Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2016; 4(5): 440-444 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 Review study of scorpion classification in Iran JEZS 2016; 4(5): 440-444 © 2016 JEZS Received: 04-07-2016 Rouhullah Dehghani, Farzad Motevali Haghi, Mohammad Yousef Accepted: 08-08-2016 Mogaddam, Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat and Hosna Hajati Rouhullah Dehghani Professor of Social Determinants Abstract of Health (SDH) Research This is a review study about scorpions. Scorpions are the order of Arachnida. They have poisonous and Center and Department of painful stings and their habitat is in the tropical and temperate regions of the world. In Iran, scorpion Environment Health, Kashan sting is one of the main health concerns, affecting many persons annually, and some of them lead to University of Medical Sciences, death. Identification of the scorpion species in each region and knowing their ecology and biology in Kashan, Iran order to prevent and treat the victims is very important. The aim of the present study was the revaluation of scorpion taxonomy condition in Iran. Up to now, a total of 59 species of Scorpionidae have been Farzad Motevali Haghi reported in Iran. More than 84% of the indentified species belonged to the family of Buthidae, 1.5% Assistant of Professor of Medical belonged to the Hemiscorpiidae and about 5% of them related to the Scorpionidae. Identification of Entomology, Faculty of Health, Mazandaran University of scorpions in Iran has been done based on the morphologic parameters. For the completion of the data on Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran scorpions in Iran, beside the morphologic methods the cell and molecular methods are recommended. Mohammad Yousef Mogaddam Keywords: Scorpion, Buthidae, Scorpionidae, Hemiscorpiidae, Iran MSc Student in Medical Entomology, Student Research Introduction Committee, Faculty of Public The evolutionary history of scorpions goes back to the Silurian area 450millions years ago. Health, Mazandaran University Due to their deadly venom, always they have been under the attention and hatred worldwide. of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran [1, 2] They are night active with deadly sting used in hunting the prey and as a defensive device . Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat They mostly live in desert and in the non- residential areas, but if their nest is destroyed they Assistant of professor of Medical may enter the residential areas [1, 3]. Scorpions are harmful for human due to their deadly sting. Entomology, Department of Therefore, scorpions are significant from the medical point of view. They are the major cause medical entomology and Vector of dead attributed to the Arthropoda [4]. Their natural habitat is in the northern hemisphere to Control, School of Public Health, Tehran university of Medical the geographical latitude of 52 degree and in the south to the geographical latitude of 50 Sciences, Tehran, Iran degree. Scorpion venom is one of the main health concerns in the tropical and subtropical countries Hosna Hajati like Iran, with many dead cases annually [5, 6]. Based on the obtained data and the survey of the Ph. D graduated of Animal National Centers for the Non contagious Diseases, every year fifty thousand of scorpion sting Science, Ferdowsi University of [4-7] Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran in Iran, most cases in Khuzestan and Hormozgan provinces . For this reason, the study and classification of the scorpion have been under attention. But the classification attributed to the arthropoda during the last decades has been controversial. In 1980, a total number of six families attributed to the scorpion, but in 1989 Stockwell reported some subfamilies, and also introduced some genera. [8, 9] Fet et al. (2000) reported seventeen families of scorpion . The number of scorpion families has undergone changes from 1980 through 2005. Soleglad et al. (2005) reported 6 super families, 13 families, 18 subfamilies, 10 order and about 2000 species [10]. Systematic changes in the scorpion have been done worldwide. Birula (1903) and Vachon (1973) reported the scorpions of Iran in two families of Buthidae and Scorpionidae [11]. Kovarik (1997) classified [12] the scorpions of Iran in tree families of Buthidae, Scorpionidae and Diplocentridae . Dehghani reported the classification of scorpion in three families of Buthidae, Scorpionidae and liochelidae, 18 genera, 29 species and 5 sub species. While some Iranian researchers reported the presence of the scorpions in 4 families: Buthidae, Scorpionidae, Hemiscorpioniidae and Diplocentridae [13, 14]. Taxonomy of scorpions in the world and Correspondence Farzad Motevali Haghi likewise in Iran faces certain problems due to lack of scientific method nomenclature and [13] Assistant of Professor of Medical classification . Despite development of molecular method and biochemical tests, still the Entomology, Faculty of Health, traditional morphometric methods used for the classification [13, 14]. Mazandaran University of Therefore this paper is prepared by reviewing of the relevant