Courtship behavior of the parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus from Brazil

 

Most scorpions have sexual reproduction, but a few species seem to have parthenogensis as the main method for reproduction and in these species males are rare. We know very little about the courtship behavior in the species that can reproduce by either method.

Stênio Foerster and co-workers have recently published a study of the courtship repertoire of the Brazilian, parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1876) (Buthidae), which have sexual populations distributed throughout northeastern Brazil.

Overall, the reproductive repertoire of T. stigmurus was similar to that of other non-parthenogentic scorpions.

Abstract:
Scorpions can adopt different reproductive strategies (e.g., sexual or parthenogenesis) depending on the environmental conditions. In this study, we described the courtship repertoire of the parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus, a species with inconspicuous sexual populations distributed throughout northeastern Brazil. Specimens of both sexes (10 male, 10 female) were obtained from field expeditions in three locations in northeastern Brazil and were paired under laboratory conditions in an intrapopulation design. All observations were conducted at night using red light positioned above an experimental arena. From the 10 courtship interactions observed in this study, only one pair successfully completed the reproductive repertoire that included the insemination process. The incomplete interactions were abruptly terminated by the females immediately after deposition of the spermatophore. Overall, the reproductive repertoire of T. stigmurus was similar to that of other scorpions, especially its congeners, possibly because this reproductive behavior emerged at a basal point in the evolution of scorpions. The acquisition of new insights into the reproductive biology of different scorpion species may improve the theoretical background for applications ranging from evolutionary biology to public health strategies.

Reference:
Foerster SIA, Dionisio-da-Silva W, dos Santos AB, de Albuquerque CMR, de Araújo Lira AF. Notes on the courtship behavior of the parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus. Acta Arachnologica. 2021;70(2):83-6. [Open Access]

Thanks to Andre Lira for sending me their article!