Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831)

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 : 88-90

Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831)

Androctonus ( Prionurus) granulatus: Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg 1831 [unpaginated].

Buthus brevimanus var. β segnis Thorell, 1876 a: 110, 112 (synonymised by Prendini 2004: 144).

Buthus fulvipes Simon, 1888: 378 , 379 (synonymised by Purcell 1899: 434; Lamoral 1979: 571). Parabuthus granulatus fuscus Pocock, 1901: 285 (synonymised by Kraepelin 1908: 251, 252; Lamoral 1979: 571).

Parabuthus granulatus bergeri Werner, 1916: 83–84 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 571).

Parabuthus granulatus strenuus Hewitt, 1918: 176 (synonymised by Prendini 2004: 145).

Material examined: 1 ♂ ( SMN 121), Brandberg base camp [ 21°07'S: 14°25'E], 15.viii.1968, P.J. Buys; 1 ♂ ( USDP), 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 , O. jenseni and O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ ( USDP), 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 , O. lamorali , O. ugabensis and O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2174), Brandberg, Numas R., 21°06.815'S: 14°24.340'E, 23.iv.2000, T.O. Osborne; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2588), Brandberg, White lady campsite, 21°00'57.72"S: 14°41'04.08"E, 4.iii. 2005, 461 m, D. Kunz & M. Jouve; 1 ♂ ( USDP), Uis, 21°13.10'S: 14°52.04'E, 15.i. 1998, 660 m, L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse sandy loam flats, collected at night with UV light, syntopic with O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ 1♀( AMNH [AH 3382, 3383]), Daweb (N Uis), 4 km S [ 21°03'S: 14°54'E], 6.ii.1981, A. Harington, on sandy flats away from hills, one had a burrow, often near Euphorbia bushes, sympatric with L. elegans , P. brevimanus , P. kraepelini , O. jenseni and O. wahlbergii ; 2 ♂ 1♀1 juv. ♂ 1 juv.♀Uis [ 21°15'S: 14°50'E], 29.xii.1989, H.C. Strauss (1 ♂ SMN 1336, 1 juv. ♂ 1 juv.♀ SMN 1337), 1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 10111), xii.1968, J.J. Nel ( 1♀ TMSA 10117); 2 ♂ 2♀Uis tin mine, Uis [ 21°13'S: 14°51'E], 24.ix.1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 15796), xii.1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 9397), xi.1969, J.J. Nel ( 1♀ TMSA 15785), 1979, H. Henke, syntopic with P. kraepelini ( 1♀ AMNH [ AH 1192]).

Ecology and distribution: This semi-psammophilous species ( Fig. 12 ) excavates burrows in open ground, at the base of shrubs and grass tufts, and under stones, in semiconsolidated to consolidated sandy and gritty substrata (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b, 2004). It occurs in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe (Lamoral 1979; FitzPatrick 1994; Prendini 2004, 2005 a) and has been collected in gorges intersecting the Brandberg, e.g. Numaskloof ( 470 m), and in sandy areas surrounding the Massif ( Figs 2 , 3 ), but not on the slopes or the summit.

Figures

Figs 11, 12. Parabuthus adults, habitus in life: (11) P. gracilis Lamoral, 1979, female; (12) P. granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831), male.

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).

Fig. 3. Brandberg Massif (Namibia), gravel plains and foothills southeast, facing northwest to Massif, wet year. Dominant vegetation, Euphorbia damarana L.C. Leach and Stipagrostis sp. Gravel plain, habitat of Parabuthus brevimanus (Thorell, 1876), Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831). Rocky foothills, habitat of Parabuthus villosus (Peters, 1862) and Opistophthalmus lamorali Prendini, 2000.