Buthus occitanus

Field Scorpion ( Buthus occitanus )

The field Scorpion ( Buthus occitanus ) counts within the family Buthidae to the genus Buthus. He is also known as Yellow Scorpio and was first described in 1789 by the French naturalist Pierre -Joseph Amoreux.

Description

Field scorpion achieved body lengths of 5 to 8 cm, a maximum of 10 to 12 cm. In general, the style is light yellow to dark brown. The top of the front body ( prosoma ) and the back plates of the anterior abdomen, the mesosoma and the posterior part of the abdomen, called the metasoma, which forms the "tail", all achieved significant calluses. The claws ( pedipalps ) are quite narrow, while the poison sac is relatively thick. Males and females can be distinguished by the number of comb teeth their pectines, females have 30 comb teeth, whereas male field scorpions over a maximum of 36 comb teeth have. Other features: The Buthus occitanus has on the sides on the front of each front body 5 eyes, 2 further above in the Prosomamitte. The poison sac is about as long as the sting and quite large relative to the metasoma. The granulation of the carapace is distinctive because Buthus occitanus has a feature connections from some grains rows to a lyre-shaped figure.

Development & fertilization

During fertilization of the female, the male always places his spermatophore on a flat surface (stone, bark) from, but never tried to Sand.Dann the male, the female, with the help of the pedipalps ( claws) to pull them over the spermatophore, so that it enters into the genital opening of the female. The female is now fertilized.

The Präembryonalentwicklung takes about 105 to 120 days after birth, the newborn spend 5-7 days on the mother's back and then molt.

Dissemination

The field Scorpio is to be found in southern Europe in Portugal, Spain, France, the Balkans, Greece and some Mediterranean islands as well as in North Africa, from northern Morocco to Egypt, Senegal to Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sinai and Israel. The habitats are represented by drier places such as sand and stone deserts, scree slopes, south facing slopes as well as grass and scrub. Occasionally penetrate field scorpions also synanthropic in gardens, There them feel special in wall crevices, empty clay pots, under sheets and the like probably. The scorpion lives both in the lowlands, as well as in the mountains, where it penetrates quite up to the snow line. Unlike scorpions of the genus Androctonus the field Scorpio is also found on the North African coast.

Like all scorpions is also the field Scorpio mainly nocturnal. On the day he hides for example, under stones and boulders or in self-dug caves.

Toxicology

Toxicology deals with the poison of the scorpion box. His narrow scissors point to a more toxic scorpion species. In southern Europe, corresponding to a random field of scorpion in about a bee sting, however, is to take much more seriously because it can always be unexpected complications, one stitch is therefore still to be provided medical care by a doctor. In the southern area of ​​distribution gelegenem the potency of the poison increases significantly; here, a stitch, although rare, have severe consequences and at very unhappy course even lead to death. The effect of the toxin is due to neurotoxins, which act in the Na channels in which they keep this open. The result is in the rare extreme cases, paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

Nutrition

The field scorpion feeds on all kinds of insects ( Insecta ) as crickets ( Gryllidae ) and beetles (Coleoptera ) and various spiders ( Araneae). Especially in young animals cannibalism can sometimes be observed. The scorpion grabs its prey with its claws and incapacitates them with a stitch and the injection of the poison. For food intake, the animal then pulls back into a shelter.

Swell

• Th Junghanss, M. Bodio: Emergency Manual venomous animals, Georg Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart 1996.
• Barbara and Martin Baehr: Cosmos Nature Guide - What spider is this? Franckh Kosmos Verlag, ISBN 3440092100
• Dieter Mahsberg, Rüdiger lip, Stephan Kallas: scorpions nature and wildlife, ISBN 3-931587-15-0

Left

• Toxicology Department, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Munich. Genus: Buthus.

• Scorpions