Paruroctonus soda
NEW SPECIES DISCOVERY
WHAT IS IT?
One of two new scorpions described by a pair of then high school students from the California Academy of Sciences. Harper Forbes and Prakrit Jain were looking through observations on the community science platform iNaturalist when they came across an unidentified species. Following further research and fieldwork, it was identified as a new species, P. conclusus with their co-author Lauren Esposito. Not long after, the trio came across another new-to-science species via iNaturalist, now described as P. soda.
WHERE IS IT?
The two new species are playa scorpions, a group of scorpions found only in the playas, or dry lake beds, of Central and Southern California in the USA.
WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE SCIENTIFIC NAME?
‘Soda’ is derived from Soda Lake in California, where the species was found.
Find out more bit.ly/PlayaScorpions