The genus Vietbocap Lourenço & Pham, 2010 in the Thien Duong cave, Vietnam: A possible case of subterranean speciation in scorpions (Scorpiones: Pseudochactidae)

Researchers have identified two new species of scorpions belonging to the genus Vietbocap within the Thien Duong cave, part of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. These discoveries suggest a rare case of subterranean speciation in scorpions, with one species found at an unprecedented 5000 meters from the cave entrance. The study also completes the diagnosis of a previously described species, Vietbocap thienduongensis, by incorporating female specimens collected closer to the cave entrance. Morphological differences among these species imply potential evolutionary divergence within the cave system, marking the first such case reported for scorpions.

Lourenço, W. R., Pham, D.-S., Tran, T.-H., & Tran, T.-H. (2018). The genus Vietbocap Lourenço & Pham, 2010 in the Thien Duong cave, Vietnam: A possible case of subterranean speciation in scorpions (Scorpiones: Pseudochactidae). Comptes Rendus. Biologies, 341(4), 264–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crvi.2018.03.002