Interspecific phylogenetic relationship among different species of the genus Buthacus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) inferred from 16S rRNA in Egypt and Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The molecular phylogeny of three species of genus Buthacus, based on 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA gene from Egypt and Saudi Arabia is presented. The inferred phylogeny based on maximum-parsimony, neighbor-joining and bayesian inference, indicates the monophyletic status of the genus Buthacus. A clear deep splitting between the “Egyptian clade” consisting of B. arenicola and B. leptochyles and the “Arabian clade” consisting of B. nigroaculatus was shown.