Euscorpius
Encyclopedia
Euscorpius is a genus of scorpion
s, commonly called small wood-scorpions. It presently contains 17 species
(but see below) and is the type genus
of the family
Euscorpiidae - long included in the Chactidae - and the subfamily Euscorpiinae.
The most common members belong to the E. carpathicus species complex
, which makes up the subgenus
Euscorpius. This group is widespread from North Africa
and Spain
to temperate
Eurasia
from England
and northern France
through the Czech Republic
to Russia
.
The species range in colour from yellow-brown to dark brown. Many are brown with yellow legs and stinger. The largest is E. italicus at 5 cm (2 in), and the smallest is E. germanus at 1.5 cm (0.6 in). The poison of Euscorpius species is generally very weak, with effects similar to a mosquito bite.
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s, commonly called small wood-scorpions. It presently contains 17 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
(but see below) and is the type genus
Type genus
In biological classification, a type genus is a representative genus, as with regard to a biological family. The term and concept is used much more often and much more formally in zoology than it is in botany, and the definition is dependent on the nomenclatural Code that applies:* In zoological...
of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Euscorpiidae - long included in the Chactidae - and the subfamily Euscorpiinae.
The most common members belong to the E. carpathicus species complex
Species complex
A species complex is a group of closely related species, where the exact demarcation between species is often unclear or cryptic owing to their recent and usually still incomplete reproductive isolation. Ring species, superspecies and cryptic species complex are example of species complex...
, which makes up the subgenus
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.In zoology, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the generic name and the specific epithet: e.g. the Tiger Cowry of the Indo-Pacific, Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, which...
Euscorpius. This group is widespread from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and northern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
through the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
The species range in colour from yellow-brown to dark brown. Many are brown with yellow legs and stinger. The largest is E. italicus at 5 cm (2 in), and the smallest is E. germanus at 1.5 cm (0.6 in). The poison of Euscorpius species is generally very weak, with effects similar to a mosquito bite.
Species
The genus is currently undergoing revision and the status of taxa is liable to change.- Euscorpius alphaEuscorpius alphaEuscorpius alpha is a species of scorpion which is endogenous in southern Switzerland and northern Italy, west of the river Adige in northern Italy. It is a small, black scorpion, it is normally less than in length. It is usually found in humid mountainous areas, under stones, logs etc., but also...
Di Caporiacco, 1950 - Euscorpius balearicus Di Caporiacco, 1950
- Euscorpius beroni Fet, 2000
- Euscorpius carpathicus (Linnaeus, 1767)
- Euscorpius concinnus (C.L.Koch, 1837)
- Euscorpius flavicaudisEuscorpius flavicaudisEuscorpius flavicaudis, or the European yellow-tailed scorpion, is a small black scorpion with yellow-brown legs and tail . Adults measure about long. It is a fossorial scorpion with relatively large, strong claws and a short, thin tail.- Distribution :The native range of E...
(DeGeer, 1778) - Euscorpius gamma Di Caporiacco, 1950
- Euscorpius germanus (C.L.Koch, 1837)
- Euscorpius hadzii Di Caporiacco, 1950
- Euscorpius italicus (Herbst, 1800)
- Euscorpius koschewnikowi Birula, 1900
- Euscorpius mingrelicusEuscorpius mingrelicusEuscorpius mingrelicus are scorpions formerly classified in the family Chactidae.-Description:Euscorpius mingrelicus are dark in colour and reach lengths of 38 millimetres. They are difficult to distinguish from other Euscorpius such as E. gamma and E. germanus. This species' biology is not well...
(Kessler, 1874) - Euscorpius naupliensis (C.L.Koch, 1837)
- Euscorpius oglasae Di Caporiacco, 1950 (recently split from E. carpathicus)
- Euscorpius sicanus (C.L.Koch, 1837)
- Euscorpius tauricus (C.L.Koch, 1837)
- Euscorpius tergestinus (C.L.Koch, 1837) – Skeged Scorpion
External links
- http://www.ifauna.cz/rubriky/clan_show.php?id=3703&r=3
- http://www.spidy.goliathus.com/english/euscorpius-spec-chorvatsko-id113.html
- http://www.science.marshall.edu/fet/euscorpius/p2002_03.pdf
- http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/e_italicus.htm