DNA Barcoding for Scorpion Species from New Valley Governorate in Egypt Reveals Different Degrees of Cryptic Speciation and Species Misnaming

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I read with attention the submitted manuscript titled " DNA barcoding for scorpion species from New Valley Governorate in Egypt reveals different degrees of cryptic speciation,  and species misnaming". In this paper the COI barcode is recognized as a valid method to identify, although partially, different species of scorpions scorpion species in Egypt. Work results well conducted, but it needs some few modifications. The manuscript is original and contributes significantly to the expansion of scientific knowledge on the subject. The methodology the authors employed seems to be appropriate. 

Here are the main suggestions:

- In my opinion the manuscript could be improved by adding an accurate morphological description of the four species under study;

68-70: Please add a references;

250: Table 1 is not readable. I suggest to improve or to delete it. Alternatively it can be inserted as additional materials.

283: In my opinion the figure 6 is superfluous. Everything is well explained in the text. However, the style could be improved and the black background eliminated!

Please check the whole references list, some mistakes are present.

Author Response

We appreciate the opinion of the esteemed reviewer. Also, we are committed to enhance the work according to the esteemed reviewer´s requests. We hope that the new version comes to the level that satisfies both the reviewer´s and journal´s vision.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

The article in general is suitable to be published in Conservation. However some issues need to be resolved before.

The begin of the last parragraph of introduction need to be rewriten. 

The term genotyping is not adequate, maybe "molecular identification".

Please check the english structure and meaning of "The 5`, inter-specifically hypervariable region in the barcode of life gene, i.e. the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene"

Line 87: Four samples of four scorpion species were....
Line 91: Ethanol
Line 139: Why did you translated to aa sequences?? specify
Line 143: What seqeuecnes were retrieved? Please provided a table
Lina 157: More sequences?? why dont use only one dataset?
Line 197: barcodes for 2 of 4 assesed species.
Line 232: Both clades of A. amoreuxi are equally related to L. qinquestriastus and O. innesi. 
Table 1. Move to suppplementary

Figure 5. Change the name of the sequences to be more undestandble, also the posterior values seems to be in wrong positon

Lime 370: What do you mean with calibration?

Author Response

We appreciate the opinion of the esteemed reviewer. Also, we are committed to enhance the work according to the esteemed reviewer´s requests. We hope that the new version comes to the level that satisfies both the reviewer´s and journal´s vision.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

The article in general is in their current form suitable to be published in Conservation.