Sand Scorpion Urodacus novaehollandiae Peters, 1861
Fauna Portal species: 5353
Urodacus novaehollandiae male, dorsal (HBI N19481-1; near Muchea, Western Australia)
Image: V.W. Framenau (2025)
Fauna Portal Image No. 12473Diagnosis
(after Koch 1977): Distinguished from the four similar species with which its distribution range partly overlaps by the following characters. Urodacus novaehollandiae is smaller than U. hoplurus and unlike it has a notch at proximal base of subbasal tooth of fixed jaw of chelicerae, and lower trichobothrial numbers, e.g. usually 9-12 on V group of hand. Compared to U. armatus, U. novaehollandiae is larger and has colour differences, e.g. darker and less pronounced spots on leg joints, and there are cheliceral differences such as the absence of a notch at the proximal base of the sub-basal tooth of the fixed jaw. Unlike U. planimanus, U. novaehollandiae has rounded hands. U. novaehollandiae is much larger than U. manicatus and has truncate frontal lobes.
Status
- native
Linnean Type
Holotype, 'Westaustralien' (Western Australia), Zoological Museum Berlin (sex not given in Koch 1977).
Australia
- South Australia
- Western Australia
Fauna Portal Records
The map shows all records that have been verified as part of the Fauna Portal project and may not represent the true distribution of a species. Specifically, for described species, check the link to the Atlas of Living Australia on this page for potential wider distributions. Fauna Portal Reference specimens and Linnean types are shown in red. If you identified a specimen that exceeds the distribution of an undescribed species as illustrated here, please contact the Fauna Portal team who can assist with the lodgement of the specimen in a public institution and display on the map.
Publications
(1977): The taxonomy, geographic distribution and evolutionary radiation of Australo-Papuan scorpions. Records of the Western Australian Museum. 5: 83 - 367WEB