Euscorpius naupliensis (C.L. Koch, 1837)

Colombo, Marco, 2006, New data on distribution and ecology of seven species of Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Euscorpius 36 (36), pp. 1-40 : 29-34

Euscorpius naupliensis (C.L. Koch, 1837)

( Figs. 21–24 , Table 8)

This Greek species, closely related to E. italicus , was recently separated from the latter ( Gantenbein et al., 2002) due to the results of detailed morphological and molecular analysis; there is 5 % DNA divergence between these two species. Taxonomic problems with E. italicus in the Aegean area were also earlier discussed by Fet & Braunwalder (2000). E. naupliensis is found only in the Peloponnese (north to Patra, the only point of the peninsula where E. italicus was also recorded) and Zakynthos Island (with the nearby Pelouzo islet) in the Ionian islands.

Gantenbein et al. (2002) list a number of records from Peloponnese, but few from Zakynthos (findings of J. Eiselt, K. Palmer, and K. Bilek in Laganas and Pelouzo), where the author conducted observations; Kritscher (1993) also indicates Laganas locality under E. italicus . Other works (such as Caporiacco, 1950, under E. italicus zakynthi ) report, in a general way, “Zakynthos Island”. No data on this species’ ecology exist.

Another Euscorpius species, E. hadzii Caporiacco, 1950 , has been also recorded from Zakynthos (by J. Eiselt, March 1936; see Fet & Soleglad, 2002); also Ćurčić (1972) indicates Zakynthos Island as one of the points of the dispersal of “ E. carpathicus ”. No specimens belonging to the subgenus Euscorpius were found during this study.

The author collected 11 specimens in five different localities across the island: Skoulikado, Volimes, near Volimes, Anafonitria, and Louha ( Fig. 24 ). Except J. Eiselt’s collecting sites on Zakynthos (Laganas and nearby islet of Pelouzo) ( Gantenbein et al., 2002), all other localities for E. naupliensis are located in the mountains (maximal altitude in this study: about 500 m a.s.l.), and distribution of the species seems to include Vrachionas, Megalo Vuno (center) and Skopos (south) mountain ranges (see map on Fig. 24 ). According to Crucitti & Bubbico (2001, as E. italicus ), this species is found in the Peloponnese up to 1000 m a.s.l.

During two separate trips to Zakynthos Island ( Greece), different habitats were surveyed. Most of E. naupliensis specimens were found in forests (36.4%), in abandoned houses located in small villages or near monasteries (27.3%), and also on small rocky cliffs near roads (27.3%). Only one (dead) specimen was found in a village center (9.0%), but according to local people, they also occur inside inhabited houses. Therefore, as compared to E. italicus , this species seems to have a much wider range of natural habitats.

Inside abandoned houses E. naupliensis occupies cracks of the walls, but also uses shelters under furniture, bricks and pieces of wood ( Fig. 23 ). Some specimens were found under stones in cool, dark Pinus forests; others, in cracks of a small rocky cliff near the road. In one case, a subadult female was found outside a monastery (Anafonitria) in a very dry and hot environment, under a stone together with a large male of the scorpion Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) ( Scorpiones : Buthidae ). This encounter could be quite unusual, because according to data based on other specimens in this study, E. naupliensis thrives in more humid, cooler habitats; beyond all, M. gibbosus is usually found in these conditions but farther from human buildings (but there are some accidental records of this species in inhabited houses; Rein, 2006).

In captivity, E. naupliensis accepted medium to large sized invertebrates such as adults and larvae of moths ( Galleria mellonella ), and subadult (rarely adult) crickets ( Acheta domestica (L., 1758)) ( Gryllidae : Gryllinae ).

During the short study periods (June) both adult males and females were observed; an adult female collected in Skoulikado gave birth in captivity in August.

Figures

Figure 21: Euscorpius (Polytrichobothrius) naupliensis, adult male, Skoulikado (Zakynthos Island, Greece) (photo by Marco Colombo).

Figure 22: Euscorpius (Polytrichobothrius) naupliensis, subadult male (color variation), Louha (Zakynthos Island, Greece) (photo by Marco Colombo).

Figure 23: Abandoned houses are a part of E. naupliensis habitat in Skoulikado (Zakynthos Island, Greece) (photo by Marco Colombo).

Figure 24: E. naupliensis collecting sites. Zakynthos Island (Greece): 1. Skoulikado; 2. Louha; 3. Anafonitria; 4. Volimes; 5. near Volimes.