A new species of Androctonus from the Najd Plateau of Saudi Arabia (Scorpiones, Buthidae)

A new scorpion species, <i>Androctonus najdensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, is described and illustrated from Saudi Arabia. It is compared with existing species from the Middle East and Iran, notably <i>A. crassicauda</i> (Olivier, 1807) and the recently described <i>A. tihamicus</i> Alqahtani, Yağmur & Badry, 2023. Molecular analysis using the COI mitochondrial gene revealed a genetic divergence of 7.0 to 11% between <i>A. najdensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>A. crassicauda</i> sensu lato samples from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran. The combination of molecular and morphological data supports the recognition of the Najd populations as a distinct species. Additionally, an identification key for <i>Androctonus</i> species in Iran and the Middle East is provided.