ABSTRACT:The present work is a complementary contribution to the comprehensive study of the scorpion sting syndrome in Saudi Arabia. It deals with the identification and determination of medically important scorpions and the other ones, which were collected from two regions (Jazan and Al-Medina Al-Munawara), based on their morphology (the molecular phylogeny and venom characteristics will appear in subsequent publications). The specimens collected from those two regions were brought to the Research Center laboratories in several batches. Morphological identification of the collected specimens was done employing identification keys. There were 646 specimens collected from Jazan Region. A single species, Nebo hierichonticus (Family Diplocentridae), and five genera with four identified species, Parabuthus liosoma, Hottentotta jayakari (salei?), Compsobuthus werneri, Leiurus quinquestriatus (Vachoniolus globimanus?), Vachoniolus spp. (other species) andOrthochirus innesi (Family Buthidae), were classified as extant scorpions in the region. Three hundred and ninety-six specimens from Al-Medina Al-Munawara Region were categorized into eight groups; four of them were identified. Three buthids, Leiurus quinquestriatus, Androctonus crassicauda, Orthochirus innesi and one scorpion specimen, Scorpio maurus, were identified and classified as extant scorpions in this region. The other four species are still not completely identified. They are Vachoniolus (Buthacus minipectinibus?) globimanus? (Unidentified-1), Compsobuthus spp (arabicus?) (Unidentified-2), Compsobuthus spp (werneri?) (Unidentified-3) and a single specimen of Androctonus spp (australis?) (Unidentified-4), all of which belong to the family Buthidae.

The scorpions of Saudi Arabia were surveyed in the major regions of Jazan, Al-Medina, Al-Baha, Hail, and Riyadh, in addition to nine provinces surveyed more superficially. Jazan (1,440 specimens) had 10 buthids and two scorpionid species and subspecies; Al-Medina (867) had seven buthid and two scorpionid species and subspecies, one of which, the scorpionid Scorpio maurus (palmatus?), needs further confirmation of identity. The Al-Baha region (2421 specimens) contained five buthids and two scorpionid species and subspecies; Hail (1,921) had eight buthid and two scorpionid species and subspecies-the most common subspecies here was Scorpio maurus kruglovi. Androctonus crassicauda and Leiurus quinquestriatus were only found in Hail and Al-Baha; Androctonus bicolor was newly recorded in Hail and Riyadh. Riyadh (4,164 specimens) had nine buthid, one scorpionid and at least two hemiscorpiid species and subspecies. The Saudi fauna was found to comprise at least 28 species and subspecies of the families Buthidae, Scorpionidae and Hemiscorpiidae.

No abstract