scorpion

The taxonomy of scorpions belonging to the genus Mesobuthus has undergone signifi cant revisions in recent times. Initially, based on the morphological characteristics, scientists identifi ed and described a considerable number of subspecies within diff erent species of this genus. However, in the last decade, modern researchers have “revised” the species diversity of the genus based on the results of genetic and morphological analyses, forming new separate species complexes.

. The article presents data on the new location of scorpions of the genus Mesobuthus in the Orenburg Nature Reserve. The aim of the work is to determine the species on the basis of the identifi ed morphological features of populations living in the Southern Urals (the territory of the Orenburg Nature Reserve, Orenburg region, Kuvandyksky Mountains.

Currently, new habitats of scorpions of the genus Mesobuthus have been established on the territory of the republics of Armenia and Dagestan. The aim of the study was to determine the phylogenetic position of scorpions inhabiting the territories of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Dagestan. This study contributes to the development of ideas about the zoogeographic distribution of the scorpion fauna in the Palaearctic.