The First Report of Presence of Mesobuthus eupeus (C.L. Koch, 1839)

(Scorpiones: Buthidae) in the Central Anatolia

Ayşegül KARATAŞ and Ahmet KARATAŞ

Ege Üniversitesi, Fen Fakültesi, Biyoloji Bölümü, Zooloji Anabilim Dalı, TR-35100 Bornova, Izmir-TÜRKİYE. E-mail: karatash@scientist.com

Abstract: The present study is based on specimens of Mesobuthus eupeus (C.L. Koch, 1839) collected in Kayseri, Nevşehir and Niğde provinces of Asia Minor. The species is recorded for the first time in the Central Anatolia, which is the western limit of its distribution.

Keywords: Mesobuthus eupeus, Buthidae, Scorpiones, Anatolia.

Introduction: The genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 of Irano-Turanian Subregion is represented with three species, viz. M.caucasicus (Normann, 1840), M.eupeus (C.L. Koch, 1839) and M.gibbosus (Brullé, 1832), in Anatolia. Of these, Balkono-Anatolian species, M.gibbosus is common in west of Anatolian Diagonal except for both of the coasts of Black Sea and Marmara Sea; however other two species, viz. M.caucasicus and M.eupeus, have been known from several localities in the eastern and south-eastern Anatolia regions (Birula, 1917; Crucitti, 1993, 1998; Kinzelbach, 1984; Kovařík, 1996; Vachon, 1951, 1966; Vachon and Kinzelbach, 1987). The later species is widespread in the western Palaearctic Region and it ranges throughout Eastern Anatolia, Georgia, Azerbaidjan, and other Caucasian countries, turning northwards to southern Russia (north-western Caucasus) and Ukraine; it reaches though Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tadzikistan, Kazakhistan, Mongolia to East Turkistan and China, passing Syria, Iraq southwards into Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan up to India (Fet, 1988 [1989]; Kinzelbach, 1975; Kovařík, 1998).

The purpose of the present paper is to give some new distributive information, including the first record for the Central Anatolia, about M.eupeus in Anatolia and contribute to the records on its chorology.

Material and methods: During the period of years between 1995-2000 to establish Turkish scorpio-fauna, specimens of M.eupeus were found in three provinces (Kayseri, Nevşehir and Niğde) of the central Anatolia (Fig. 1). The voucher samples were put into 70 % of etanol and they have been deposited in senior author’s collection in ZDEU-S (Zoology Department Museum of Ege University, Scorpion Section). All measurements were taken to the tenth of a millimetre by a calliper.

Result:

Specimens examined: Total 30 specimens (14 ♀♀+17 ♂♂). Kars, near Castle of Kars, 1 ♂ (12.IX.2000); Sarıkamış District, 2 ♂♂+4 ♀♀ (16.IX.2000); Kayseri: Kocasinan, Boztepe 2 ♀♀ (ZDEU-S 1998/05-06; 30.V.1998); Nevşehir: Derinkuyu, Goble stream vicinity 2 ♂♂ (ZDEU-S 1997/44-45; 05.VIII.1997); Niğde-Kayseri road, Ca. 10 km, 2 ♂♂+1 ♀ (1996/24-26; 2.V.1996); between Ovacık and Uluağaç villages, 2 ♂♂+1 ♀ (1996/27-29; 3.V.1996); Gümüşler 1 ♀+1 ♂ (1997/38-39; ?.VI.1997); ibid, near Gümüşler Dam Lake 2 ♀♀ (1997/33-34; 07.V.1997); near Koyunlu district, 1 ♂ (1997/49; 15.XII.1997); campus of Niğde Univ., 1 ♂ (1998/44; 15.X.1998); Bor district, Yediodalar vicinity, 2 ♀♀ (1995/13-14 22.X.1995); Balcı village, 1 ♂ (1996/102; 20.VII.1996); Pınarbaşı vicinity, 2 ♂+1 ♀ (1996/14, 16-17, 24.III.1996); Bahçeli district, 1 ♂ (1996/18; 23.IV.1996).

Habitat: All these samples, except for one found at night by UV lamp, were collected under the stones. The localities, with altitudes of 900-1300 metres, has a typical continental climate and step vegetation.

Taxonomical Evaluation and Comments:

M.eupeus and M.caucasicus are distinguished from M.gibbosus with 10 keels on fourth segment of its metasoma, by have 8 keels on this segment of them. M.eupeus is also different from M.caucasicus, by their total length (from chelicerae to end of metasoma) and numbers of diagonal rows of granules on movable finger of pedipalps. The former species has most 12 diagonal rows and length of up to 50 mm and the later one has 13 or 14 diagonal rows and length of 60 to 80 mm for adults.

Adult females are larger than males (see Table.1). Males have more pectin teeth and this number is 21 to 28 for males and 16 to 23 for females. So, males have longer pectines. Metasoma or tail in males is longer and wider than which of same total length females. Measurements taken from females and males of M.eupeus are shown in Table.1.

Up to now, M.eupeus has been known from the Eastern- and South-eastern Anatolia. Braunwalder and Fet (1999) reported that the populations of Mesobuthus in Central Anatolia may belong to “eupeus” group and not to the “gibbosus” group. In the present study, we partly confirm their opinion and so, the species is reported for the first time in this region. In the other hand, M.gibbosus are common and simpatrically found with M.eupeus in the Central Anatolia. With respect to new findings, the area forms the western limit of total area of M.eupeus.

According to Birula (1917), specimens from Kars Provinces and its environs belong to nominate subspecies and Irak is inhabited by iranus Birula, 1917. However, Kovařík (1996, 1998) considered that nominate form ranges in Anatolia. When we compared the Central Anatolian samples with those from Kars in our collection, former has more light yellow colour on both of ventral and dorsal surfaces and darker pigmented on carapace and mesosoma.

Acknowledgements: We wish to thank Doctorant Tuncay Türkeş of Hacettepe University and Biol. Hasan Karakaya for helps in collection. We are grateful to Dr. Victor Fet for correction English text.

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Fig.1. Records of Mesobuthus eupeus; triangles denote original data [1. Kars (centrum), 2. Sarıkamış district, 3. Kayseri, 4. Nevşehir, 5. Niğde (for exact localities see text)], circles the previous records (after Birula, 1917; Crucitti, 1993; Kinzelbach, 1984 and Vachon, 1951).

Table.1. Some measurements taken from females and males specimens of M.eupeus.