Scorpiofauna of Kashan (Esfahan Province, Iran) (Arachnida: Scorpiones)
Author
Vignoli, Valerio
Author
Kovařík, František
Author
Crucitti, Pierangelo
text
Euscorpius
2003
2003-12-31
9
1
7
https://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/vol2003/iss9/1/
journal article
4302
10.18590/euscorpius.2003.vol2003.iss9.1
b747ea78-172a-4a23-9de5-af6ff3a03949
1536-9307
4649065
Iranobuthus krali
Kovařík, 1997
Specimens.
2 adult
♀♀
, No. 01, 04,
1 adult
♂
, No. 02
,
1 juv. ♂
, No. 03,
1 km
West of Kashan
,
09 August 2000
;
1 adult
♀
, No. 08,
11 August 2000
;
1 immature
♂
, No. 14 (
FKCP
),
Kashan
,
12 August 2000
;
leg.
V
.
Vignoli
&
P. Crucitti
.
Comments.
This monotypic genus was described recently (Kovařík, 1997) and the
type
locality is
Sivand Village
situated in the
Fars province
, which was hitherto the only known distribution locality. Kashan is located more than
300 km
further north, and this site extends the distribution area of this species. Six specimens were collected, four adults and two subadults. Several specimens were seen during night in “sit-and-wait” behavior; they were concentrate inside a rudimental drystone wall,
1 km
east outside the city, between a road and a rocky desert (hammada) with little arid bushes. The scorpions were extremely fast and therefore difficult to catch. The other specimens (Nos. 08, 14) were collected inside city, around semi derelict buildings and walls on the entry of their refuges.
Figure 1:
Map of Iran showing the position of Kashan (+). The large natural dispersal barriers are represented by straight lines which show the “biogeographical canal” inside which Kashan is situated. The “canal” is formed by the western part of Alborz Mountains (1), the western borders of Kavir Desert (2) and Lut Desert (3), and the eastern part of the Zagros Mountains (4).
I. krali
was never found in the other localities we examined, as sandy desert habitats and other villages; moreover, this large scorpion (total length range:
53–74 mm
) was never found together with
Androctonus crassicauda
.