Urodacus manicatus

black rock scorpion
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Chelicerata
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Subfamily: Urodacinae
Genus: Urodacus
Species: U. manicatus
Binomial name
Urodacus manicatus
(Thorell, 1876)[1]
Synonyms

Urodacus abruptus Pocock, 1888
Buthus flavicruris Rainbow, 1896

Urodacus manicatus, commonly known as the black rock scorpion, is a species of scorpion belonging to the subfamily Urodacinae (family Scorpionidae). It is native to eastern Australia.

The black rock scorpion was described by Swedish naturalist Tamerlan Thorell in 1876 as Ioctonus manicatus.[1] The type locality was described as "New Holland".[2] In 1888 Reginald Innes Pocock, an assistant at the Natural History Museum in London, was cataloging specimens of the genus and described what he thought was a new species—naming it U. abruptus— from two dried female specimens, one from Adelaide and the other labelled "New Holland".[3] German naturalist Karl Kraepelin concluded that Thorell's I. manicatus was the same species as U. abruptus and U. novaehollandiae.[4] It was also collected from Cooma by William Joseph Rainbow who named it Buthus flavicruris in 1896.[2] The genus Urodacus was placed in its own family in 2000. Before this, the group had been a subfamily Urodacinae within the family Scorpionidae.[5]

Measuring up to 5.5 cm (2.2 in), it is dark brown or black. It ranges from Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria into South Australia.[6] Its preferred habitat is granite outcrops in open forest.[7] It excavates a burrow underneath rocks or logs with a terminal chamber and passage to the surface. It preys upon insects such as cockroaches and beetles, as well as other invertebrates such as millipedes, centipedes, spiders and rarely earthworms. Its sting can cause local pain and swelling in humans.[6]

It is one of the species of scorpion most commonly seen for sale in pet shops in Australia and is relatively easy to keep in captivity, where it has a lifespan of 6 to 10 years. There are concerns wild populations are being depleted because of specimens taken for the pet trade.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 Thorell, Tamerlan (21 August 2013). "Species Urodacus manicatus". Australian Biological Resources Study: Australian Faunal Directory. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2014. Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  2. 1 2 Harvey, Mark S.; Volschenk, Erich S (2002). "A forgotten scorpion: the identity of Buthus flavicruris Rainbow, 1896 (Scorpiones), with notes on Urodacus manicatus (Thorell)" (PDF). Records of the West Australian Museum 21: 105–06.
  3. ↑ Pocock, R.I. (1888). "XX.—The species of the genus Urodacus contained in the Collection of the British (Natural-History) Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Series 6 2 (8): 169–75. doi:10.1080/00222938809460897.
  4. ↑ Southcott, R. V. (1955). "Some observations on the biology, including mating and other behaviour, of the Australian scorpion Urodacus abruptus Pocock". Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 78: 145–54.
  5. ↑ Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (9 October 2013). "Family Urodacidae". Australian Biological Resources Study: Australian Faunal Directory. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Black Rock Scorpion Urodacus manicatus". Museum Victoria. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  7. 1 2 Henderson, Alan; Henderson, Deanna; Sinclair, Jessie (2008). Bugs Alive. Museum Victoria. p. 128. ISBN 0975837087.

Further reading

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