UNEP-WCMC technical report Review of Pandinus dictator from Cameroon (Version edited for public release) 2 Review of Pandinus dictator from Cameroon Prepared for The European Commission, Directorate General Environment, Directorate E - Global & Regional Challenges, LIFE ENV.E.2. – Global Sustainability, Trade & Multilateral Agreements , Brussels, Belgium Published May 2014 Copyright European Commission 2014 Citation UNEP-WCMC. 2014. Review of Pandinus dictator from Cameroon. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WC MC) is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organization. The Centre has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with poli cy advice and the development of decision tools. 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Pandinus dictator 4 ARACHNIDA: SCORPIONIDAE Pandinus dictator II/B SYNONYMS : Pandinopsis dictator , Scorpio dictator COMMON NAMES: Scorpion dictateur (French), Escorpión magnífico (Spanish) RANGE STATES: Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria (?) UNDER REVIEW: Cameroon EU DECISIONS: Current negative opinion for Cameroon formed on 20/04/2014. IUCN: Not evaluated Trade patterns Pandinus dictator was listed in CITES Appendix II on 16/02/1995 and in Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations on 01/06/1997. Cameroon has not submitted annual reports for the year 2008, or for the years 2010-2013. Cameroon has not published any CITES export quotas for P. dictator . According to data in the CITES Trade Database (downloaded on 23/04/2014), there were no reported direct exports of P. dictator from Cameroon to the EU-28 over the period 2004- 2013. Direct exports of P. dictator from Cameroon to countries other than the EU-28 comprised 150 specimens (reported by the exporter only) and 50 bodies (reported by the importer only) in 2007. All trade was exported to the United States, was wild-sourced and for commercial purposes. In addition, 35 seized/confiscated bodies were reported by the United States in 2008. No indirect exports of P. dictator to the EU-28 originating in Cameroon were reported 2004-2013. There was no direct or indirect trade originating in Cameroon reported at the genus level (Pandinus spp.) 2004-2013. Conservation status Pandinus dictator is a large scorpion, reaching up to 17-20 cm in length (Prendini et al. , 2003). It is endemic to lowland and montane rainforest, recorded at elevations of 110–640 m (Prendini, 2004). The species constructs burrows in termite mounds and under stones or logs (Newlands, 1987 in: Prendini, 2004) and its morphology indicates that it is adapted to digging and life underground (Prendini, 2004). Pandinus dictator P. dictator was reported to have a fairly restricted distribution, occurring in Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea – including the island of Bioko (Lourenco and Cloudsley-Thompson, 1996; 5 Prendini, 2004) - and Gabon (Prendini, 2004). Lourenco and Cloudsley-Thompson (1996) also considered the species likely to occur in the south of Nigeria, however Prendini (2004) considered this unlikely, given that the Massif de l’Adamaoua between Cameroon and Nigeria appears to represent a natural biogeographic boundary separating scorpion distributional ranges. The genus Pandinus was reported to be poorly studied with little known about the distribution and status of its species (Prendini et al. , 2003; Kovařík, 2012; CoP9 Prop. 62-64). P. dictator has not yet been assessed by the IUCN and there appears to be no available information on population size and status. The Scorpionidae were reported to be increasingly threatened by habitat destruction and harvesting for the pet trade; remaining wild populations of the more-commonly traded P. imperator were thought to be threatened by deforestation and overexploitation (Prendini et al. , 2003). Whilst there is little information on the biology of Pandinus species, they are thought to be particularly vulnerable to overexploitation as they are highly social with comparatively small brood sizes, lengthy gestation periods, low reproductive output and parental care (Prendini et al. , 2003; CoP9 Prop. 62-64). Scorpionids also appear to be very sensitive to environmental degradation (Prendini et al. , 2003). Several Pandinus species are readily available in Europe, the USA and Japan for the exotic pet trade, most commonly P. imperator (Prendini et al. , 2003; Kovařík, 2012). A brief internet search yielded several EU pet/terraristic retailers 1 advertising P. imperator (and P. cavimanus ), but not P. dictator . There appears to be no available information on conservation, management or harvest of P. dictator in Cameroon. The main wildlife legislation in Cameroon is Law No. 94/01 of 20 January 1994 on Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Regulations; in addition, Order No. 0648/MINFOF of 18 December 2006 lists animals in classes A (totally protected), B and C (partially protected), and Decree No. 95/466/PM of 20 July 1995 sets out conditions for the implementation of the Regulations (Republique du Cameroun, 1994, 2006). However, no invertebrates are listed in Order No. 0648, hence P. dictator does not appear to have any specific legal protection. Whilst there are various morphological descriptions of the diagnostic differences between the three CITES-listed Pandinus species ( P. imperator , P. dictator and P. gambiensis ) (e.g. Belfield, 1956; Vachon, 1973; Lourenço and Cloudsley-Thompson, 1996), it is acknowledged that identification of these species can be extremely difficult for non-experts (CoP9 Prop. 62-64). 1 E.g. www.eurofauna.com , www.tiias-pets.net/ , www.reptilica.de , www.faunaimportuk.com , www.the- livingrainforest.co.uk , www.exotic-pets,co.uk . Pandinus dictator References 6 Belfield, W. 1956. A preliminary check list of the West African scorpions and key for their identification. Journal of the West African Science Association , 2, p.41–47. Kovařík, F. 2012. Review of the subgenus Pandinurus Fet, 1997 with descriptions of three new species (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae, Pandinus). Euscorpius — Occasional Publications in Scorpiology , 141, p.1–22. Lourenco, W. R. and Cloudsley-Thompson, J. L. 1996. Recognition and distribution of the scorpions of the genus Pandinus Thorell, 1876 accorded protection by the Washington Convention. Biogeographica , 72 (3), p.133–143. Newlands, G. 1987. Scorpions . Pretoria: De Jager-HAUM, p.40. Prendini, L. 2004. On the Scorpions of Gabon and neighboring countries , with a reassessment of the synonyms attributed to Babycurus buettneri Karsch and a redescription of Babycurus melanicus KovaÍík. California Academy of Sciences Memoir,28, p.235–267. Prendini, L., Crowe, T. M. and Wheeler, W. C. 2003. Systematics and biogeography of the family Scorpionidae (Chelicerata: Scorpiones), with a discussion on phylogenetic methods. Invertebrate Systematics , 17, p.185–259. Republique du Cameroun. 1994. Loi No 94-1 du 20 janvier 1994 portant régime des foréts de la faune et de la peche. Journal Officiel de la Republique du Cameroun , 2 (January). Republique du Cameroun. 2006. Arrété No. 0648 / MINFOF du 18 décembre 2006 fixant la liste des animaux des classes de protection A, B, et C . Vachon, M. 1973. Étude des caractères utilisés pour classer les familles et les genres de scorpions (Arachnides). 1. La trichobothriotaxie en arachnologie. Sigles trichobothriaux et types de trichobothriotaxie chez les scorpions. Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (3) , 140, p.857–958. .