Afrolychas braueri

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Seychelles forest scorpion
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Buthidae
Genus: Afrolychas
Species:
A. braueri
Binomial name
Afrolychas braueri
(Kraepelin, 1896)
Silhouette roheline.png
Silhouette Island and the neighboring islands
Synonyms
  • Archisometrus braueri(Kraepelin, 1896)
  • Lychas braueri(Lamoral and Reynders, 1975)

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.

Contents

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 critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is one of the most endangered scorpion species in the world. It is thought to be primarily threatened by invasive plant species, particularly Cinnamomum verum , degrading its habitat. Its entire known range is protected by Silhouette National Park, and recent conservation efforts on the island include vegetation restoration and the removal of cinnamon.

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 type specimen was collected from Praslin Island by August Brauer in 1894 and is held at the Zoological Institute and Museum of the University of Hamburg. [6] [7] The species was next found in "high jungle" on Mahé and on Silhouette in 1905 by the Percy Sladen Memorial Expedition. [7] After these initial collections, it was not seen again until being rediscovered in 1990 in Silhouette's Jardin Marron. [7]

Description

The Seychelles forest scorpion is a small, yellowish-brown scorpion measuring 25 to 36 mm (0.98 to 1.42 in) in length. [6] It is best distinguished from similar scorpions by having three conspicuous keels on its mesosoma's dorsal surface. [6] Additionally, on both the movable and fixed fingers of the scorpion's pedipalps, or pincers, the sixth cutting edge lacks external and internal granules. [6] Overall this scorpion is a blotched yellowish-brown in coloration with a smooth and glossy fifth metasomal segment and a notably long telson, or stinger. [6] Its pectens have 14–18 pectinal teeth. [6] Adults are not noticeably sexually dimorphic. [2] Its sting is not considered dangerous for humans. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Silhouette Island as viewed from Mahe Silhouette from Mahe, Seychelles.jpg
Silhouette Island as viewed from Mahé

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 critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2012. [1] It is currently known only from a small area of woodland on Silhouette Island that is being degraded by invasive plant species, notably Cinnamomum verum . [1] It is thought that this scorpion went extinct on the islands of Mahé and Praslin after 1909 due to invasive plants taking over its habitat. [1] It may also be threatened by an invasive ant species. [1] As of 2009, since 1909, the species has only been observed three times, in 1990, 2006, and 2009, all on Silhouette Island. [3] Its limited range is evident as several surveys have failed to locate the arachnid. [1] While the entire known population of the species is protected within Silhouette National Park, as of 2012 the park was not being managed to protect the scorpion. [1] However, since then the Island Conservation Society's Silhouette Island Conservation Centre has begun to implement conservation projects on the island, including vegetation restoration and the removal of cinnamon. [8]

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Afrolychas is a genus of scorpion in the family Buthidae. There are two species in this genus, both of which used to belong to the genus Lychas. The genus was described in 2019 by František Kovařík. The genus name Afrolychas is a reference to the African range of its species and the fact that the two species used to be members of the genus Lychas. Afrolychas's closest relatives are believed to be the scorpions in the genus Pseudolychas. Afrolychas braueri is one of the rarest scorpions in the world, as it is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

<i>Lychas</i>

Lychas is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Buthidae. It is one of the most widespread genus of the scorpions, where the species are found throughout in Africa and Seychelles, and in the Oriental region from India to Melanesia.

Reddyanus is a genus of buthid scorpions native to Oriental region from India, Sri Lanka, China: Tibet, to Melanesia. The genus was previously described as a subgenus of Isometrus.

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Reddyanus jayarathnei is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae endemic to Sri Lanka.

Reddyanus ranawanai is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae endemic to Sri Lanka.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Gerlach, Justin (2014). "Lychas braueri". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prendini, Lorenzo (2010). "Scorpiones" (PDF). In Gerlach, Justin; Marusik, Yuri (eds.). Arachnida and Myriapoda of the Seychelles Islands. Manchester: Siri Scientific Press. pp. 321–331. ISBN   978-0-9558636-8-4 . Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Gerlach, Justin (July 6, 2009). "Rare endemic scorpion found on Silhouette". Seychelles Nation. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  4. 1 2 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.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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.
  7. 1 2 3 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.
  8. ↑ "Silhouette". Island Conservation Society. Island Conservation Society. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
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