20th International Congress of Arachnology

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and nerve tracts in the protocerebrum. The current study
highlights the vast amount of variation found in spider
neuromorphology and the potential for using brain varia-
tion to study visual processing in spiders.
Keywords: brain, vision, morphology, variation
Oral presentation
Systematics and biogeography of the
Asian forest scorpions, genus Heterometrus
Ehrenberg, 1828
Stephanie Loria1,2, Lorenzo Prendini2
1Richard Gilder Graduate School American Museum
of Natural History Central Park West at 79th Street
New York, NY 10024-5192, U.S.A; 2Division of
Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural
History Central Park West at 79 th Street New York, NY
10024-5192, USA
Asian forest scorpions of the genus Heterometrus
Ehrenberg, 1828 include some of the world’s largest
scorpions, e.g., H. swammerdami Simon, 1872, reach-
ing almost 180 mm in length. As their vernacular name
suggests, the 36 species of Heterometrus are distributed
throughout the tropical and subtropical forests of South
and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan to Wallace’s Line. All
Heterometrus species are fossorial, rarely leaving their
underground burrows and, consequently, their dispersal
abilities are limited. We present the first phylogeny of
Heterometrus and the first biogeographical analysis of
Southeast Asian scorpions using both morphological and
molecular data. The dataset comprised approximately 70
samples representing twenty-two ingroup species from
across the distribution. Other genera of the family Scor-
pionidae Latreille, 1802 from Africa and the Middle East
were included as outgroups. The origins and diversifica-
tion of Heterometrus were tested using divergence time
estimation and ancestral range estimation. Results of
this study have implications for the systematics of Asian
forest scorpions and for understanding the complex geo-
logical history of South and Southeast Asia.
Keywords: systematics, scorpions, biogeography, South-
east Asia
Oral presentation
Brachypelma vagans, a successful inva-
sive species on Cozumel Island, Mexico: a
molecular perspective
Salima Machkour M’Rabet, Hénaut Yann
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, México
The Mexican redrump tarantula has shown its high
potential as an invasive species through two success-
ful invasions. One in Florida and a second which
commenced on Cozumel Island (Mexico) in 1971,
through the liberation of different animal species after
the filming of a movie. The context for the tarantula
in Cozumel is particularly interesting because the
island has a protected area in the north and a highly
perturbed zone in the center and south for the develop-
ment of important touristic infrastructure. Using highly
polymorphic molecular markers (ISSR; Inter Simple
Sequence Repeats), we studied the genetic diversity
and population structure of this protected tarantula at
two localities on Cozumel island (invasive area) and
two localities on the mainland (the Yucatan Peninsula
being its natural distribution range) as a reference.
At all localities, genetic diversity is high suggesting
that the invasive population has not experienced the
negative consequences of the founder effect. Tarantula
biology and environmental conditions were invoked
in order to understand why the invasions have been so
successful. The genetic structure of one population on
the island, within a conserved area in the north part of
the island, presents a genetic profile similar to the origi-
nal invasive populations, whereas the other population,
in the tourism orientated south of the island, presents
a mix of the original and mainland profile. These
results suggest more recent introductions associated
with the human activities on the island. Furthermore,
we identify one mainland population that appears to be
at risk of extinction, revealing how a species can be at
risk in its natural range of distribution but a successful
invader in new areas.
Keywords: population genetic, genetic diversity, inva-
sion, conservation
128 DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE REPORTS | No. 3, July 2, 2016
Cushing