Buthacus
Buthacus is a genus of scorpions in the family Buthidae. Species of the genus are distributed across northern and western Africa, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Taxonomy
The genus was erected in 1908 by A.A. Birula, originally as a subgenus of the genus Buthus. It was elevated to genus rank by M. Vachon in 1949.Diversity
Species of the genus Buthacus are very similar to each other and have been considered subspecies in some examples. At least 22 species are known, some of need taxonomic revision:Buthacus arenicola Buthacus bicolor Afifeh, Al-Saraireh, Baker 2022Buthacus birulai Lourenço, 2006Buthacus buettikeri Hendrixson, 2006Buthacus calviceps Buthacus clevai Lourenço, 2001Buthacus ehrenbergi Kovařík, 2005Buthacus foleyi Vachon, 1949Buthacus huberi Lourenço, 2001Buthacus leptochelys - Egyptian green scorpionButhacus macrocentrus Buthacus mahraouii Lourenço, 2004Buthacus maliensis Lourenço & Qi, 2007Buthacus nigerianus Lourenço & Qi, 2006Buthacus nigroaculeatus Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973Buthacus occidentalis Lourenço, 2000Buthacus pakistanensis Lourenço & Qi, 2006Buthacus spatzi Buthacus striffleri Lourenço, 2004Buthacus villiersi Vachon, 1949Buthacus williamsi Lourenço & Leguin, 2009Buthacus ziegleri Lourenço, 2000General characteristics
Small to moderately sized scorpions. Most species are yellow, some are brownish, yellow-grayish or yellow-greenish colored. They show a rather slim habitus with long walking legs and a slender metasoma; pedipalp chelae very gracile and elongate. Cephalothorax smooth or with very weak carinae.Toxicity
As in other buthids the venom in at least some species of Buthacus is relatively potent and can be of medical importance to humans.| Species | Median lethal dose |
| B. arenicola | 0.99 - 3.50 |
| B. leptochelys | 0.77 - 5.62 |