CHACTIDAE
Pocock, 1893

This family consists of 14 genera and 209 species [Updated 24.07.23]. Most species have been described in recent times. There has been a lot of discussion about some of the genera and species in this family, and several genera have been transferred to other families.

In a recent revision by Soleglad & Fet, 36 species previously listed in Broteochactas were transfered to a new genus, Neochactas. The genera Cayooca, Guyanochactas and Taurepania have been synonymized with Broteochactas. Three species from Broteochactas have been transfered to Hadrurochactas. The same paper transfered the European genus Belisarius to Chactidae (this genus was previously listed in the discontinued family Troglotayosicidae), but I've now reinstated Troglotayosicidae and moved the genus back again (see Troglotayosicidae for more info). In addition, the genus Uroctonus has been transfered from the family Vaejovidae.

The members of this family are known from North America, Central- and South America.

Soleglad & Sissom, 2001 transfered the genus Chactopsis to the family Euscorpiidae, but based on the decisions in Lourenco, 2003 and Lourenco et al., 2011, I have moved the genus back to Chactidae until a new family revision is published.

There and back again: Soleglad & Fet (2005) have restored the synonymization of Auyantepuia with Broteochactas after Lourenço & Araujo (2004) reinstated the genus Auyantepuia (which before this was synonymized with Broteochactas (and later some species with Neochactas)). Of the 8 species of Auyantepuia, one is transfered to Broteochactas and the others are transfered back to Neochactas (se the species list below for details).

Lourenço & Qi, 2007 have published a new species in Auyantepuia, and stating that they do not accept the work of Soleglad & Fet (2005) (Citing Prendini & Wheeler, 2005). Auyantepuia is reinstated in the species list to accomodate the new species until a new revision of the family is published.

Jose Ochoa and co-workers published a revision of the genus Chactopsis in June 2013 and creating two new genera (Chactopsoides and Megachactops).

Sharma et al., 2019 have reassed the relationships of Vaejovidae and the high-level classification of Scorpiones and one conclusion from this study is that the status of Uroctonus Thorell, 1876 is incertae sedis, meaning that it doesnt belong to either Vaejovidae or Chactidae. More studies are necessary before its family placement can be decided. Until this happens, I keep the genus in Chactidae.

Scorpions in this family are rarely kept in captivity.

Chactid scorpions are not medically important.

Brotheas granulatus  photo by Dr. Wilson Lourenço (C) and The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins/CEVAP (C)

SPECIES FILES:
This list of genera and species is based on Fet et al.(2000). September 2019: Subspecies are included in the list. I try to update the list as additions and changes are published. * denotes changes after Fet et al. (2000). I will be grateful for information about new development in the taxonomy of this family. For information about synonyms and bibliographies, see Fet et al. (2000)
See also Soleglad & Fet (2003) for more information. Fulltext freely available HERE (issue 11).

