Euscorpius Italicus

''Euscorpius italicus'' is a scorpion belonging to the genus of small wood-scorpions. It is the largest species in the genus, with adults reaching lengths up to 50 mm. Its size can thus be used as a heuristic for determination.

Appearance

The coloration of ''E. italicus'' ranges from dark reddish brown to bluish black. The ventral side and telson are slightly lighter.

It differs from the other species of the genus by the significantly larger number of trichobothriae on the underside of the chela manus, and by the large number of trichobothriae on the outside of the patella of the pedipalps. The morphological differences between species in the genus ''Euscorpius'' are generally however small and identification is typically difficult.

Despite being the largest species in its genus, ''E. italicus'' significantly varies in size. Swiss specimens had lengths between 29.2 and 49.4 mm. Males had an average length of 37.3 mm, while females reached an average of 38.6 mm.

It is sometimes confused with ''Tetratrichobothrius flavicaudis''.

Distribution

The native range of ''E. italicus'' includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France, Monaco, Switzerland, San Marino, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, and Russia. It has been introduced to Yemen.

The species was originally discovered in Italy, whence it acquired its scientific name. Even though there is no agreed upon common name, it may be called the Italian scorpion or the Italian small wood-scorpion. The former variant is used in several European languages, like Polish, Czech, and Italian.

Behavior

The scorpion is a predator of a range of arthropods. It only hunts prey smaller than itself. It has been seen hunting isopods such as ''Armadillidium vulgare'', centipedes in the genus ''Cryptops'' and ''Scutigera'', earwigs like ''Forficula auricularia'', crickets like ''Gryllus campestris'' and ''Nemobius syvestris'', as well as various moths and spiders.

So far, females with scorplings have only been observed outdoors in August and September, and mating is thought to exclusively take place during this period. Accordingly, the gestation period lasts 11 to 11.5 months. ''E. italicus'' is, like all other scoprions, viviparous: juveniles tear open their embryonic shell immediately after birth and climb on the mother's back. The number of young per female is between 9 and 62. Young scorpions leave their mother following their first molt, which takes place after 6 or 7 days.

To reach sexual maturity, males will require 5 – 6 molts, whereas females will require 6 – 7. This would suggest that males take 2 – 3 years and females 2.5 – 4 years to reach adulthood. The life expectancy of the species is taken to be between 4 and 8 years in the wild, while a specimen has been observed to live for over 10 years in a laboratory.M. E. Braunwalder: ''Scorpiones (Arachnida).'' Fauna Helvetica 13, Neuchâtel 2005, ISBN 2-88414-025-5: p. 89-94

The scorpion leads a solitary life and spends most of its life in hiding. It is nocturnal and has a mild temperament.

Habitat

This species can be found in a variety of warm habitats, such as ruins, buildings, under household furnishings, and in crevices of walls. It is most often encountered near humans or places that humans have considerably changed. In nature, it hides under rocks. In the Eastern Mediterranean, it can be found in mountain forests.

In terrariums, the scorpion prefers temperatures from 20 °C to 25 °C during the day and no less than 18 °C to 20 °C during the night, with humidity in the range of 50 – 70 percent.

Venom

''E. italicus'' rarely uses its stinger and is considered to be harmless. In the event of a bite, it is enough to clean and disinfect the wound.

Gallery

File:Euscorpius italicus adult female Croatia.jpg, Adult female
File:Euscorpius italicus adult male Croatia.jpg, Adult male
File:Euscorpius italicus male and female Croatia.jpg, Adult male (right) and female (left) placed next to each other for comparison
File:Euscorpius italicus handling.png, Handling the scorpion
File:Euscorpius fg08.jpg, With scorplings
File:Euscorpius italicus.jpg, With prey
File:Euscorpius fg04tagged.png, Ventral view

References

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Euscorpiidae
Arachnids described in 1800
Scorpions of Africa
Scorpions of Europe
Scorpions of Asia
Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Herbst