The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1339 species as of 2022. A few very large genera (Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus, or Tityus) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. They have a cosmopolitan distribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.
Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these (Hemiscorpius lepturus) are members of the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.
List of genera and number of species
The following genera are recognised in the family Buthidae:
Aegaeobuthus Kovarik, 2019 (4 sp) Afroisometrus Kovarik, 1997 (1 sp) Afrolychas Kovarik, 2019 (2 sp) Akentrobuthus Lamoral, 1976 (2 sp) Alayotityus Armas, 1973 (8 sp) Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (92 sp) Ananteroides Borelli, 1911 (2 sp) Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 (29 sp) Anomalobuthus Kraepelin, 1900 (6 sp) Apistobuthus Finnegan, 1932 (2 sp) †Archaeoananteroides Lourenço & Velten, 2016 (Cretaceous, Burmese amber) Australobuthus Locket, 1990 (1 sp) Babycurus Karsch, 1886 (14 sp) Baloorthochirus Kovarik, 1996 (1 sp) Barbaracurus Kovarik, Lowe & Stahlavsky, 2018 (10 sp) Birulatus Vachon, 1974 (4 sp) Buthacus Birula, 1908 (23 sp) Butheoloides Hirst, 1925 (19 sp) Butheolus Simon, 1882 (6 sp) Buthiscus Birula, 1905 (1 sp) Buthoscorpio Werner, 1936 (5 sp) Buthus Leach, 1815 (65 sp) Centruroides Marx, 1890 (93 sp) Charmus Karsch, 1879 (5 sp) Chaneke Francke, Teruel & Santibanez-Lopez, 2014 (4 sp) Cicileiurus Teruel, 2007 (1 sp) Cicileus Vachon, 1948 (5 sp) Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 (49 sp) Congobuthus Lourenço, 1999 (1 sp) Darchenia Vachon, 1977 (1 sp) Egyptobuthus Lourenço, 1999 (1 sp) Femtobuthus Lowe, 2010 (1 sp) Fetilinia Lowe & Kovarik, 2021 (1 sp) Gint Kovarik, Lowe, Pliskova & Stahlavsky, 2013 (12 sp) Grosphus Simon, 1880 (34 sp) Hemibuthus Pocock, 1900 (2 sp) Hemilychas Hirst, 1911 (1 sp) Heteroctenus Pocock, 1893 (9 sp) Himalayotityobuthus Lourenço, 1997 (2 sp) Hottentotta Birula, 1908 (58 sp) Iranobuthus Kovarik, 1997 (1 sp) Ischnotelson Esposito, Yamaguti, Souza, Pinto da Rocha & Prendini (2 sp) Isometroides Keyserling, 1885 (1 sp) Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (10 sp) Jaguajir Esposito, Yamaguti, Souza, Pinto da Rocha & Prendini, 2017 (3 sp) Janalychas Kovarik, 2019 (9 sp) Karasbergia Hewitt, 1913 (1 sp) Kraepelinia Vachon, 1974 (1 sp) Lanzatus Kovarik, 2001 (2 sp) Leiurus Ehrenberg, 1828 (17 sp) Liobuthus Birula, 1898 (1 sp) Lissothus Vachon, 1948 (3 sp) Lychas C.L. Koch, 1845 (31 sp) Lychasoides Vachon, 1974 (1 sp) Mauritanobuthus Qi & Lourenço (1 sp) Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 (12 sp) Mesotityus Gonzalez-Sponga, 1981 (1 sp) Microananteris Lourenço, 2003 (1 sp) Microbuthus Kraepelin, 1898 (7 sp) Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 (16 sp) Microtityus Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966 (40 sp) Neobuthus Hirst, 1911 (16 sp) Neogrosphus Lourenço, 1995 (3 sp) Neoprotobuthus Lourenço, 2000 (1 sp) Odontobuthus Vachon, 1950 (6 sp) Odonturus Karsch, 1879 (1 sp) Olivierus Farzanpay, 1987 (18 sp) Orthochiroides Kovarik, 1998 (3 sp) Orthochirus Karsch, 1891 (53 sp) Pantobuthus Lourenço & Duhem, 2009 (1 sp) Parabuthus Pocock, 1890 (38 sp) Pectinibuthus Fet in Orlov & Vasilyev, 1984 (1 sp) Physoctonus Mello-Leitao, 1934 (3 sp) Picobuthus Lowe, 2010 (2 sp) Plesiobuthus Pocock, 1900 (1 sp) Polisius Fet, Capes & Sissom, 2001 (1 sp) Pseudolissothus Lourenço, 2001 (1 sp) Pseudolychas Kraepelin, 1911 (3 sp) Pseudouroplectes Lourenço, 1995 (5 sp) Razianus Farzanpay, 1987 (4 sp) Reddyanus Vachon, 1972 (34 sp) Rhopalurus Thorell, 1876 (3 sp) Saharobuthus Lourenço & Duhem, 2009 (1 sp) Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 (2 sp) Somalibuthus Kovarik, 1998 (2 sp) Somalicharmus Kovarik, 1998 (1 sp) Spelaeolychas Kovarik, 2019 (1 sp) Teruelius Lowe & Kovarik, 2019 (22 sp) Thaicharmus Kovarik, 1995 (4 sp) Tityobuthus Pocock, 1893 (19 sp) Tityopsis Armas, 1974 (6 sp) Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 (223 sp) Troglorhopalurus Lourenço, Baptista & Giupponi, 2004 (2 sp) Troglotityobuthus Lourenço, 2000 (1 sp) Trypanothacus Lowe, Kovarik, Stockmann & Stahlavsky, 2019 (2 sp) †Uintascorpio Perry, 1995 (Eocene, Green River Formation) Uroplectes Peters, 1861 (34 sp) Vachoniolus Levy, Amitai & Shulov, 1973 (4 sp) Vachonus Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 (4 sp) Xenobuthus Lowe, 2018 (3 sp) Zabius Thorell, 1893 (3 sp)
