Scorpion Diversity and Distribution in Southern Africa: Pattern and Process

Prendini, Lorenzo

doi:10.1007/0-387-24320-8_2

Cited by 53 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The alternative scenario would involve horizontal strain transfer among Opistophthalmus species. Radiation within this genus probably occurred within the last 5-10 Myr based on geological data [21]. Considering a rate of substitution for Wolbachia of 10 À8 substitutions per synonymous site per year [7], the divergence time between the two most divergent scorpion STs (77 and 78, K s = 2.84%) is about 1.…”

Section: Scorpion Strains Are Monophyleticmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The specimens analyzed here originate from localities broadly distributed within South Africa and Namibia (Table 1). These scorpion species are philopatric, habitatspecialists with very limited vagility [20], suggesting little opportunity for contact among them [21]. In a scenario where horizontal transfer of Wolbachia strains is facilitated by contact among host individuals, we might expect that species found in close regions harbor more closely related strains than distant species.…”

Section: Scorpion Strains Are Monophyleticmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wolbachia were found in several species of the scorpion genus Opistophthalmus (family Scorpionidae), commonly known as the southern African burrowing scorpions. Opistophthalmus is a radiation comprising more than 59 species, the majority of which are endemic to Namibia and South Africa [19,21]. Recently, a Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) scheme was developed for Wolbachia (based on five loci, gatB, coxA, hcpA, ftsZ, and fbpA), creating the basis for accurate characterization of strains, and offering an expanding dataset for integrative studies of the genetics, geographical distribution, and host range of these common bacteria (http://www.pubmlst.org/wolbachia/) [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Wolbachia Are Present in Southern African Scorpions and Cluster with Supergroup F

et al. 2007

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The presence and distribution of the intracellular bacteria Wolbachia in the arthropod subphylum Chelicerata (including class Arachnida) has not been extensively explored. Here we report the discovery of Wolbachia in scorpions. Five strains found in host species of the genus Opistophthalmus (Southern African burrowing scorpions) have been characterized by Multilocus Sequence Typing and by Wolbachia Surface Protein. Phylogenetic analyses indicate clustering in the supergroup F and a high genetic relatedness among all scorpion strains as a result of a potential transmission within the host genus. The F-group is an uncommon lineage compared to the A and B supergroups, although it is present in a broad range of hosts (including insects, filarial nematodes, and now arachnids) and across a large geographical area (e.g., North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia). It also shows no evidence of recombination and has a significantly higher genetic diversity than supergroup A and B. Overall, this pattern suggests an older radiation of F-strains with respect to A and B-strains, followed by limited horizontal transmission across host genera and reduced genetic flux among strains. A more extensive sampling of supergroup F-strains is required to confirm this scenario.

show abstract

Section: Scorpion Strains Are Monophyleticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Scorpion Strains Are Monophyleticmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Wolbachia Are Present in Southern African Scorpions and Cluster with Supergroup F

et al. 2007

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These contributions also represent syntheses of many previous studies, compiled into single volumes. From a biogeographic perspective, one of the more interesting broad-scale studies is that by Prendini (2005), who identifi ed areas of species richness and endemism in southern Africa and related these patterns to broad-scale landform elements and presumed phylogeny. Studies of scorpions and their distributions in smaller areas (less than 1,000 km occurrence on the Italian peninsula, although the relevant ecological parameters were not determined (Due and Polis 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

Volschenk¹,

Burbidge²,

Durrant³

et al. 2010

Rec West Aust Mus Sup

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

-We sampled scorpions in a systematic survey of 294 sites representing the major landform types across the arid Pilbara region of north-western Australia, an area of ca. 179,000 km 2 . We trapped two species of Isometroides, 10 of Lychas and 10 of Urodacus. All species were undescribed except one (U. megamastigus). Patterns of occurrence were similar to those found previously in arid Western Australia, in that temperature and soil characteristics seem to infl uence scorpion distributions; however, there were only weak correlations between species richness and sandiness of the soil, water availability, and annual temperature. In a classifi cation of the sample sites based on occurrence of scorpion species, the major division in the dendrogram was associated with topographic and soil variables, while annual temperature, soil depth, ruggedness, total K and the presence of Acacia species were the fi ve variables (of the 25 available) providing the best fi t with the site matrix. Much more information about the biology and ecology of individual species will be needed in order to interpret these patterns confi dently.

show abstract

“…Heurtault's (1984) hypothesis of a Gondwana connection between the whip scorpions of Africa and the Neotropics is plausible, given the many biogeographical connections between these areas. Among arachnids, for example, the order Ricinulei Thorell, 1876, the pseudoscorpion genus Pseudochthonius Balzan, 1892, and the scorpion genera, Ananteris Thorell, 1891 and Opisthacanthus Peters, 1861 (subgenus Opisthacanthus) are restricted to tropical western and central Africa and the New World (Newlands, 1973;Francke, 1974;Lourenço, 1985Lourenço, , 1987Lourenço, , 1993Harvey, 1996Harvey, , 2003Prendini, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the African Whip Scorpion, Etienneus africanus (Hentschel, 1899) (Thelyphonida: Thelyphonidae), with a Redescription Based on New Material from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal

Huff¹,

Prendini²

2009

American Museum Novitates

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An illustrated redescription of the monotypic African whip scorpion, Etienneus africanus (Hentschel, 1899), is provided based on examination of material newly collected in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, as well as material from the Gambia, Guinea and Senegal studied by previous workers. The species is reported for the first time from Guinea-Bissau. Several character systems are documented in this species for the first time, new characters that appear to be autapomorphic are described, and notes on its natural history provided. The phylogenetic position of E. africanus is discussed, supporting the opinion that it is a Gondwana relict, most closely related to the Neotropical hypoctonine genera, Thelyphonellus Pocock, 1894 and Ravilops Viquez and Armas, 2005.

show abstract

Scorpion Diversity and Distribution in Southern Africa: Pattern and Process

Cited by 53 publications

References 45 publications

Wolbachia Are Present in Southern African Scorpions and Cluster with Supergroup F

Wolbachia Are Present in Southern African Scorpions and Cluster with Supergroup F

Spatial distribution patterns of scorpions (Scorpiones) in the arid Pilbara region of Western Australia

On the African Whip Scorpion, Etienneus africanus (Hentschel, 1899) (Thelyphonida: Thelyphonidae), with a Redescription Based on New Material from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About