Scorpions are predators that catch a wide diversity of prey, including members of their own species. Jonas martins and co-workers have recently published an article describing several cases of cannibalism in the Brazilian species Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1987 (Buthidae).
Abstract:
Scorpions are an important predator group in the habitats where they live, due to their voracity. However, their predatory habits are not well recorded, particularly in Amazonian species. Here we report four intraspecific predation events involving Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1987. In all cases, larger individuals acted as predators of smaller ones. These are the first reports of cannibalism involving scorpions in the Brazilian Amazon. Our findings are important to allow a better understanding of intraspecific interactions in tropical scorpion assemblages.
Reference:
Martins JG, Almeida MR, Procópio RE, Lira AF. Cannibalism in Tityus metuendus Pocock, 1897 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from the Brazilian Amazon. Revista Chilena de EntomologÃa. 2024;50(1):57-61. [Open Access]
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