tityus duacaensis González-Sponga, 2007
* Tityus dulceae González-Sponga, 2006
* Tityus dupouyi González-Sponga, 1987
* Tityus ebanoverde Armas, 1999
* Tityus ecuadorensis Kraepelin, 1896
* Tityus elii (Armas & Marcano Fondeur, 1992)
* Tityus elizabethae Lourenço & Ramos, 2004
* Tityus elizabethebravoi González-Sponga & Wall Gonzalez, 2007
* Tityus engelkei Pocock, 1902
* Tityus estherae Santiago-Blay, 2009
* Tityus evandroi Mello-Leitão, 1945
* † Tityus exstinctus Lourenço, 1995
* Tityus fasciolatus Pessôa, 1935
* Tityus festae Borelli, 1899
* Tityus filodendron González-Sponga, 1981
* Tityus florezi Lourenço, 2000
* Tityus footei Chamberlin, 1916
* Tityus forcipula (Gervais, 1843)
* Tityus fuhrmanni Kraepelin, 1914
* Tityus funestus Hirst, 1911
* Tityus gaffini Lourenço, 2000
* Tityus gasci Lourenço, 1982
* Tityus gonzalespongai Quiroga, de Sousa, Parrilla-Alvarez & Manzanilla, 2004
* Tityus guaricoensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004
* Tityus horacioi Lourenço & Leguin, 2011
* Tityus imei Borges, de Sousa & Manzanilla, 2006
* Tityus indecisus Mello-Leitão, 1934
* Tityus insignis (Pocock, 1889)
* Tityus intermedius Borelli, 1899
* Tityus irapaensis González-Sponga, 2002
* Tityus isabelceciliae González-Sponga, D'Suze & Sevcik, 2001
* Tityus ivani González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus ivicnancor González-Sponga, 1997
* Tityus jeanvellardi Lourenço, 2001
* Tityus julianae Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus juliorum Santiago-Blay, 2009
* Tityus jussarae Lourenço, 1988
* Tityus kaderkai Kovarik, 2005
* Tityus kalettai González-Sponga, 2007
* Tityus kukututee Ythier, Chevalier & Gangadin, 2020
* Tityus kuryi Lourenço, 1997
* Tityus lancinii González-Sponga, 1972
* Tityus lokiae Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus longidigitus González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus lourencoi Flórez, 1996
* Tityus lutzi Giltay, 1928
* Tityus macrochirus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus magnimanus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus maimirensis González-Sponga, 2007
* Tityus manakai González-Sponga, 2004
* Tityus maniapurensis González-Sponga, 2009
* Tityus marajoensis Lourenço & da Silva, 2007
* Tityus maranhensis Lourenço, de Jesus Junior & Limeira-de-Oliveira, 2006
* Tityus martinpaechi Lourenço, 2001
* Tityus matthieseni Lourenço & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2000
* Tityus mattogrossensis Borelli, 1901
* Tityus maturinensis González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus melanostictus Pocock, 1893
* Tityus melici Lourenço, 2003
* Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus michelii Armas, 1982
* Tityus microcystis Lutz & Mello, 1922
* Tityus monaguensis González-Sponga, 1974
* Tityus mongei Lourenço, 1996
* Tityus mucusunamensis González-Sponga, 2006
* Tityus munozi Lourenço, 1997
* Tityus neblina Lourenço, 2008
* Tityus neglectus Mello-Leitão, 1932
* Tityus neibae Armas, 1999
* Tityus nelsoni Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus nematochirus Mello-Leitão, 1940
* Tityus neoespartanus González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus nororientalis González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus obispoi González-Sponga, 2006
* Tityus obscurus (Gervais, 1843)
* Tityus obtusus (Karsch, 1879)
* Tityus ocelote Francke & Stockwell, 1987
* Tityus osmanus González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus oteroi Lourenço, 1998
* Tityus ottenwalderi Armas, 1999
* Tityus pachyurus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus pampanensis González-Sponga, 2007
* Tityus paraguayensis Kraepelin, 1895
* Tityus parvulus Kraepelin, 1914
* Tityus paulistorum Lourenço & Qi, 2006
* Tityus perijanensis González-Sponga, 1994
* Tityus pictus Pocock, 1893
* Tityus pintodarochai Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus pittieri González-Sponga, 1981
* Tityus pococki Hirst, 1907
* Tityus portoplatensis Armas & Marcano Fondeur, 1992
* Tityus potameis Lourenço & Leão Giupponi, 2004
* Tityus prancei Lourenço, 2000
* Tityus proseni Abalos, 1954
* Tityus pugilator Pocock, 1898
* Tityus pusillus Pocock, 1893
* Tityus quiriquirensis González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus quirogae De Sousa, Manzanilla & Parrilla-Alvarez, 2006
* Tityus quisqueyanus (Armas, 1982)
* Tityus ramirezi Esquivel de Verde, 1969 [nomen dubium]
* Tityus raquelae Lourenço, 1988
* Tityus rebieri Lourenço, 1997
* Tityus riocaurensis González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus rionegrensis Lourenço, 2006
* Tityus riverai Teruel & Sanchez, 2009
* Tityus roigi Maury & Lourenço, 1987
* Tityus rojasi González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus romeroi González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus rondonorum Rojas-Runjaic & Armas, 2007
* Tityus rufofuscus Pocock, 1897
* Tityus rugosus Schenkel, 1932
* Tityus rusmelyae González-Sponga, D'Suze & Sevcik, 2001
* Tityus sabinae Lourenço, 1994
* Tityus sanarensis González-Sponga, 1997
* Tityus sanfernandoi González-Sponga, 2008
* Tityus sarisarinamensis González-Sponga, 2002
* Tityus sastrei Lourenço & Flórez, 1990
* Tityus septentrionalis Armas & Abud Antun, 2004
* Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922
* Tityus shiriana González-Sponga, 1991
* Tityus silvestris Pocock, 1897
* Tityus simonsi Pocock, 1900
* Tityus smithii Pocock, 1893
* Tityus soratensis Kraepelin, 1912
* Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1876)
* Tityus strandi Werner, 1939
* Tityus surimeridensis González-Sponga, 2002
* Tityus surorientalis González-Sponga, 1996
* Tityus sylviae Lourenço, 2005
* Tityus tamayoi González-Sponga, 1987
* Tityus tayrona Lourenço, 1991
* Tityus tenuicauda Prendini, 2001
* Tityus thelyacanthus Mello-Leitão, 1933
* Tityus timendus Pocock, 1898
* Tityus trinitatis Pocock, 1897
* Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898
* Tityus tucurui Lourenço, 1988
* Tityus uniformis Mello-Leitão, 1931
* Tityus unus Lourenço & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2000
* Tityus uquirensis González-Sponga, 2001
* Tityus urachichensis González-Sponga, 2007
* Tityus urbinai Scorza, 1952
* Tityus uruguayensis Borelli, 1901
* Tityus vaissadei Lourenço, 2002
* Tityus valerae Scorza, 1954
* Tityus venamensis González-Sponga, 1981
* Tityus ventuarensis González-Sponga, 2009
* Tityus walli González-Sponga & Wall Gonzalez, 2007
* Tityus wayuu Rojas-Runjaic & Armas, 2007
* Tityus yerenai González-Sponga, 2009
* Tityus ythieri Lourenço, 2007
* Tityus zulianus González-Sponga, 1981

