Parabuthus villosus (Peters, 1862)

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 villosus (Peters, 1862)

Prionurus (Androctonus) villosus: Peters 1862: 26–27 .

Buthus villosus var. β dilutus Thorell, 1876 a: 103–107 (synonymised by Kraepelin 1899: 31).

Parabuthus brachystylus Lawrence, 1928: 270 (synonymised by Prendini 2004: 177).

Material examined: 1 juv.♀( SMN 2091 ), Brandberg , Messum Valley mouth, 21°13.72'S: 14°30.73'E, 690 m, 17.iv.1999, S. van Noort, under rock, gravel plain; 2 ♂ ( USDP), Numaskloof, Brandberg , 21°07.48'S: 14°25.54'E, 470 m, 17.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, steep rocky slopes, coarse granitic sandy loam, UV detection, syntopic with H. conspersus , H. tityrus and O. ugabensis ; 1 subad.♀( SMN 2592 [TB 05/76]), Brandberg , White lady campsite, 21°00'57.72"S: 14°41'04.08"E, 461 m, 3.iii.2005, J. & M. Jouve; 1♀( NMSA 10823 ), Messum Crater area, 21°16'S: 14°13'E, 26.iii.1976, B. Lamoral & L. Ferguson, on surface of sandy to gritty soil at night; 1♀( SMN 1916 ), Messum Crater, 21°26.430'S: 14°13.215'E, 6.iv.2000, M. Griffin, in pit trap along rocky hillside; 2 ♂ 1♀1 subad.♀Uis [21°15'S: 14°50'E], xii.1968 (1 subad.♀TMSA 10046 ), 31.iii.1970 (1 ♂ TMSA 9830 ), J.J. Nel, 31.iii.1969 ( 1♀TMSA 10110 ), v.1969 (1 ♂ TMSA 18160 ), J. Bezuidenhout; 3 ♂ 2 subad. ♂ 1 subad.♀Uis tin mine, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], 3.ix.1963, Mr Hass (1 ♂ 1 subad. ♂ SMN 82 ), 1967 (1 ♂ TMSA 17697 , 1 subad. ♂ TMSA 17694 ), 19.ix.1967 (1 ♂ TMSA 17696 , 1 subad.♀TMSA 17695 ), 13.xii.1968 (1 ♂ TMSA 17402 ), J.J. Nel; 1♀( AMNH [ AH 1187 ]), Manager’s Office, Uis tin mine, Uis [21°13'S: 14°51'E], 28.iv.1980, J. Lavranos; 1 ♂ ( USDP), Uis, 2 km from town, 21°13.48'S: 14°51.84'E, 780 m, 15.i.1998, L. Prendini & E. Scott, rocky flats and hillside on outskirts of town, night collecting with UV detection, syntopic with U. planimanus and O. lamorali ; 2♀( AMNH), 1 subad.♀( SMN 2922 ), 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♀( SMN 127 ), Ugab drift, 40 km from Uis [21°00'S: 14°49'E], 6.iii.1966, P.S. Swart; 1 subad.♀( SMN 1903 ), ‘X-ray’, 21°13'34"S: 14°31'05"E, 2.xi.1999, pitfall row 3, Phase 99P(2) .

Ecology and distribution: This semi-lithophilous species ( Fig. 14 ) excavates shallow burrows or scrapes under stones in consolidated sandy, gritty or clayey substrata (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b, 2004). Although it may also occur in Angola, this species has been recorded only from Namibia and South Africa (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2004, 2005 a). It has been collected in rocky areas surrounding the Brandberg and in gorges intersecting the Massif ( Fig. 4 ), e.g. Numaskloof (470 m), but not on the slopes or the summit.

Figures

Figs 13, 14. Parabuthus adults, habitus in life: (13) P. kraepelini Werner, 1902, female; (14) P. villosus (Peters, 1862), male.

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.