Parabuthus namibensis Lamoral, 1979

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 : 92

Parabuthus namibensis Lamoral, 1979

Parabuthus namibensis: Lamoral 1979: 591–594 , figs 155–163.

Material examined: 2 ♂ 2♀Messum Crater area [21°25'S: 14°13'E], 21.i.1981, at base of very large, barren dune hill, no vegetation, syntopic with O. jenseni (2 ♂ AMNH [AH 1949, 1996]; 1♀AMNH [AH 1948]), 22.ii.1982, at base of very large, barren dune hill, no vegetation, syntopic with O. jenseni ( 1♀AMNH [AH 4412]), A. Harington; 2 ♂ 1 subad.♀Messum Crater, 21°26.430'S: 14°13.215'E, 4–10.iv.2000, E. Griffin, preservative pitfall traps, rocky, sandy hill side (1 ♂ 1 subad.♀SMN 2424), 7.iv.2000, M. Griffin, on sand covered rocky hillside at night (1 ♂ SMN 1915); 1 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 3153]), Uis tin mine, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], 19.vii.1981, J. Botha, syntopic with O. lamorali ; 1 juv. ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2145]), Uis R., nr Kai-Nuses, nr Uis [21°11'S: 14°52'E], 2.ii.1981, A. Harington, syntopic with P. brevimanus , P. kraepelini , U. otjimbinguensis and U. planimanus .

Ecology and distribution:This semi-psammophilous species inhabits semi-consolidated to consolidated sandy and gritty substrata, where it probably excavates burrows in open ground and at the base of shrubs and grass tufts. All specimens collected to date were either captured in pitfall traps or at night by means of UV light detection (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b, 2004). It is endemic to Namibia (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2004, 2005 a) and has been collected in the areas surrounding the Brandberg ( Fig. 1 ) and adjacent landforms (e.g. the Messum Crater), but not on the Massif itself.

Figures

Fig. 1. Brandberg Massif (Namibia), gravel plains southwest, facing northeast to Massif in distance, dry year. Gravel plains, habitat of Parabuthus brevimanus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus namibensis Lamoral, 1979 and Uroplectes gracilior Hewitt, 1913.