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 10.5733/afin.049.0205 5718e8e9-b222-4871-9afb-dd8a8337fe37 2305-2562 7661550 Opistophthalmus wahlbergii ( Thorell, 1876 ) Miaephonus wahlbergii : Thorell 1876 b : 13 . Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi gariepensis Purcell, 1901: 194–195 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 756). Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi nigrovesicalis Purcell, 1901: 195 (synonymised by Lamoral 1979: 756). Opisthophthalmus lundensis Monard, 1937: 267–268 (synonymised by Prendini 2001 a : 41–42). Opisthophthalmus wahlbergi robustus Newlands, 1969: 6–7 , fig. 1c, tables 1–2 (synonymised by Prendini 2001 a : 41–42). Material examined: 2 ♂ Brandberg [ 21°14'S : 14°30'E ], 5.iv.1991 , deep burrow in river bed (1 ♂ NCA 91/ 867), deep complicated burrow (1 ♂ NCA 91/872), J. Leroy; 1 subad .♀( SMN 2630), Brandberg, way to, 21°04'54.9''S : 14°41'28.8''E , 497 m , 5.iii.2005 , D. Kunz; 6 ♂ Brandberg, Amis Gorge [ 21°11'S : 14°28'E ], 4.i.1981 (2 ♂ AMNH [AH 1840, 1841]), 30.i.1981 (1 ♂ AMNH [AH 1750]), 31.i.1981 (3 ♂ AMNH [AH 1930, 3365, 3366]), A. Harington; 1 ♂ ( SMN 2032), Brandberg, Messum Valley, 21°13'S : 14°31'E , 700 m , 5–17.iv.1999 , S. van Noort, Malaise trap, bushy Karroo-Namib shrubland; 1♀( SMN 97), Brandberg, Numas Gorge [ 21°08'S : 14°26'E ], 5.viii.1969 , P.J. Buys; 1♀( AMNH [AH 2126]), Numas riverbed, 2–3 km from Brandberg base [ 21°04'S : 14°22'E ], 30.i.1981 , A. Harington; 13 ♂ 1 subad .♀( SMN 2019), 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 , P. granulatus , P. villosus , H. tityrus and O. ugabensis ; 1 ♂ ( AMNH ), Uis, 21°13.10'S : 14°52.04'E , 660 m , 15.i.1998 , L. Prendini & E. Scott, coarse sandy loam flats, collected at night with UV light, syntopic with P. granulatus ; 4♀( TMSA 18090, 18092, 18148, 18149), 2 juv. ♂ ( TMSA 18091, 18147), 1 juv .♀( TMSA 18150), Uis [ 21°15'S : 14°50'E ], 15.ii.1978 , H. Pager; 1 juv. ♂ ( SMN 2679 [ LP 04/144a]), Brandberg, below Nuwuarib Gorge, 21°00'02.6''S : 14°35'04.8''E , 428 m , 15.v.2004 , Edu-Ventures 4, sandy plain, dug from burrow 50 cm deep; 2 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 3284, 3285]), Brandberg, opposite Orabes Wall [ 21°13'S : 14°38'E ], 1.ii.1981 , A. Harington; 2 ♂ ( SMN 2020), 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 , P. granulatus and O. jenseni ; 1 juv .♀( AMNH [AH 3381]), Daweb (N Uis), 4 km S [ 21°03'S : 14°54'E ], 6.ii.1981 , A. Harington; 1 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2082]), Nai-Gap riverbed at N tip Uis Mtns [ 21°07'S : 14°52'E ], 6.ii.1981 , A. Harington; 1♀( AMNH [AH 2132]), Uis R ., nr Kai-Nuses, nr Uis [ 21°11'S : 14°52'E ], 2.ii.1981 , A. Harington; 6 ♂ 3♀1 subad .♀1 juv. ♂ ( NMSA 11459), Uis tin mine, Uis [ 21°13'S : 14°51'E ], v.1969 , J. Bezuidenhout; 1 juv. ♂ ( NCA 2005/1972 [LR2094]), Uis rest camp, 21°13.10'S : 14°52.04'E , 24.iv.1999 , A. Leroy, burrow in deep hard sand, trapped at night; 3♀4 subad. ♂ 4 subad .♀( AMNH ), 4 subad. ♂ 2 subad .♀( SMN 2960), Uis, Brandberg Rest Camp, open plot of land adjacent to campsite, 21°13'06.7''S : 14°52'04.1''E , 814 m , 31.ii–1.iii.2006 , L. Prendini, T .L. Bird & S.K. Uunona, collected in pitfall traps set at burrow entrances in open ground on sandy-loam flats with sparse grass and scattered Acacias; 1♀( NHRM [JF 105]), Uis, 18.5 km E [ 21°14'S : 15°04'E ], 12.iv.2002 , C. R . Owen; 1 ♂ ( AMNH [AH 2091]), Uis, 20 km from turnoff to Khorixas [ 21°02'S : 14°54'E ], 6.ii.1981 , A. Harington, night collecting on red sandy flats, drizzling, syntopic with P. gracilis , P. granulatus , P. kraepelini and O. jenseni . Ecology and distribution:This psammophilous species excavates deep, spiral burrows in semi-consolidated sandy or gritty substrata (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2001 b ) on sandy to gravel plains ( Fig. 2 ) or dry riverbeds intersecting the Brandberg (e.g. Numaskloof), around the base of the Massif and in the surrounding areas. It occurs in Angola , Botswana , Namibia , South Africa , Zambia and Zimbabwe (Lamoral 1979; Prendini 2005 a ).