Scorpions of the Brandberg Massif, Namibia: Species richness inversely correlated with altitude Author Prendini, Lorenzo Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79 th Street, New York, NY 10024 - 5192, USA lorenzo@amnh.org Author Bird, Tharina L. Department of Arachnology, National Museum of Namibia, Robert Mugabe Avenue 59, Windhoek, Namibia tharina@natmus.cul.na text African Invertebrates 2008 2008-12-31 49 2 77 77 http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.049.0205 journal article 55053 10.5733/afin.049.0205 5718e8e9-b222-4871-9afb-dd8a8337fe37 2305-2562 7661550 Parabuthus granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831) Androctonus ( Prionurus ) granulatus : Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg 1831 [unpaginated]. Buthus brevimanus var. β segnis Thorell, 1876 a : 110 , 112 (synonymised by Prendini 2004: 144). Buthus fulvipes Simon, 1888: 378 , 379 (synonymised by Purcell 1899: 434 ; Lamoral 1979: 571). Parabuthus granulatus fuscus Pocock, 1901: 285 (synonymised by Kraepelin 1908: 251, 252; Lamoral 1979: 571). Figs 11, 12. Parabuthus adults, habitus in life: (11) P. gracilis Lamoral, 1979 , female; (12) P. granulatus (Ehrenberg, 1831) , male. Parabuthus granulatus bergeri Werner, 1916: 83–84 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 571). Parabuthus granulatus strenuus Hewitt, 1918: 176 (synonymised by Prendini 2004: 145). Material examined: 1 ♂ ( SMN 121), Brandberg base camp [ 21°07'S : 14°25'E ], 15.viii.1968 , P.J. Buys; 1 ♂ ( USDP ), Brandberg, plains S, opposite Orabeskopf, 21°15.48'S : 14°36.54'E , 790 m , 16.i.1998 , L. Prendini & E. Scott, flats at the base of gritty white dune sand dune against hill, UV detection, syntopic with P. brevimanus , P. gracilis , O. jenseni and O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ ( USDP ), Numaskloof, Brandberg, 21°07.48'S : 14°25.54'E , 470 m , 17.i.1998 , L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse granitic sandy loam flats, UV detection, syntopic with H. conspersus , O. lamorali , O. ugabensis and O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2174), Brandberg, Numas R ., 21°06.815'S : 14°24.340'E , 23.iv.2000 , T .O. Osborne; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2588), Brandberg, White lady campsite, 21°00'57.72"S : 14°41'04.08"E , 4.iii. 2005 , 461 m, D. Kunz & M. Jouve; 1 ♂ ( USDP ), Uis, 21°13.10'S : 14°52.04'E , 15.i. 1998 , 660 m, L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse sandy loam flats, collected at night with UV light, syntopic with O. wahlbergii ; 1 ♂ 1♀( AMNH [AH 3382, 3383]), Daweb (N Uis), 4 km S [ 21°03'S : 14°54'E ], 6.ii.1981 , A. Harington, on sandy flats away from hills, one had a burrow, often near Euphorbia bushes, sympatric with L. elegans , P. brevimanus , P. kraepelini , O. jenseni and O. wahlbergii ; 2 ♂ 1♀1 juv. ♂ 1 juv .♀Uis [ 21°15'S : 14°50'E ], 29.xii.1989 , H.C. Strauss (1 ♂ SMN 1336, 1 juv. ♂ 1 juv .♀SMN 1337), 1968, J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 10111), xii.1968 , J.J. Nel ( 1♀TMSA 10117); 2 ♂ 2♀Uis tin mine, Uis [ 21°13'S : 14°51'E ], 24.ix.1968 , J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 15796), xii.1968 , J.J. Nel (1 ♂ TMSA 9397), xi.1969 , J.J. Nel ( 1♀TMSA 15785), 1979, H. Henke, syntopic with P. kraepelini ( 1♀AMNH [ AH 1192]). Ecology and distribution: This semi-psammophilous species ( Fig. 12 ) excavates burrows in open ground, at the base of shrubs and grass tufts, and under stones, in semiconsolidated to consolidated sandy and gritty substrata (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b , 2004). It occurs in Angola , Botswana , Namibia , South Africa and Zimbabwe (Lamoral 1979; FitzPatrick 1994 ; Prendini 2004, 2005 a ) and has been collected in gorges intersecting the Brandberg, e.g. Numaskloof ( 470 m ), and in sandy areas surrounding the Massif ( Figs 2 , 3 ), but not on the slopes or the summit.