Tityus trinitatis
Trinidad Tityus apozonalli
in amber

## References[edit]

1. ^ Rein, Jan Ove (2021). "Buthidae". The Scorpion Files. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
2. ^ Jimmy A. Guerrero-Vargas, Caroline B. F. Mourão, Verónica Quintero-Hernández, Lourival D. Possani & Elisabeth F. Schwartz (2011). "Identification and phylogenetic analysis of Tityus pachyurus and Tityus obscurus novel putative Na+-channel scorpion toxins". PLoS ONE. 7 (2): e30478. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...7E0478G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0030478. PMC 3280238. PMID 22355312.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ a b c d e f Santos, Maria Dulcineia dos; Porto, Tiago Jordão; Silva, Rejâne Maria Lira da; Brazil, Tania (2014-08-15). "Description of the male of Tityus kuryi Lourenço, 1997 and notes about males of Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1877) and Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922 (Scorpiones, Buthidae)". ZooKeys (435): 49–61. doi:10.3897/zookeys.435.6694. ISSN 1313-2970. PMC 4141186. PMID 25152686.
4. ^ a b c d e f Bucaretchi, Fábio; Fernandes, Luciane C. R.; Fernandes, Carla B.; Branco, Maíra M.; Prado, Camila C.; Vieira, Ronan J.; De Capitani, Eduardo M.; Hyslop, Stephen (2014-10-01). "Clinical consequences of Tityus bahiensis and Tityus serrulatus scorpion stings in the region of Campinas, southeastern Brazil". Toxicon. 89: 17–25. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.06.022. ISSN 0041-0101. PMID 25011046.
5. ^ a b c d e Mendoza-Tobar, Leydy Lorena; Meza-Cabrera, Ivonne Alejandra; Sepúlveda-Arias, Juan C.; Guerrero-Vargas, Jimmy Alexander (November 2021). "Comparison of the Scorpionism Caused by Centruroides margaritatus, Tityus pachyurus and Tityus n. sp. aff. metuendus Scorpion Venoms in Colombia". Toxins. 13 (11): 757. doi:10.3390/toxins13110757. ISSN 2072-6651. PMC 8625436. PMID 34822541.
6. ^ Daniel Strickman, Stephen P. Frances & Mustapha Debboun (2009). Prevention of Bug Bites, Stings, and Disease. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-536578-8.
7. ^ a b c de Roodt, Adolfo; Lanari, Laura Cecilia; Remes-Lenicov, Mariana; Cargnel, Elda; Damin, Carlos Fabián; Greco, Vanina; Orduna, Tomás Agustín; Lloveras, Susana; Desio, Marcela Alejandra; van Grootheest, Jantine Henriette; Casas, Natalia (2020-04-20). "Change in the distribution of Tityus species of sanitary importance in Argentina". Toxicon. 20th World Congress of the International Society on Toxinology. 177: S16–S17. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.10.071. ISSN 0041-0101. S2CID 220411797.
8. ^ a b c Pimentel, Pollyana Maria de Oliveira; de Assis, Diego Rodney Rodrigues; Gualdrón-Lopez, Melisa; Barroso, Andréia; Brant, Fátima; Leite, Paulo Gaio; de Lima Oliveira, Bruno Cabral; Esper, Lisia; McKinnie, Shaun M. K.; Vederas, John C.; do Nascimento Cordeiro, Marta (2021-05-01). "Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom as a potential drug source for Chagas' disease: Trypanocidal and immunomodulatory activity". Clinical Immunology. 226: 108713. doi:10.1016/j.clim.2021.108713. ISSN 1521-6616. PMID 33711450. S2CID 232217487.
