Afrolychas braueri
Seychelles forest scorpion | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
Class: | Arachnida |
Order: | Scorpiones |
Family: | Buthidae |
Genus: | Afrolychas |
Species: | A. braueri
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Binomial name | |
Afrolychas braueri (Kraepelin, 1896)
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Silhouette Island and the neighboring islands | |
Synonyms | |
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Afrolychas braueri, commonly known as the Seychelles forest scorpion, is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. It is currently thought to survive only on Silhouette Island, Seychelles, although the species was historically found on two additional Seychellois islands. This scorpion lives in leaf litter in forests that are largely unaffected by invasive plant species. It is a small yellowish-brown scorpion with three prominent keels on the dorsal surface of its mesosoma, which distinguishes it from other scorpions. While not much is known about the Seychelles forest scorpion's ecology due to the paucity of sightings, it is known to rely solely on its venom to capture its prey and defend its young. Its venom is not dangerous to humans.
The Seychelles forest scorpion has only been observed a handful of times and as such is believed to live in very low population densities. It is listed as a
Taxonomy
The Seychelles forest scorpion was originally described in 1896 by Karl Kraepelin as Archisometrus braueri. In 1913, it was moved to the genus Lychas by Arthur Stanley Hirst.[2] Lychas, a primarily Asian genus, was largely regarded as polyphyletic and it was long suspected that this scorpion may belong to a different genus.[3] In 2019, the species was split into the new genus Afrolychas along with Afrolychas burdoi, a mainland African species believed to be its closest relative, by František Kovařík.[4] The genus name Afrolychas is a reference to the African range of its species and to the fact that the two species used to be members of the genus Lychas.[4] The specific name braueri is in honor of August Brauer, a German zoologist who conducted scientific surveys in the Seychelles and who collected the initial specimens.[5][6]
The
Description
The Seychelles forest scorpion is a small, yellowish-brown scorpion measuring 25 to 36 mm (0.98 to 1.42 in) in length.
Distribution and habitat
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Silhouette_from_Mah%C3%A9%2C_Seychelles.jpg/220px-Silhouette_from_Mah%C3%A9%2C_Seychelles.jpg)
Afrolychas braueri is currently only known from a 5 km2 (1,200 acres) wooded portion of Silhouette Island in the Seychelles.[1] It is one of only three species of scorpion found in the Seychelles.[2] It is only found in the higher elevations of this island between 500 and 550 m (1,640 and 1,800 ft).[1] Historically this scorpion was endemic to the broader Seychelles, and was found on Mahé before invasive plants drove it to local extinction.[1] The Seychelles forest scorpion is found at very low population densities.[1]
The Seychelles forest scorpion lives in the leaf litter of forests that are largely unaffected by invasive plant species and therefore maintain their natural flora, such as Dillenia ferruginea.[1][2] They shelter under stones and logs.[2]
Ecology and behavior
The invasive ant species Technomyrmex albipes is known to have killed Seychelles forest scorpions.[1] Like all buthid scorpions, the Seychelles forest scorpion relies solely on its venom to capture its prey.[2] In June 2009, a female was discovered carrying seven young scorpions on her back, which she, like other scorpions, would care for until they were able to survive on their own.[3]
Conservation
The Seychelles forest scorpion was assessed as a
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Gerlach, Justin (2014). "Lychas braueri". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-9558636-8-4. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gerlach, Justin (July 6, 2009). "Rare endemic scorpion found on Silhouette". Seychelles Nation. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ a b Kovařík, František (September 23, 2019). "Taxonomic reassessment of the genera Lychas, Mesobuthus, and Olivierus, with descriptions of four new genera (Scorpiones: Buthidae)". Euscorpius: Occasional Publications in Scorpiology. 288: 1–27. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Kraepelin, Karl (1896). "Neue und weniger bekannte Skorpione". Mittheilungen aus dem Naturhistorischen Museum, Beiheft zum Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen wissenschaftlichen Anstalten (in German). 13 (8): 142. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Kovařík, František (1997). "Revision of the genera Lychas and Hemilychas, with descriptions of six new species (Scorpiones: Buthidae)" (PDF). Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae. 61: 311–371. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Gerlach, Justin (1999). "The origins of Isometrus maculatus and other scorpions on the smaller islands of the Western Indian Ocean" (PDF). Phelsuma. 7: 75–78. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ "Silhouette". Island Conservation Society. Island Conservation Society. Retrieved April 4, 2021.