High-level systematics and phylogeny of the extant scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni) Author Soleglad, Michael E. Author Fet, Victor text Euscorpius 2003 2003-12-26 2003 11 1 175 http://dx.doi.org/10.18590/euscorpius.2003.vol2003.iss11.1 journal article 10.18590/euscorpius.2003.vol2003.iss11.1 1536-9307 13237351 86191695-B841-4C9D-BFF2-CBC76D1861BA Family Microcharmidae Lourenço, 1996 Type Genus. Microcharmus Lourenço, 1995 . Composition. The family includes two genera, Microcharmus and Neoprotobuthus (Fet, 2000d) . Distribution . Madagascar . Taxonomic history . This family was first introduced as a monotypic subfamily of Buthidae (Lourenço, 1996a), and later elevated to the family rank (Lourenço, 1998a), with only a preliminary justification. Lourenço (1998b) also included in Microcharmidae the subfamily Akentrobuthinae (with a single African genus, Akentrobuthus ) (Fet, 2000d). Later, however, Lourenço (2000b) transferred Akentrobuthus back to Buthidae . Since subfamilies in Buthidae are currently not defined, the status of Akentrobuthinae remains undetermined. An additional genus, Neoprotobuthus , was described in Microcharmidae by Lourenço (2002b). Biogeographic history . Lourenço (1996a) discussed in detail scorpion taxa endemic to Madagascar , which generally are related to the African fauna and diverged with the split of Gondwanaland. Diagnosis . A diagnosis cannot be provided as justifying a separate family. Microcharmidae were defined as a subfamily of Buthidae by Lourenço (1996a: 27), and further as a family (Lourenço, 1998a: 845–847), but the given features are not diagnostic even at subfamily level. Discussion . Lourenço (1996b, 1996d) suggested that the genus Microcharmus is closely related to the Indian genus Charmus ( Buthidae ), which would correspond to the Gondwanaland origin of the group but violates the monophyly of Buthidae . The relationship between Microcharmidae and Buthidae is also unclear since there was no combined phylogenetic analysis of these families. R. Teruel (pers. comm., 1999; Fet, 2000d: 421) noticed that Akentrobuthinae Lamoral, 1976 had a priority over Microcharmidae Lourenço, 1996 ; therefore when Lourenço (1998b) decided to include Akentrobuthinae in Microcharmidae , the combined family name should have been changed to Akentrobuthidae. However, since Akentrobuthinae was transferred back to Buthidae by Lourenço (2000b), no such change is required.