literatures on the scorpions in Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran Iran. ~ 440 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies Results used in the domestic animal keeping industry. Researchers classified the scorpions of Iran in three families It members are living in India and Sri Lanka, with 15-20 of Buthidae, Scorpionidae and Hemscorpidae. In general, centimeters length and 32 gram weight. Members of this comprising of 19 genera and 59 species (ie.51 species in family have five- angled sternum wide and very strong Buthidae, 5 species in Hemiscorpiidae and three species in pedipalp. Scorpionidae). Over 84% of indentified species in Iran These scorpions prefer wet lands and the warm plains, but belong to the Buthidae, 10.5% in the Hemiscorpiidae and 5% some species like, scorpion live in the dryer habitat. Major belong to the Scorpionidae (table- 1), [13, 14, 15]. species of this family are harmless. Identification of scorpion is based on the morphometric After many revision the subfamily of Hemiscorpionae methods. Still the changes in the number of the family, genus replaced to family. After the last revisions, by Solglad and and species of scorpion in Iran is in progress, in a way that Fet (2003) the number of the genera increased to 14 and the some researchers classify the scorpion of Iran in 4 families species to 208. and some in three families. Considering the papers All genera of the family Diplosentroidae replaced to the represented by the Iranian and the others researchers, all of family and sub family. At present, this family consists of 17 them agree on the presence of two families of scorpion such genera and 259 species [16]. These scorpions with the as Buthidae and Scorpionidae in Iran. subaculear spine are distinguished from scorpion. The Of course it was achieved following the different revisions scorpions in the subfamily of Diplocenridae have worldwide on the habitat of the scorpions in the world [5, 13, 14]. New distribution. The scorpions in the Nebo genus included in sub development of identification methods, particularly study in family, are living in North America, Mexico, the United the classification of the arthropods and the high curacy and State of America (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona); the Central sensitivity of molecular methods in identification of the America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Goat mala, Honduras, arthropods and insects could lead to the further changes in Nicaragua), South America (Colombia, Venezuela, the classification of the scorpions. Based on the latest study Caribbean Islands), Asia (Iran, Jordan, Lebenan, Oman, there are three families of scorpion in Iran as follow: Saudi Arabia, Syria and Yeman) and Africa (Egypt). Buthidae, Scorpionidae and Hemiscorpidae. Therefore we They are not medically significant. Some reports indicate of introduce the mentioned three families here. Nebo sting from Middle East. In Iran in addition to genus Scorpio, presence of the genus Nebo has been reported in the a- Buthidae Kerman province [13, 17, 31]. Buthidae is the largest family, can be found on all continents Only one genus and one species of this family have been except south and north polar regions. Members of this family reported in Iran, which are harmless [14]. They have five- are particularly living in the tropical and subtropical regions, angled sternum and wide pedipalp. The habitat is wet lands with 20 to 120 mm length and tree angles sternum. Some of and warm plains. Though some members of this family live the species in this family are included as the longest in the dry plain [16]. scorpions, while others are considered the medium length. The only identified species of their scorpion is Scorpio They have the same color of the living environment, though maurus and species of the Nebo [14, 31, 32, 39]. some of them may look gray and dark. The lateral eyes are 2 to 5 pairs; the tail length is the same as the length of c- Hemiscorpiidae abdomen and the cephalothorax. This family was known as Ischnuridae, previously. But in Members of this family have more world distribution among 2003 based on the international code of zoological other members of family [16]. The sting is painful followed by nomenclature (ICZN), it renamed as Liochelidae [16]. swelling and sense less. Pain is more felt at night. Soleglad et al. (2005) named this family Hemiscorpidae and Member of this family due to medical importance, have been the genus Heteroscorpion [4] included to this family [46]. In the under attention worldwide. Some members of this family are same year, Lourenco and Monod (2005) introduced the harmless. genus Habibella, Hemiscorpius and Synonym. Lourenco in 2001 introduced 80 genera of Buthidae [9] and Now, this family consists of 12 genera and 87 species. They 20 species of them are dangerous for man. This family is the have much similarity to the Scorpionidae family, hence largest in Iran, having 16 genera and 51 species. previously they were known as a family. These insects have Geographically, due to extensive distribution throughout worldwide distribution except North America regions.