[Auyantepuia (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)*] (6)
A. aluku Ythier, 2018*
A. amapaensis Lourenço & Qi, 2007*
A. aurum Ythier, 2018*
A. laurae Ythier, 2015*
A. royi Ythier, 2018*
A. surinamensis Lourenço & Duhem, 2010*
As described in the introduction, the genus Auyantepuia has been synonymized with other genera. Lourenço & Qi (2007) have chosen not to accept this synonymization, and described the new species in Auyantepuia. The taxonomy of The Scorpion Files follows Soleglad & Fet (2005), but it is impossible for me to know where to put the new species. I have chosen to reinstate Auyantepuia in The Scorpion Files for this species until a new revision on the family Chactidae is published. Auyantepuia is not counted in the number of genera for the family, but the species are included.
Broteochactas Pocock, 1893 (17)
B. cauaburi Lourenço, Araujo & Franklin, 2010*
B. cocuyensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004*
B. danielleae Lourenço, 2007*
B. gollmeri (Karsch, 1879)
B. manisapanensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1992)
B. mauriciodiasi Lourenço, 2017*
B. niemeyerae Lourenço, Ponce de Leao Giupponi & Pedroso, 2011*
B. nitidus Pocock, 1893
B. parimensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004*
B. porosus (Pocock, 1900)
B. purus Lourenço, 2017*
B. scorzai Dagert, 1957
B. silves Lourenço, 2014*
B. trezzii(Vignoli & Kovarik, 2003)*
B. venezuelensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1996)
B. verneti (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1992)
B. vestigialis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
Brotheas C.L. Koch, 1837 (30)
B. amazonicus Lourenço, 1988
B. bolivianus Lourenço, 2008*
B. camposi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1972
B. caramaschii Lourenço, Ponce de Leao Giupponi & Pedroso, 2011*
B. cataniapensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1997
B. cristinae Lourenço, 2007*
B. cunucunumensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1984
B. dasilvai Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978
B. gervaisii Pocock, 1893
B. granimanus Pocock, 1898
B. granulatus Simon, 1877
B. henriquesi Lourenço & Machado, 2004*
B. humboldti Gonzalez-Sponga,1980
B. jourdani Lourenço, 1997
B. libinallyi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978
B. lichyi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980
B. mawarinumensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991
B. mingueti Gonzalez-Sponga, 1973
B. munozi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1997
B. noguerai Gonzalez-Sponga, 1993*
B. ocamoi Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004*
B. overali Lourenço, 1988
B. paraensis Simon, 1880
B. perezramirezi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1996
B. rionegroensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1996
B. sanabriai Gonzalez-Sponga, 1997
B. silvestris Lourenço, 1988
B. tapajos Lourenço, 2012*
B. wareipai Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004*
B. wilmeri Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980
Chactas Gervais, 1844 (51)
C. adornellae Rossi, 2014*
C. aequinoctialis (Karsch, 1879)
C. alarconi Gonzalez-Sponga, 2003*
C. barbacoensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1987
C. barravierai Lourenço, 1997
C. braziliensis Lourenço, Aguiar & Franklin, 2005*
C. brevicaudatus (Karsch, 1879)
C. brownelli Lourenço, 1997
C. campoeliasensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2006*
C. chabasquensis Gonzalez-Sponga & Wall-Gonzalez, 2007*
C. choroniensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978
C. chrysopus Pocock, 1893
C. exsul (Werner, 1939)
C. ferruginosus Gonzalez-Sponga, 1984
C. gansi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1974
C. gestroi Kraepelin, 1912
C. granulosus Gonzalez-Sponga, 2007*
C. guinandcortesi Gonzalez-Sponga, 2003*
C. hatilloensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2007*
C. hauseri Lourenço, 1997
C. interpuncta Gonzalez-Sponga, 1987
C. iutensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2008*
C. karschii Pocock, 1893
C. keyserlingii Pocock, 1893
C. koepckei Lourenço & Dastych, 2001*
C. laevipes (Karsch, 1879)
C. latuffi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1976
C. lepturus Thorell, 1876
C. major Kraepelin, 1914*
C. mahnerti Lourenço, 1995
C. maimirensis Gonzalez-Sponga & Wall-Gonzalez, 2007*
C. marinae Gonzalez-Sponga, 1987
C. mauriesi Lourenço & Florez, 1990
C. moreti Lourenço, 2014*
C. ozendai Lourenço, 1999*
C. oxfordi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978
C. platillonensis Gonzalez-Sponga & Wall-Gonzalez, 2007*
C. raymondhansi Francke & Boos, 1986
C. reticulatus Kraepelin, 1912
C. rogelioi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1972
C. rubrolineatus Simon, 1880
C. scabrimanus Kraepelin, 1912
C. setosus Kraepelin, 1912
C. simonii Pocock, 1893
C. tumaquensis Gonzalez-Sponga & Wall-Gonzalez, 2007*
C. vanbenedenii (Gervais, 1843)
C. venegasi Gonzalez-Sponga, 2008*
C. viloriai Rojas-Runjaic, 2004*
C. turguaensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 2007*
C. yaupi Lourenço, 2014*
C. yupai Gonzalez-Sponga, 1994
Chactopsis Kraepelin, 1912* (8)
C. amazonica Lourenço & Francke, 1986
C. barajuri Gonzalez-Sponga, 1982
C. buhrnheimi Lourenço, 2003*
C. chullachaqui Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013*
C. curupira Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013*
C. insignis Kraepelin, 1912
C. siapaensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991
C. sujirima Gonzalez-Sponga, 1982
Chactopsoides Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013* (4)
C. anduzei (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1982)*
