Liocheles australasiae, the dwarf wood scorpion, is a species of scorpion belonging to the family Hormuridae.[1][2][3][4]

Distribution

A live individual of Liocheles australasiae

This species is present in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Yaeyama Islands (Japan), China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Mariana Islands, Indonesia, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and French Polynesia.[5][6]

Description

This small scorpion has the total length of 22 to 36 mm. Patella of pedipalps with 3 ventral trichobothria. Body uniformly reddish to yellowish brown. Telson yellow. Median and three lateral pigmented eyes present, which are not troglobitic. Chelicerae are yellowish brown, and reticulated. Carapace without carinae. but punctate and bears a straight median longitudinal groove. There are 4 to 8 pectinal teeth. Metasomal segments are sparsely setose and finely punctate. Pedipalps also covered by granules. Ventrum of pedipalp is punctate. In males, the fingers of chela are conspicuously flexed.[6][7]

Most of the populations are parthenogenetic, where they can produce young without males.[8] In Sri Lanka, three females were discovered from Bentota, Galle, without a male, but all specimens were females or juveniles. Specimens are observed inside a stone wall and under old bark of branches and also in dry leaves and under the flower pots in home garden.[6]

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ^ Biolib
  2. ^ Goonathilake, Chamod (2020-07-21). "Introduction to Scorpions of Sri Lanka". WILD FREAKS. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  3. ^ Malsawmdawngliana, Fanai; Vabeireiryulai, Mathipi; Malsawmdawngzuali, Tara; Biakzuala, Lal; Tochhawng, Lalengzuala; Lalremsanga, Hmar Tlawmte (2021). "A new record of Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) (Scorpiones: Hormuridae) from the state of Mizoram, India". Journal of Animal Diversity. 3: 11–17. doi:10.52547/JAD.2021.3.1.3. S2CID 238151920.
  4. ^ "The Scorpion Files - Liocheles waigiensis (Ischnuridae)". www.ntnu.no. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  5. ^ Australian faunal directory
  6. ^ a b c Charles University; Kovařík, František; Ranawana, Kithsiri B.; University of Peradeniya; Jayarathne, V. A. Sanjeewa; University of Peradeniya; Karunarathna, Sanjaya; University of Peradeniya; Ullrich, Alexander (2018). "Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Arachnida, Scorpiones). Part II. Family Hormuridae". Euscorpius. 2018 (258): 1–5. doi:10.18590/euscorpius.2018.vol2018.iss258.1. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  7. ^ "Habitat characteristics of two scorpion species, Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius, 1775) and Isometrus maculatus (De Geer, 1778) in Miyako Islands, Japan". Euscorpius - Occasional Publications in Scorpiology. 2021, No. 331. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
  8. ^ Yamazaki, Kazunori; Makioka, Toshiki (2005). "Parthenogenesis through Five Generations in the Scorpion Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius 1775) (Scorpiones, Ischnuridae)". The Journal of Arachnology. 33 (3): 852–856. doi:10.1636/S02-5.1. JSTOR 4129888. S2CID 86267838. Retrieved 2021-08-31.