9. ^ Miyamoto, Jackson G.; Andrade, Fabio B.; Ferraz, Camila R.; Cândido, Denise M.; Knysak, Irene; Venancio, Émerson J.; Verri, Waldiceu A.; Landgraf, Maristella A.; Landgraf, Richardt G.; Kwasniewski, Fábio H. (2018-01-01). "A comparative study of pathophysiological alterations in scorpionism induced by Tityus serrulatus and Tityus bahiensis venoms". Toxicon. 141: 25–33. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.11.005. ISSN 0041-0101. PMID 29170053. S2CID 10071860.
10. ^ Pucca, Manuela Berto; Cerni, Felipe Augusto; Pinheiro Junior, Ernesto Lopes; Bordon, Karla de Castro Figueiredo; Amorim, Fernanda Gobbi; Cordeiro, Francielle Almeida; Longhim, Heloisa Tavoni; Cremonez, Caroline Marroni; Oliveira, Guilherme Honda; Arantes, Eliane Candiani (2015). "Tityus serrulatus venom – A lethal cocktail". Toxicon. 108: 272–284. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.10.015. PMID 26522893 - via ResearchGate.
11. ^ a b Pucca, Manuela Berto; Cerni, Felipe Augusto; Pinheiro Junior, Ernesto Lopes; Bordon, Karla de Castro Figueiredo; Amorim, Fernanda Gobbi; Cordeiro, Francielle Almeida; Longhim, Heloisa Tavoni; Cremonez, Caroline Marroni; Oliveira, Guilherme Honda; Arantes, Eliane Candiani (2015-12-15). "Tityus serrulatus venom – A lethal cocktail". Toxicon. 108: 272–284. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2015.10.015. ISSN 0041-0101. PMID 26522893.
12. ^ a b c Lima, Juliana Figueiredo; Carvalho, Leonardo Sousa; Schneider, Marielle Cristina (June 2020). "The first chromosomal analysis of bisexual populations of the Brazilian scorpion Tityus serrulatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae)". The Journal of Arachnology. 48 (1): 77–83. doi:10.1636/0161-8202-48.1.77. ISSN 0161-8202. S2CID 220056924.
13. ^ a b Pordeus, L.M.; Lira, A.F.A.; Albuquerque, C.M.R. (December 2019). "Male courtship behavior is triggered by female chemical cues in the scorpion Tityus pusillus (Scorpiones: Buthidae)". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 97 (12): 1122–1125. doi:10.1139/cjz-2019-0020. ISSN 0008-4301. S2CID 202020286.
14. ^ a b Albuquerque, Kamila Bento Cavalcanti de; Lira, André Felipe de Araujo (December 2021). "Sex-based defensive behavior influenced by threat level in the scorpion Tityus pusillus (Scorpiones: Buthidae)". The Journal of Arachnology. 49 (3): 402–406. doi:10.1636/JoA-S-20-074. ISSN 0161-8202. S2CID 245013948.
15. ^ Riquelme, F.; Villegas-Guzmán, G.; González-Santillán, E.; Córdova-Tabares, V.; Francke, O. F.; Piedra-Jiménez, D.; Estrada-Ruiz, E.; Luna-Castro, B. (2015). "New Fossil Scorpion from the Chiapas Amber Lagerstätte". PLOS ONE. 10 (8): 1–20. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1033396R. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133396. PMC 4526686. PMID 26244974.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tityus.

* Guide to dangerous scorpions

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q1933958
* Wikispecies: Tityus
* ADW: Tityus
* BioLib: 104746
* BOLD: 212250
* CoL: 7XBG
* EoL: 62733
* EPPO: 1TITYG
* Fossilworks: 272526
* GBIF: 2123713
* iNaturalist: 119890
* IRMNG: 1432648
* ITIS: 82719
* NCBI: 6886
* uBio: 514210

|

Authority control databases: National |

* Israel
* United States

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*[†]: Extinct