C. gonzalezspongai Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013*
C. marahuacaensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004)*
C. yanomami (Lourenço, Ponce de Leao Giupponi & Pedroso, 2011)*
Guyanochactas Lourenco, 1998* (5)
G. flavus Lourenço & Ythier, 2011*
G. gonzalezspongai (Lourenço, 1983)
G. goujei (Vellard, 1932)
G. mascarenhasi (Lourenço, 1988)
G. touroulti Lourenço, 2018*
As described in the introduction, the genus Guyanochactas has been synonymized with Broteochactas. Lourenço & Ythier (2011) have chosen not to accept this synonymization, and described the new species in Guyanochactas. The taxonomy of The Scorpion Files follows Soleglad & Fet (2005), but it is impossible for me to know where to put the new species. I have chosen to reinstate Guyanochactas in The Scorpion Files based on Lourenço & Ythier (2011) until a new revision on the family Chactidae is published.
Hadrurochactas Pocock, 1893 (8)
H. araripe (Lourenço, 2010*)
H. brejo (Lourenço, 1988)
H. cristinae Ythier, 2018*
H. machadoi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1993*
H. mapuera (Lourenço, 1988)
H. odoardoi Gonzalez-Sponga, 1985
H. polisi (Monod & Lourenço, 2001)*
H. schaumii (Karsch, 1880)
Megachactops Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013* (3)
M. coriacea (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991)*
M. kuemoi Ochoa, Rojas-Runjaic, Pinto-Da-Rocha & Prendini, 2013
M. kurripako Ythier, 2019*
Neochactas Soleglad & Fet 2003* (38)
N. bariensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991)
N. bilbaoi (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
N. bruzuali (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980)
N. caroniensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1996)
N. colombiensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1976)
N. delicatus (Karsch, 1879)
N. efreni (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
N. eliasilvai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980)
N. fei (Pinto-da-Rocha, Gasnier, Brescovit & Apolinario, 2002)*
N. fravalae (Lourenço, 1983)*
N. gaillardi (Lourenço,1983)
N. garciai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
N. granosus (Pocock, 1900)
N. guaiquinimensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1997)
N. jaspei (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1993)
N. josemanueli (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1992)
N. kelleri (Lourenço, 1997)
N. kjellesvigi (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1974)
N. laui (Kjellesvig-Waering, 1966)
N. leoneli (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
N. macrochelae (Gonzalez-Sponga, 2004)*
N. mottai (Lourenço & Araujo, 2004)*
N. neblinensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991)
N. orinocensis (Scorza, 1954)
N. panarei (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980)
N. paoensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1996)
N. parvulus (Pocock, 1897)
N. racenisi (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1975)
N. riopinensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1992)
N. ruizpittoli (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1993)
N. sanmartini (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1974)
N. santanai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978)
N. sarisarinamensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1985)
N. simarawochensis (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1980)
N. sissomi (Lourenço, 1983)
N. skuki (Lourenço & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2000)*
N. verai (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1993)
N. yekuanae (Gonzalez-Sponga, 1984)
Nullibrotheas Williams, 1974 (1)
N. allenii (Wood, 1863)
Spinochactas Lourenço, 2016* (2)
S. camopi Lourenço, Chevalier & Ythier, 2022*
S. mitaraka Lourenço, 2016*
Teuthraustes Simon, 1878 (28)
T. adrianae Gonzalez-Sponga, 1975
T. akananensis Gonzalez-Sponga, 1984
T. amazonicus (Simon, 1880)
T. atramentarius Simon, 1878
T. braziliensis Lourenço & Duhem, 2010*
T. camposi (Mello-Leitao, 1939)*
T. carmelinae Scorza, 1954
T. castiglii Rossi, 2015*
T. dubius (Borelli, 1899)
T. festae (Borelli, 1899)
T. gervaisii (Pocock, 1893)
T. giupponii Ythier & Lourenço, 2017*
T. glaber Kraepelin, 1912
T. guerdouxi Lourenço, 1995
T. japura Lourenço & Ythier, 2022*
T. khodayarii Ythier & Lourenço, 2017*
T. kuryi Ythier & Lourenço, 2017*
T. lisei Lourenço, 1994
T. lojanus (Pocock, 1900)
T. maturaca Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991
T. newaribe Lourenço, Ponce de Leao Giupponi & Pedroso, 2011*
T. oculatus Pocock, 1900
T. ohausi Kraepelin, 1912
T. reticulatus Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991
T. rosenbergi (Pocock, 1898)
T. simonsi (Pocock, 1900)
T. whymperi (Pocock, 1893)
T. wittii (Kraepelin, 1896)
Uroctonus Thorell, 1876 (3) incertae sedis
U. franckei Williams, 1986
U. grahami Gertsch & Soleglad, 1972
U. mordax Thorell, 1876
U. mordax mordax Thorell, 1876
U. mordax pluridens Hjelle, 1972
Sharma et al., 2019 have reassed the relationships of Vaejovidae and the high-level classification of Scorpiones and one conclusion from this study is that the status of Uroctonus Thorell, 1876 is incertae sedis, meaning that it doesnt belong to either Vaejovidae or Chactidae. More studies are necessary before its family placement can be decided. Until this happens, I keep the genus in Chactidae.
Vachoniochactas Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978 (5)
V. amazonicus Gonzalez-Sponga, 1991
V. ashleeae Lourenço, 1994
V. humboldti Florez, Botero-Trujillo & Acosta, 2008*
V. lasallei Gonzalez-Sponga, 1978
V. roraima Lourenço & Duhem, 2009

Jan Ove Rein (C) 2024