Phylogenetic Relationships of Scorpion Compsobuthus matthiesseni Based on Sequences of Internal Transcribed Spacer ۲ Gene from Khuzestan Province, Iran

Buthidae family includes scorpions with highly potent venom such as Compsobuthus matthiesseni is important due to the prevalence of scorpion stings in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Morphometric comparison of males and females (n=۵ each) showed that the body and carapas of the females were longer and wider (۳۲.۵۷±۰.۲۳ mm and ۳.۷۵±۰.۲۲ mm, respectively) than those of males (۲۸.۸۹±۰.۲۵ mm and ۳.۵۵±۰.۱۲ mm, respectively). From the seven specimens of C. matthiesseni scorpion, ۴۱۰-bp gene fragments of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer ۲ were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The specimens of CM۱ and CM۲ (isolated from Baghmalek, Khuzestan) were in the same group with bootstrap values of ۸۷%. Nevertheless, CM۴ and CM۳ (isolated from Shushtar and Bidroobe, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of ۷۳% and ۶۲% were separated from the two specimens of Baghmalek, respectively. The two specimens CF۳ and CM۵ (isolated from Masjed Soleiman, Khuzestan) with bootstrap values of ۸۸% were placed next to each other in a separate group. CF۲ was separated from the rest of the specimens with a bootstrap value of ۵۴%. Out of the seven scorpions that were examined, six specimens (CM۱, CM۲, CM۳, CM۴, CM۵, and CF۳) showed the greatest similarity between ۱.۱% and ۴%. However, the genetic distance between CF۲ and the rest of the specimens was at the range of ۱۰.۸-۱۴.۲%. It can be concluded that all C. matthiesseni scorpions from Khuzestan Province belonged to one species; nonetheless, differences were observed within the species, especially in the case of CF۲, which might be intraspecies.

Keywords:

Scorpion , Compsobuthus matthiesseni , phylogenetic , Internal transcribed spacer ۲