A new Mesozoic scorpion from the Besano Formation (Middle Triassic, Monte San Giorgio UNESCO WHL), Italy

Abstract

The first Mesozoic scorpion from Italy, Protobuthus ziliolii sp. nov., is here described and named thanks to a single specimen. This new species comes from the Besano Formation (Middle Triassic) of Monte San Giorgio, a UNESCO World Heritage Locality (WHL). Taphonomical analysis allows interpretation of the specimen as a full-body fossil, rather than an exuvia. Different analytical techniques, such as optical, UV, and SEM microscopy, reveal different characters, not visible together with a single method. The new species is assigned to the family Protobuthidae. Protobuthus ziliolii is the first arachnid to be reported from the Besano Formation and the Mesozoic of Italy, the second from the Monte San Giorgio WHL, and the second species of the genus Protobuthus in the world. This discovery corroborates the previously hypothesized nearshore deposition for the genesis of the upper portion of the Besano Formation.