BIHAREAN BIOLOGIST 8 (1): 38-41 ©Biharean Biologist, Oradea, Romania, 2014 Article No.: 141108 http://biozoojournals.ro/bihbiol/index.html Scorpion (Scorpiones) fauna of Muğla (South-Western Anatolia, Turkey) Mustafa İNANÇ1,* and HüseyinARIKAN2 1. Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Health Services Vocational School, Çanakkale, Turkey. 2. Ege University, Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Zoology Section, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. *Corresponding author, M. Inanç, E-mail: [email protected] Received: 16. December 2013 / Accepted: 20. February 2014 / Available online: 22. February 2014 / Printed: June 2014 Abstract. In this study, scorpion fauna of Muğla province (South-Western Anatolia, Turkey) was examined between 2004 and 2009. As a result of field trips, 66 specimens were collected and examined belonging to three families from fifteen localities. The distribution of the species Mesobuthus gibbosus anatolicus (Schenkel, 1947), Euscorpius sp. mingrelicus complex, Protoiurus kraepelini (Von Ubisch, 1922) were determined. Key words: scorpion, fauna, Muğla, Southern Anatolia, Turkey. Introduction (Euscorpiidae). (Crucitti & Vignoli 2002, Varol et al. 2006, Fet et al.2000, 2009, Kovarik et al. 2010, 2011, Soleglad et al. 2012, Muğla Province is located in southwestern corner of Turkey Tropea et al. 2012, Yağmur 2010, Yağmur & Tropea and has mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and arid 2013,Yağmur et al. 2009, 2013a, 2013b). Four scorpion species but winters are warm and rainy. Generally, red pine (Pinus (M. g. anatolicus, Euscorpius sp. mingrelicus complex, E. lycius, brutia), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), kermes oak (Quercus P. kraepelini) have been recorded from Muğla Province coccifera), and other species which belong to maquis vegeta- (Kinzelbach 1975, Kovarik et al. 2010, Yağmur et al. 2013b). tion, are common in this region. Red pine (Pinus nigra) is In this study, we determined the species of M. g. anatolicus, dominant species in high elevations (Atalay 1994). Euscorpius sp. mingrelicus complex, P. kraepelini species. Turkey has a rich scorpion fauna with 27 recorded spe- cies, Androctonus crassicauda, Buthacus macrocentrus, Compso- buthus matthiesseni, C. schmiedeknechti, Hottentotta saulcyi, Lei- Materials and methods urus abdullahbayrami, Mesobuthus eupeus, M. phillipsii, M. ni- grocinctus, M. gibbosus, M. caucasicus, Orthochirus zagrosensis The specimens were collected in spring and summer of 2004-2009. 66 scorpion specimens were collected from fifteen different localities. (Buthidae), Calchas birulai, C. kosswigi, C. anlasi, C. nordmanni, Sampling localities are shown in Figure 1. Neocalchas gruberi, Iurus kinzelbachi, Protoiurus asiaticus, P. Scorpions were collected on the ground, under the stones and kadleci, P. kraepelini (Iuridae), Scorpio maurus (Scorpionidae), rock cracks in day time. Specimens were fixed in 70% ethanol. Body Euscorpius avcii, E. rahsenae, E. lycius, E. mingrelicus, E. italicus measurements were performed according to Sissom et al. (1990). Figure 1. Sampling localities in the province of Muğla (South-Western Anatolia, Turkey) 1.Hanımköy 2.Bencik Mountain Fire Tower 3.Konak 4.Çiçekbaba Mountain 5.Göğübeli Pass 6.Bencik Mountain Fire Tower 7.Dalyan 8.Eren Hill 9.