Opistophthalmus glabrifrons
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| Peters , 1861 |
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons is a scorpion from the family Scorpionidae foundin southern and eastern Africa .
features
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons is a medium-sized scorpion 11 to 15 cm in length. He shows different colors of yellow, brown and black on the body, the legs are clearly lighter.
The cephalothorax is almost completely smooth, granules can only be seen under magnification at the edges. This distinguishes Opistophthalmus glabrifrons from other species of the genus such as Opistophthalmus latimanus or Opistophthalmus capensis . The metasoma is thick and has between Carinae numerous granules. The comb organs have ten to eleven comb teeth in females and 18 to 23 comb teeth in males. The fingers of the Chelae each have three barely protruding teeth.
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons has a distinct sexual dimorphism . In addition to the different number of comb teeth on the comb organ, the males have a longer metasoma and narrower chelae.
distribution and habitat
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons has a very large distribution area compared to the psammophilic and lithophilic species of the genus Opistophthalmus , which extends to eastern Africa. The only other species of the genus that occurs north of the 15th parallel is Opistophthalmus boehmi . This is explained by the fact that these two species can colonize a wider range of habitats due to their ability to burrow in hard substrate.
Way of life
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons belongs to the pelophilic (from ancient Greek pelos: mud, clay) species of the genus Opistophthalmus . They dig their living tubes in loam or clay mixed with sand and have developed morphological adaptations to help them dig in hard substrate. In contrast to the sand inhabitants, they do not dig with the pedipalps , but with the chelicerae . They do not hunt actively, but lurk at the entrance of their living tubes for approaching prey. Only during the mating season in spring, from October to November, do the males go in search of mating partners during the evening and night.
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons belongs to the prey spectrum of other scorpions, including their adult conspecifics.
Danger
Opistophthalmus glabrifrons and several other species of the genus Opistophthalmus have long been marketed in the European, North American and Japanese terrarium trade with the alleged country of origin Mozambique. It is very likely that the animals are illegally caught and exported from South Africa or one of its neighboring countries, which have strict export regulations for wild animals. It is common practice in South Africa and its neighboring countries to label illegally caught scorpions with false indications of their origin.
Systematics
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Initial description
It was first described in 1861 by the German zoologist Wilhelm Peters . It was published as part of a treatise on the systematics of scorpions in the monthly reports of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences . Peters only gave “Tette” as terra typica , it is unclear whether the information referred to the province of Tete in northwest Mozambique or to its capital of the same name, Tete .
etymology
The species name glabrifrons is a compound from the Latin terms glaber meaning "smooth, hairless, bald" and frons for "forehead, front part". The name was chosen because of the smooth cephalothorax of Opistophthalmus glabrifrons , with which it differs from other species of the genus.
Synonyms
- Opisthophthalmus laeviceps Thorell , 1876
- Opisthophthalmus praedo Thorell , 1877
- Opisthophthalmus beschuanicus Penther , 1900
- Opisthophthalmus natalensis Hewitt , 1915
Medical importance
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Opistophthalmus glabrifrons is one of the few scorpions of the Scorpionidae family whose sting can cause serious symptoms of poisoning. In southern Africa it is one of the only five known species that cause severe poisoning. The others are Parabuthus granulatus and Parabuthus transvaalicus , each of which can cause fatal poisoning, as well as Parabuthus mossambicensis and Uroplectes planimanus .
In the 1940s, the effects of a mixture of the poisons of Opistophthalmus glabrifrons and Opistophthalmus wahlbergii on mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and pigeons were investigated in animal experiments . After the intracutaneous injection of the poison, edema , bleeding , inflammation and finally necrosis occurred in the area of the injection sites . The venom from species of the genus Parabuthus did not cause such local symptoms. The intravenous injection resulted in tremor , paralysis, and eventually suffocation as a result of peripheral respiratory paralysis . These symptoms were those of Parabuthus poisoning, but without the associated heavy salivation. The doses of poison required to achieve a poisonous effect were higher in Opistophthalmus than in Parabuthus .
