The gross anatomy of the nervous system of Bothriurus bonariensis (L. C. Koch, 1842). (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae).

The nervous system of the order Scorpiones appears to have a common organizational structure. The combination of an anatomical study using methylene blue as the contrast medium together with a histological analysis using hematoxylin-eosin and Heindenhain's iron hematoxylin techniques permitted the identification of a large number of nerves in B. bonariensis. Many of these are also present in a variety of other species of scorpions, belonging to distinct families of the order Scorpiones. Nevertheless, two pairs of nerves from B. bonariensis originating in the cheliceral ganglion, one pair of esophageal nerves and one pair of nerves from the aortic arch, appear to diverge from this basic organization. They have not been previously described, nor have any equivalents been reported in research on other scorpion species, in which the current homological criteria have been employed.