Çiçekbaba Mountain 10.Göğübeli Pass 11.Göğübeli Pass 12.Bencik Mountain 13.Çiçekbaba Mountain Kartal Lake 14. Butterfly Valley 15. Çiçekbaba Mountain. Scorpion (Scorpiones) fauna of Muğla 39 a) b) Figure 2. Habitat (a) and general view (b) of M. gibbosus anatolicus. a) b) Figure 3. Habitat (a) and general view (b) of Euscorpius sp. mingrelicus complex. a) b) Figure 4. Habitat (a) and general view (b) of Protoiurus kraepelini. Results H. Koç; 7. Göğübeli Pass 1830 m. 36° 50' N/29° 44' E, (1♂,2♀♀), leg. E.A. Yağmur & H. Koç; 8. Çiçekbaba Mountain Family: Buthidae Simon, 1879 911 m. 37° 01' N/28°45' E, (2♂♂,4♀♀), leg. E.A. Yağmur & M. Mesobuthus gibbosus anatolicus (Schenkel, 1947) (Fig 2.) İnanç & H. Koç; 9. Bencik Mountain 875 m. 37° 13' N/28° 01' Examined material: (28 specimens: 12 ♂♂,16 ♀♀) E, (3♂♂,2♀♀), leg. E.A. Yağmur & M. İnanç. 1. Hanımköy 689 m. 37° 31' N/27° 44' E, (2♂♂,1♀), leg. M. Morphology and variation: Total body length is between İnanç; 2. Bencik Mountain Fire Tower 1396 m. 37° 14' N/28° 44.94 and 64.76 mm. Average length is 56.8 mm in females, 02' E, (1♂,1♀) leg. H. Koç; 3. Göğübeli Pass 1807 m. 36° 50' 54.63 mm in males. Body is yellowish brown, pectens are N/29° 44' E, (1♂,1♀), leg. E.A. Yağmur; 4.Bencik Mountain whitish cream, telson is light yellowish brown, and sting is Fire Tower 1395 m., (1♂,2♀♀), leg. M. İnanç; 5. Butterfly Val- reddish brown. Sternum is triangular. Movable finger has 12 ley 36° 49' N/29° 13' E, (2♀♀), leg. M. İnanç; 6. Çiçekbaba and fixed finger has 11 oblique granule rows. Pectinal tooth Mountain 911 m. 37° 01' N/28°45' E, (1♂,1♀), leg. M. İnanç & count 28-33 in males, 21-27 in females. 40 M. Inanç & H.Arikan Ecological notes: The samples have been obtained in the (1947) and this subspecies is determined according to pecti- stony, open and steppe areas, pine (Pinus nigra and Pinus nal tooth number. Together with nominal subspecies, it has brutia) forests and under stones. It has been observed that two subspecies. Kinzelbach (1975) regarded the populations this species rejects some other insects such as bees and in the south of Balkans as nominal subspecies (M. g. gibbo- wasps in terms of diet, and it is also determined that there is sus); and the populations in Anatolia, Crete and the Eastern cannibalism in this species. This species is defined as ther- Aegean Islands populations are regarded as M. g. anatolicus. mophilic and kserofilic and prefers terrestrial ecosystems. Birula (1898, 1917a, 1917b) was the first researcher who reported E. mingrelicus in Turkey. Birula (1898) also de- Family: Euscorpiidae Laurie, 1896 scribed E. m. ciliensis from Bolkar Mountain as E. ciliciensis. Euscorpius sp. ("mingrelicus complex") (Fig. 3) Furthermore, he (1917a) recorded E. mingrelicus as E. m. min- Examined material: (7 specimens: 7♀♀) grelicus. Bonacina (1980) and Fet (1993) accepted Turkey 1.Çiçekbaba Mountain 1742 m. 37° 03' N/ 28° 48' E, population at the species level. (7♀♀), leg. M. İnanç The genus Iurus (Iuridae) has been described by Thorell Morphology and variation: Total body length is between (1876). This genus is common in the south of Turkey and 21.3-23.7 mm, average length is 22.26 ± 0.37 mm. Carapace Greece. Birula (1903) recorded the genus Iurus first from and pedipals are reddish brown, strernits, coxas, pectins and Adana Province in Anatolia. Birula (1903) compared the ob- genital operculum are yellowish