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Name Changes

Changes to southern African scorpion classifications in 2026

In 2026, Prendini published a monograph that contains a revision of scorpion taxa of the world. This revision includes changes at family, genus, species levels for Southern African scorpions. As with the scientific process, some of these changes will be contested by other scientists, while others will be adopted verbatim. No doubt that these changes will take time to filter through popular media.

This page focuses upon those changes that affect Southern African scorpions. Download this detailed monologue using the link below.

All genera of the world: Order Scorpiones (Animalia: Arthropoda: Arachnida)

LORENZO PRENDINI
Arachnology Lab and Scorpion Systematics Research Group, Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, U.S.A. 

The present contribution provides a consensus classification of the arachnid Order Scorpiones C.L. Koch, 1850, and updates the counts of extant and extinct genera and species through the end of 2025. Including the revisions implemented herein, there are 459 genus-group names available in Scorpiones by the end of 2025.

Download Paper (1.3mb PDF)

Overview

Name changes involve lumping 2 species into a insole species, elevating subspecies to full species. There are three main changes for Southern African scorpions.

  • All African species of Opistacanthus have been moved into Cheloctonus.
  • Subspecies have been elevated to species. Most notably Uropelctes and Hadogenes.
  • Some species have been lumped into a single species. 
  • 1 species has been moved to a different family. 

Definitions

The following definitions will help you understand the changes.

  • Basionym - A basionym is the original name of a taxon on which a new combination (or name at new rank) is based.
  • comb. nov. - New combination.or name at new rank (status novus, stat. nov.) is a new name based on a legitimate, previously published name, which is its basionym.
  • Nomen dubium - a taxonomic name that cannot be assigned with certainty to any taxonomic group because the description is insufficient for identification.
  • stat. nov. - a new name based on a legitimate, previously published name, which is its basionym. The basionym provides the final epithet, name, or stem of the new combination or name at new rank.
  • stat. rev. - the status has been revised, updated or amended.
  • syn. nov. - The species is found to be identical to another named species, and the binomen of that 2ndspecies is older. The younger species' name is placed into the synonymy of the older species' name as a junior synonym.

Changes

Hadogenes

Two species are revalidated, six subspecies are elevated to the rank of species, and one subspecies is synonymized.

Hadogenes trichiurus werneri Fet, 1997a = Hormurus paucidens (Werner, 1939b), syn. nov. Hormurus paucidens (Werner, 1939b) may ultimately prove to be synonymous with another species of the genus.]

  • Hadogenes austroafricanus Penther, 1900 [nomen dubium]
  • Hadogenes caffer Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes crassicaudatus Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes dentatus Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes gracilioides Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes letabensis Werner, 1933, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes matoppoanus Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Hadogenes pallidus Pocock, 1898e, stat. rev.
  • Hadogenes trichiurus parvus Hewitt, 1925 = Hadogenes whitei Purcell, 1899, syn. nov.
  • Hadogenes whitei Purcell, 1899, stat. rev.
  • Hadogenes trichiurus werneri Fet, 1997a = Hormurus paucidens (Werner, 1939b), syn. nov.

Opistacanthus

All species of African Opistacanthus are now included into Cheloctonus. 

  • Cheloctonus africanus (Simon, 1876), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus anthracinus warreni Hewitt, 1931 = Cheloctonus anthracinus Pocock, 1899f, syn. nov.
  • Cheloctonus asper (Peters, 1861b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus basutus (Lawrence, 1955), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus capensis (Thorell, 1876b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus depressus Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Cheloctonus diremptus (Karsch, 1879b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus jonesii sculpturatus Hewitt, 1914 = Cheloctonus jonesii Pocock, 1892, syn. nov.
  • Cheloctonus laevipes (Pocock, 1893b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus lamorali (Lourenço, 1981b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus mossambicensis (Lourenço & Ythier, 2024), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus piscatorius (Lawrence, 1955), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus rugiceps (Pocock, 1897b), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus rugulosus (Pocock, 1896a), comb. nov.
  • Cheloctonus validus (Thorell, 1876b), comb. nov.

Uroplectes

Te subspecies of Uroplectes formosus have been split into the following species:

  • Uroplectes australis Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov.
  • Uroplectes basuticus Hewitt, 1927, stat. nov. (Lesotho)
  • Uroplectes maculipes Hewitt, 1918, stat. nov. (Central Natal)
  • Uroplectes spenceri Pocock, 1896b, stat. nov. (Eastern cape)
  • Uroplectes nigrimanus maore Lourenço, Wilmé & Ythier, 2025a = Uroplectes nigrimanus (Pocock, 1890a), syn. nov.
  • Uroplectes nigrimanus nigrocarinatus Kraepelin, 1913 = Uroplectes nigrimanus (Pocock, 1890a), syn. nov.
  • Uroplectes occidentalis var. monardi Vachon, 1950b = Uroplectes occidentalis Simon, 1876, syn. nov.
  • Uroplectes otjimbinguensis massacarum Monard, 1937 = Uroplectes otjimbinguensis (Karsch, 1879b), syn. nov.
  • Uroplectes planimanus kuanyamarus Monard, 1937 = Uroplectes planimanus (Karsch, 1879b), syn. nov.
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