After World War II, an antivenin was developed to treat poisoning by species of the genus Opistophthalmus , and it has been shown to be effective during the developmental phase . The antivenin available in South Africa today is used to treat life-threatening poisoning by Parabuthus species. It is ineffective in poisoning by opistophthalmos . Since poisoning by Opistophthalmus glabifrons is not considered to be life-threatening, the treatment focuses on pain therapy .
In a study carried out in the early 1990s, only four of 239 stings from scorpions whose causer could be identified down to the species level could be assigned to Opistophthalmus glabifrons . The small proportion is associated with the way of life of the scorpion. Only the males leave the burrow and its immediate surroundings during the mating season to look for a partner. As a result, the risk of humans and Opistophthalmus glabifrons coming together is very low. The accidents studied all occurred on warm spring evenings in October and November, and all three scorpions whose sex could be determined were male.
The five human poisonings investigated in Zimbabwe between 1991 and 1993 also showed local symptoms, namely intense burning pain in the area of the injury and mild to moderate edema. In three cases, the pain radiated beyond the injured limb to the body and lasted for three to five days. All patients sweated; two of the five patients suffered from tachycardia . After some time, one patient complained of general weakness since the poisoning and showed abnormal Q waves and ST segment elevations on an electrocardiogram months after the accident . Other symptoms were fasciculations of the tongue and subjective complaints of the muscles. One patient, a nurse, complained of a dry throat, severe itching, sweating, palpitation , back pain, and a night without sleep, with headaches, hallucinations, and tremors.
literature
- Nils J. Bergman: Scorpion sting in Zimbabwe. In: South African Medicine Journal 1997, Volume 87, No. 2, pp. 163-167, Online PDF .
- Lorenzo Prendini: Scorpion diversity and distribution in southern Africa: Pattern and process. In: Bernhard A. Huber, Bradley J. Sinclair and Karl-Heinz Lampe (eds.): African Biodiversity. Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems. Springer, New York 2005, ISBN 978-0-387-24320-7 , pp. 25-68.
- Lorenzo Prendini, Timothy M. Crowe and Ward C. Wheeler: Systematics and biogeography of the family Scorpionidae (Chelicerata: Scorpiones) with a discussion on phylogenetic methods. In: Invertebrate Systematics 2003, Volume 17, No. 2, pp. 185-259, doi : 10.1071 / IS02016 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Wilhelm Peters: About a new division of scorpions and about the species of scorpions he collected in Mossambique, from which an extract is given here. In: Monthly reports of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin 1861, first half, pp. 507–516, here pp. 514–515, digitized
- ^ A b Lorenzo Prendini: Scorpion diversity and distribution in southern Africa, p. 43.
- ↑ Lorenzo Prendini: Scorpion diversity and distribution in southern Africa, pp. 66-68.
- ↑ a b c d e Nils J. Bergman: Opisthophthalmus glabrifrons scorpion envenomation. In: South African Medicine Journal 1996, Volume 86, No. 8, pp. 981-982, Online PDF (whole section "Letters", 5 MB).
- ↑ Lorenzo Prendini: Scorpion diversity and distribution in southern Africa, p. 46.
- ↑ Lorenzo Prendini, Timothy M. Crowe and Ward C. Wheeler: Systematics and biogeography of the family Scorpionidae, p. 227.
- ↑ Lorenzo Prendini, Timothy M. Crowe and Ward C. Wheeler: Systematics and biogeography of the family Scorpionidae, p. 229.
- ^ A b Gérard Dupré: Dictionary of scientific scorpion names. In: Arachnides. Bulletin de Terrariophilie et de Recherche 2016, Supplément au n ° 78, Online PDF .
- ^ Nils J. Bergman: Scorpion sting in Zimbabwe, p. 167
- ^ E. Grasset, A. Schaafsma and JA Hodgson: Studies on the venom of South African scorpions (Parabuthus, Hadogenes, Opistophthalmus), and the preparation of a specific antiscorpion serum. In: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1946, Volume 39, No. 5, pp. 397-421, doi : 10.1016 / 0035-9203 (46) 90017-X .
- ^ Nils J. Bergman: Scorpion sting in Zimbabwe, p. 164
