Opistophthalmus lamorali Prendini, 2000

Prendini, Lorenzo & Bird, Tharina L., 2008, Scorpions of the Brandberg Massif, Namibia: Species richness inversely correlated with altitude, African Invertebrates 49 (2), pp. 77-77 : 100-102

Opistophthalmus lamorali Prendini, 2000

Opistophthalmus lamorali: Prendini 2000 a: 109–119 .

Opisthophthalmus undulatus ugabensis Hewitt, 1934: 408–410 ( AMGS 6574 : ♂ only, not ♀syntype), pl. I, figs 1, 4.

Material examined: 1 ♂ ( NHRM [ JF 173]), Brandberg [21°14'S: 14°30'E], 8.iii.2004, C. R. Owen; 1 ♂ ( SMN 3090 [TB 07/05]), 1♀( SMN 3089 [TB 07/05]), Brandberg, SW, 21°14'49.86''S: 14°25'54.36''E, 625 m, 5.ii.2007, T.L. Bird, A. Klann, P. Michalik & G. Talarico, scattered rubble, under stones; 1 ♂ ( AMNH [ AH 3202]), Brandberg, W foot [21°09'S: 14°42'E], 3.xii.1982, S. Braine; 1 subad. ♂ paratype ( NMSA 10711 [ SMN 89]), Brandberg West, 32 km from coast on road [21°15'S: 14°10'E], 29.iv.1964, W. Steyn; 1 subad.♀2 juv. ♂ 3 juv.♀( NHRM [JF]), Brandberg West [21°00'S: 14°09'E], 23.iii.2005, C. R. Owen; 1 ♂ paratype ( SMN 1898), Brandberg West Mine, 21°00.51'S: 14°09.03'E, 300 m, 17.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, stoney plain with small drainage, under stone; 12 ♂ 3♀1 subad. ♂ Brandberg, Amis Gorge [21°11'S: 14°28'E], 30.i.1981, A. Harington (5 ♂ AMNH [AH 1742–1744, 1748, 1764], 3♀AMNH [AH 1745–1747]), H. Pager (1 ♂ AMNH [ AH 3296]), 31.i.1981,A. Harington (6 ♂ AMNH [AH 1929, 3367, 3369–3371, 3453], 1 subad. ♂ AMNH [ AH 3368]); 4 subad. ♂ 1 subad.♀2 juv. ♂ 1 juv.♀paratypes ( SMN 1900), Brandberg, Messum valley mouth [21°14'S: 14°31'E], 690 m, 17.iv.1999, S. van Noort, under rock, gravel plain with Welwitschias; 1 subad. ♂ ( AMNH [ AH 1749]), Brandberg, Numas Gorge [21°07'S: 14°25'E], 30.i.1981, A. Harington; 1 subad. ♂ paratype ( SMN 1899), Numaskloof, Brandberg, 21°07.48'S: 14°25.54'E, 470 m, 17.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, under stone at base of rocky slope, syntopic with P. granulatus , P.villosus , H. tityrus , O. ugabensis and O. wahlbergii ; 2 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 3288, 3289]), Brandberg, opposite Orabes Wall [21°13'S: 14°38'E], 1.ii.1981, A. Harington; 1 ♂ paratype ( SMN 1901), Messum Crater [21°27'S: 14°13'E], 9.iv.2000, M. Griffin, under stone, gravel plains; 1♀1 subad. ♂ paratypes ( SMN 1897), Messum R., hills near intersection with road to Brandberg-Wes, 21°15.58'S: 14°26.72'E, 700 m, 17.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, low stony hills with Welwitschias, under dark metallic stones; 1 ♂ ( NHRM [ JF 109]), Tafelkop, 16.5 km W [21°03'S: 14°10'E], 10.iv.2002, C. R. Owen; 1 ♂ ( NHRM [ JF 108]), Tafelkop, 20 km E [21°03'S: 14°26'E], 16.iv.2002, C. R. Owen; 1 juv. ♂ paratype ( NMSA 17185 [ AMGS 6458]), Brandberg area, Uis [21°09'S: 14°47'E]; 10 paratypes, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], 2 ♂ 2♀( AMGS), 1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 18201), 13.ii.1968, J.J. Nel (1 subad. ♂ TMSA 18199), x.1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 18200), i.1969, J.J. Nel (1 subad.♀TMSA 10028), 30.iii.1969, J.J. Nel ( 1♀TMSA 18290), 21.i–27.ii.1995, E. Marais, preservative pitfall traps (1 ♂ SMN 1792); 3 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2034–2036]), Uis [21°15'S: 14°50'E], iii–iv.1981, J. Botha; 3♀( AMNH [AH 2141, 2142, 2233]), Uis tin mine, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], vii.1981, J. Botha; 9 ♂ 3♀paratypes ( SMN 1896), 1 ♂ 1♀paratypes ( AMNH), 1 ♂ 1♀paratypes ( CASC), 1 juv.♀paratype ( AMCC 100858 [ LP 1161]), Uis, 2 km from town, 21°13.48'S: 14°51.84'E, 780 m, 15.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, rocky flats on outskirts of town, night collecting with UV detection, syntopic with P.villosus and U. planimanus ; 2 ♂ 2♀( AMNH), 1 subad.♀( SMN 2952), Uis, 3 km W on road to Hentiesbaai, 21°13'57.5''S: 14°51'08.7''E, 814 m, 31.iii.2006, L. Prendini, T.L. Bird & S.K. Uunona, UV detection on warm, still, dark night, becoming windy later, followed by rain, low rocky hills with Euphorbia damarana , small Acacias and sparse grass, specimens collected in open rocky ground; 1 ♂ paratype ( SAMC C1367 ), Uis , Brandberg area [21°09'S: 14°47'E]; 2 ♂ ( AMNH [ AH 2130 , 2131 ]), Uis R., nr Kai-Nuses, nr Uis [21°11'S: 14°52'E], 2.ii.1981, A. Harington .

Remarks: Specimen NMSA 10711 [ SMN 89] was misidentified as Opistophthalmus litoralis Lawrence, 1955 by Lamoral (1979: 729).

Ecology and distribution: This semi-lithophilous species ( Fig. 20 ) excavates shallow scrapes under stones in consolidated gritty or clayey substrata ( Prendini 2000 a, 2001 b). It is endemic to Namibia ( Prendini 2000, 2005 a) and has been collected in rocky areas surrounding the Brandberg ( Fig. 3 ) and in gorges intersecting the Massif ( Fig. 4 ), e.g. Numaskloof (470 m), but not on the slopes or the summit.

Figures

Figs 19, 20. Opistophthalmus adult males, habitus in life: (19) O. lamorali Prendini, 2000; (20) O. jenseni (Lamoral, 1972).

Fig. 3. Brandberg Massif (Namibia), gravel plains and foothills southeast, facing northwest to Massif, wet year. Dominant vegetation, Euphorbia damarana L.C. Leach and Stipagrostis sp. Gravel plain, habitat of Parabuthus brevimanus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831). Rocky foothills, habitat of Parabuthus villosus (Peters, 1862) and Opistophthalmus lamorali Prendini, 2000.

Fig. 4. Brandberg Massif (Namibia), base of Massif at entrance to Goaseb (Ga-Asab) Gorge, facing north to Orabeskopf at summit, wet year. Dominant vegetation, Boscia foetida Schinz and Commiphora sp. Rocky flats, habitat of Hottentotta conspersus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus brevimanus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus villosus (Peters, 1862), and Opistophthalmus lamorali Prendini, 2000.