Hottentotta Birula, 1908 is one of the most widely distributed buthid scorpions, with more than 40 described species from Africa, across the Middle East, to India. Currently, this genus is represented by ten morphological species in Iran (H. akbarii, H. jayakari, H. juliae, H. khoozestanus, H. lorestanus, H. navidpouri, H. saulcyi, H. schach, H. sistanensis and H. zagrosensis), all of which are endemic or ubendemic in Iran. The members of this genus have not been properly studied from the taxonomic point of view. A tool that could contribute to scorpions\\\' taxonomic studies is geometric morphometry, which is defined as the fusion between geometry and biology. In this study, the size and shape variations in sternocoxal structure in Hottentotta populations have been examined using the geometric morphometric method. The goal was to analyze the isometric size and conformation in nine species of Hottentotta. 100 individuals of Hottentotta, collected from different parts of Iran during 2018-2020, were photographed. Coordinate (x, y) configurations from landmarks were registered in sternocoxal structures. Geometric morphometric analyses were performed using R language. The results clearly showed divergence in the shape and size of sternocoxal structure among the studied taxa. However, the major shape changes were associated with H. akbarii which has a larger size of sternocoxal structure and a narrower sternum, shorter coxa II-III, and longer coxa IV.

Keywords