Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828)

Karataş, Ayşegül & Çolak, Mehmet, 2005, Scorpions of Gaziantep Province, Turkey (Arachnida: Scorpiones), Euscorpius 30 (30), pp. 1-7 : 3

Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg, 1828)

Specimens examined: near campus of Gaziantep Univ., 02.VII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /525), Şehitkâmil, west of Sinanköyü Village, 25.VIII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /472), 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /471), road from Nizip to Sinan Village (Şehitkâmil) (15 th km), 25.VII.2003: 2 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /528/1-2), road from Gaziantep to Nizip (10 th km), 25.VIII.2003: 2 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /526/1-2), 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /527/2), ibid (10 th -20 th km), 25.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /560), ibid (15 th km), 22.VIII.2003: 2 ♂♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /562/1, 562/3), 4 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /562/2, 4-6), ibid (20 th km), 25.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /527/1), ibid (25 th km), 22.VIII.2003: ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /541), road from Gaziantep to Nizip, near Police Station , 22.VIII.2003: 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /570), old road from Gaziantep to Nizip (5 th km), 23.VII.2003: 3 ♂♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /462, 533/1-2), 2 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /612/1-2), Şahinbey, between Burç Town and Akpınar Village, 13.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /463), Şahinbey, Cevizli, Kıraçbağ, 29.VI.2003: 2 ♂♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /464, 518), Şahinbey, Günbulur Village , 21.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /569), Şahinbey, Mahraman Village , 25.VI.2003: 1 ♂ (skin), ( ZDNU 2003 /579), 02.VII.2003: 2 ♂♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /540/1, 577), 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /540/2), ibid, environs of Burç Forest , 02.VII.2003: 3 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /561, 574/1-2), Şahinbey, south of Kızılhisar Village , 10.VII.2003: ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /473), Şahinbey, east of Sarıbaşak (Ispatırın) Village , 02.VII.2003: 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /467), Şahinbey, Sarısalkım Village , 23.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /529), 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /575), Şehitkâmil, near the Military Brigade, 23.VIII.2003: 3 ♂♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /523, 564/1, 3), 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /564/2), Şehitkâmil, Military Brigade Forest , 23.VIII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /578), Şehitkâmil, near the Celâl Doğan Spore Foundation, 03.VII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /519), 23.VIII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /576), Şehitkâmil, north of Industry Forest , 23.VI.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /532), old road from Şehitkâmil to Nizip (between 3 rd and 7 th km), 23.VII.2003: 2 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /468/1-2), 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /468/3), Şehitkâmil, between Dülük and Karahöyük villages, 19.VII.2003: 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /539), Şehitkâmil, İbrahimli Village , 23.VIII.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /572/2), 2 ♀♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /572/1, 3), Nizip, Kocatepe Village , 21.VIII.2003: ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /571) .

Comments: L. quinquestriatus was first reported from Turkey in Adıyaman by Tulga (1960). The scorpion has been known from Hatay, Kilis, and Mardin (Kinzelbach, 1984; Crucitti & Vignoli, 2002). Our record is the first from Gaziantep. L. quinquestriatus is usually found under stones in steppe vegetation, sometimes near almond ( Amygdalus ) gardens and reddish pine plantations. The specimens were found either on the surface under the stones or sometimes in burrow under the stones with depth 5–10 cm. An adult specimen labelled as 2003/540/ 2 ♀ had an abnormal structure on its telson ( Fig. 2 ), which could have been a result of regeneration of the scorpion aculeus or of an abnormal embryonic development.

Figures

Figure 2: An abnormal structure on telson of L. quinquestriatus (scale: 1 cm).