Comparison of ribosomal ITS regions among Androctonus spp. scorpions (Scorpionida : buthidae) from Tunisia

Three species of scorpions have been reported from Tunisia: Androctonus amo reuxi Audoin,A, aeneas Koch, and A, australis L. The latest has been divide d in two subspecies: A. australis garzonii Goyffon & Lamy and A, australis hector Koch. Despite the public health importance of these animals, which c ause several cases of poisoning each year, nothing is know about the geneti c diversity of the group. To gain a better understanding of the group, we s tudied the variation of rDNA sequences of the ITS1, 5.8S, and ITS2 region o f 14 representatives of the four taxa in Tunisia. The main result is the hi gh polymorphism of the ITS regions. In some instances in both intra- and in terspecific comparisons, it was difficult to unambiguously align the sequen ces. However, some representatives of different species were relatively sim ilar, so that it appeared difficult to recognize the species on the basis o f these sequences. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted that inquires the validity of the subspecies status of A. australis garzonii and A. australis hector. Moreover, the taxonomic status of A. aeneas is also questioned. Ou r studies highlighted the need of a revision of the taxonomy of the scorpio ns in Tunisia; however, the use of other genetic markers will be necessary to solve this question.