sequencing

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 aim of the research is to determine the phylogenetic connections of scorpion representatives of the genus Mesobuthus living in the Lower Volga region and their comparison with other taxa (subspecies and species of this genus). For this, scorpions were collected on the territory of the Lower Volga region. The nucleotide sequences of the collected specimens were deciphered and compared with the sequences of species of the genus Mesobuthus from other regions of the Palearctic. The phylogenetic connections of the investigated objects are determined.