brown, other parts are dark tained samples from Adana Province with samples from brown. Sternum is pectagonal and oval. Metasomal seg- Crete and described them as a subspecies, Iurus dufoureius ments are without carinae, movable and fixed fingers have asiaticus. Subsequently, this subspecies was revised and clas- six oblique granule rows. This species has a well-developed sified as Protoiurus asiaticus (Kovarik et al. 2010, Soleglad et chela and two lateral eyes on each side. al. 2012). von Ubisch (1922) described Iurus kraepelini from Ecological notes: The specimens which belong to this Antalya Province, then Kovarik et al. (2010) and Soleglad et species were found in a single locality although the search al. (2012) revised and classified this taxon as P. kraepelini. Ac- was done in different areas (Çiçekbaba Mountain 1742 m). cording to Kovarik et al. (2010) P. kraepelini has a widespread The specimens were collected under the stones at day time. distribution in the Central and Western Mediterranean re- gion of Turkey and P. asiaticus is common in Eastern Taurus. Family: Iuridae Thorell, 1876 Protoiurus kraepelini (Von Ubisch, 1922) (Fig. 4) Examined material: (30 specimens: 12 ♂♂, 18♀♀)) 1. Konak 612 m. 37° 27' N/27° 41' E, (2♂♂,5♀♀) leg. E.A. Acknowledgments. We would like to express our gratitude to Ersen Yağmur & M. İnanç; 2. Eren Hill 2130 m. 37° 01' N/28° 45' E, Aydın YAĞMUR (Celal Bayar University, Turkey) and Halil KOÇ (1♂,2♀♀) leg. E.A. Yağmur & H. Koç; 3. Dalyan 36° 50’ N/28° (Sinop University, Turkey) for their great contribution to this 38’ E, (2♂♂,3♀♀), leg. E.A. Yağmur & M. İnanç; 4. Göğübeli research. Pass 1830 m. 36° 50' N/29° 44' E, (2♂♂,), leg. M. İnanç & H. Koç; 5. Bencik Mountain 875 m. 37° 13' N/28° 01' E, (1♂,3♀♀) leg. E.A. Yağmur & M. İnanç & H. Koç; 6. Hanımköy 689 m. References 37° 31' N/27° 44' E, (1♂,1♀), leg. M. İnanç; 7. Çiçekbaba Mountain Kartal Lake 1763 m. 37° 03' N/28° 48' E, (3♂♂,4♀♀), Atalay, İ. (1994): Türkiye Vejetasyon Coğrafyası. Ege Üniversitesi Basımevi, leg. H. Koç & M. İnanç. İzmir, Turkey. [in Turkish] Birula, A.A. (1898): Ein Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Scorpionen fauna Kleinasiens. Morphology and variation: The total length of examined Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae 33: 132‐140. samples ranged from 45.76 to 91.48 mm.. Average length is Birula, A.A. (1903): Miscellanea scorpiologica. V. Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der 74.41 mm in females, 71.08 mm in males. General ap- Scorpiofaunen der Insel Kreta. Annuaire du Musee Zoologique de l'Academie Imperiale de St. Petersbourg 8: 295-299. pearence of the specimens is dark reddish-black, pedipalps Birula, A.A. (1917a): Chlenistobryukhie paukoobraznye Kavkazskogo Kraya are well developed, tergites are without carinae, and ster- [Arthrogastric arachnids of Caucasia]. Part I. Scorpiones. Tbilisi: Mémoires du num is pectagonal. The examined specimens’ pectinal tooth Musée du Caucase Sér. A 5: 1–253. [English translation: Jerusalem: Israel Program for Scientific Translation, 1964]. number 10-12 for females, 10-13 for males. Birula, A.A. (1917b): Faune de la Russie et des pays limitrophes fondee Ecological notes: This species lives under stones, forest principalement sur les collections du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie des floor or in natural cavities.