Opistophthalmus wahlbergii ( Thorell, 1876 )

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 : 102-103

Opistophthalmus wahlbergii ( Thorell, 1876)

Miaephonus wahlbergii: Thorell 1876 b: 13 .

Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi gariepensis Purcell, 1901: 194–195 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 756).

Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi nigrovesicalis Purcell, 1901: 195 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 756).

Opisthophthalmus lundensis Monard, 1937: 267–268 (synonymised by Prendini 2001 a: 41–42).

Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi robustus Newlands, 1969: 6–7 , fig. 1c, tables 1–2 (synonymised by Prendini 2001 a: 41–42).

Material examined: 2 ♂ Brandberg [21°14'S: 14°30'E], 5.iv.1991, deep burrow in river bed (1 ♂ NCA 91/ 867), deep complicated burrow (1 ♂ NCA 91/872), J. Leroy; 1 subad.♀( SMN 2630), Brandberg, way to, 21°04'54.9''S: 14°41'28.8''E, 497 m, 5.iii.2005, D. Kunz; 6 ♂ Brandberg, Amis Gorge [21°11'S: 14°28'E], 4.i.1981 (2 ♂ AMNH [AH 1840, 1841]), 30.i.1981 (1 ♂ AMNH [AH 1750]), 31.i.1981 (3 ♂ AMNH [AH 1930, 3365, 3366]), A. Harington; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2032), Brandberg, Messum Valley, 21°13'S: 14°31'E, 700 m, 5–17.iv.1999, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, bushy Karroo-Namib shrubland; 1♀( SMN 97), Brandberg, Numas Gorge [21°08'S: 14°26'E], 5.viii.1969, P.J. Buys; 1♀( AMNH [AH 2126]), Numas riverbed, 2–3 km from Brandberg base [21°04'S: 14°22'E], 30.i.1981, A. Harington; 13 ♂ 1 subad.♀( SMN 2019), Numaskloof, Brandberg, 21°07.48'S: 14°25.54'E, 470 m, 17.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse granitic sandy loam flats, UV detection, syntopic with H. conspersus , P. granulatus , P. villosus , H. tityrus and O. ugabensis ; 1 ♂ ( AMNH), Uis, 21°13.10'S: 14°52.04'E, 660 m, 15.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse sandy loam flats, collected at night with UV light, syntopic with P. granulatus ; 4♀( TMSA 18090, 18092, 18148, 18149), 2 juv. ♂ ( TMSA 18091, 18147), 1 juv.♀( TMSA 18150), Uis [21°15'S: 14°50'E], 15.ii.1978, H. Pager; 1 juv. ♂ ( SMN 2679 [ LP 04/144a]), Brandberg, below Nuwuarib Gorge, 21°00'02.6''S: 14°35'04.8''E, 428 m, 15.v.2004, Edu-Ventures 4, sandy plain, dug from burrow 50 cm deep; 2 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 3284, 3285]), Brandberg, opposite Orabes Wall [21°13'S: 14°38'E], 1.ii.1981, A. Harington; 2 ♂ ( SMN 2020), Brandberg, plains S, opposite Orabeskopf, 21°15.48'S: 14°36.54'E, 790 m, 16.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, flats at the base of gritty white dune sand dune against hill, UV detection, syntopic with P. brevimanus , P. gracilis , P. granulatus and O. jenseni ; 1 juv.♀( AMNH [AH 3381]), Daweb (N Uis), 4 km S [21°03'S: 14°54'E], 6.ii.1981, A. Harington; 1 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2082]), Nai-Gap riverbed at N tip Uis Mtns [21°07'S: 14°52'E], 6.ii.1981, A. Harington; 1♀( AMNH [AH 2132]), Uis R., nr Kai-Nuses, nr Uis [21°11'S: 14°52'E], 2.ii.1981, A. Harington; 6 ♂ 3♀1 subad.♀1 juv. ♂ ( NMSA 11459), Uis tin mine, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], v.1969, J. Bezuidenhout; 1 juv. ♂ ( NCA 2005/1972 [LR2094]), Uis rest camp, 21°13.10'S: 14°52.04'E, 24.iv.1999, A. Leroy, burrow in deep hard sand, trapped at night; 3♀4 subad. ♂ 4 subad.♀( AMNH), 4 subad. ♂ 2 subad.♀( SMN 2960), Uis, Brandberg Rest Camp, open plot of land adjacent to campsite, 21°13'06.7''S: 14°52'04.1''E, 814 m, 31.ii–1.iii.2006, L. Prendini, T.L. Bird & S.K. Uunona, collected in pitfall traps set at burrow entrances in open ground on sandy-loam flats with sparse grass and scattered Acacias; 1♀( NHRM [JF 105]), Uis, 18.5 km E [21°14'S: 15°04'E], 12.iv.2002, C. R. Owen; 1 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2091]), Uis, 20 km from turnoff to Khorixas [21°02'S: 14°54'E], 6.ii.1981, A. Harington, night collecting on red sandy flats, drizzling, syntopic with P. gracilis , P. granulatus , P. kraepelini and O. jenseni .

Ecology and distribution:This psammophilous species excavates deep, spiral burrows in semi-consolidated sandy or gritty substrata (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b) on sandy to gravel plains ( Fig. 2 ) or dry riverbeds intersecting the Brandberg (e.g. Numaskloof), around the base of the Massif and in the surrounding areas. It occurs in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2005 a).

Figures

Fig. 2. Brandberg Massif (Namibia), granitic inselberg south, surrounded by low sand dunes, leading down to sandy plain, facing west, wet year. Dominant vegetation, Euphorbia damarana L.C. Leach and Stipagrostis sp. Dunes, habitat of Parabuthus gracilis Lamoral, 1979 and Opistophthalmus jenseni (Lamoral, 1972). Sandy plain, habitat of Parabuthus brevimanus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831) and Opistophthalmus wahlbergii (Thorell, 1876).