Buthidae
family of scorpions
The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1300 species as of 2025. A few very large genera (Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus, or Tityus) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. They have a cosmopolitan distribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.
Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these (Hemiscorpius lepturus) are members of the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.
List of genera and number of species
The following genera are recognised in the family Buthidae:
Description
Few Buthidae scorpions are among the larger scorpions; on average the members of this family are mid-sized tending towards smallish. Microtityus and Microbuthus barely reach 2 cm (0.8 in).
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Buthidae” is family of scorpions. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Buthidae, family and scorpions, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “family of scorpions” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q132129. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1300, 2025 and 1837.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
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The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Buthidae”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Buthidae primary sources, Buthidae archive and Buthidae research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Buthidae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.