Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation : SCBC and Scorpions

Uroplectes chubbi, Medike.

In the last few months the SCBC has started to do more serious work on scorpions in the region. With encouragement and support from Ian Engelbrecht and the ‘Scorpalerts group’ we have been logging our scorpion by-catch and doing some UV lighting in the all the areas we have been working. On our September trip we got thirteen species in total with some significant records of Uroplectes chubbi and Pseudolychas pegleri. The region we found to be richest in scorpion diversity was Nwanedi, the area with the most individual scorpions was Golwe-Vhurivhuri (Pseudolychas pegleri) and Pafuri River Camp (high concentrations of Hottentota trilineata and Lychas burdoi).

A scorpion lighting up green under a UV light.

At the moment our scorpion list for the Soutpansberg and peripheral areas stands at 16 species. To put it into perspective Mozambique is known to have eighteen species (Leeming, 2003; 84).Thirteen of these are on the Soutpansberg proper. In this list we have one endemic species (Opistophthalmus lawrencii). Scorpion diversity is high in the region and the list can be expected grow during 2016 as we increase our activities in different areas.

Scorpions can be found through active searching under cover (dead bark on trees, stones etc.), the easiest way by far of finding scorpions is by UV lighting. The only equipment needed is a UV torch (commercially available), eye protection for longer UV sessions (yellow goggles) and collection jars for controlling the animals (I use pill vials for smaller species and glass jars for larger species). For those interested a good place to submit records is the ADU scorpion map page (click here to view page).

Below is an illustrated list of scorpions from our records for the Soutpansberg and peripheral areas in the Limpopo Basin. As we increase our activities in the region we expect to see our lists grow. Watch this space!