Activity patterns of the medical important scorpion Tityus serrulatus in an urban habitat in Brazil

 

Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, 1922 (Buthidae) is probably the most medical important scorpion in Brazil and South America and one of the main reasons for this is the species' opportunistic life style and its adaption to urban habitats.  

José Brites-Neto and co-workers have recently published a study of the activity patterns and reproduction of a population of Tityus serrulatus in a urban habitat in the state of São Paulo in Brazil (in a cemetery). Increased knowledge of this medical important species' behavior and activity is important for those working to prevent scorpion envenomations when humans and scorpions share the same habitat.

Abstract:
Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello (Scorpiones: Buthidae) is a scorpion endemic to Brazil adapted to synanthropic life, colonising and proliferating in the most populous urban areas in the country. Here, we evaluated its activity pattern in an urban cemetery in the municipality of Americana, state of S˜ao Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, we tested the effects of species reproduction and climatic seasons on the activity pattern. The Saudade Municipal Cemetery was sampled between 17:00 and 22:00 h during 455 nights from April 2006 to December 2013. The circular mean and the peak of activity were quantified for the total number of specimens, and for specimens with and without broods. Activity patterns were inferred using a rosette diagram. Circular analysis of variance was used to investigate if activity patterns changed across climatic seasons (wet and dry seasons). A total of 25,969 records (467 specimens with broods) were obtained in the field. The circular mean varied between 19:44 and 19:48 h, and the peak of activity occurred between 18:00 and 20:00 h for all groups. Peaks of activity differed from that recorded under laboratory conditions (between 21:00 and 23:00 h). Activity patterns did not differ for specimens with broods, suggesting that the reproductive condition does not alter the species activity pattern. The activity pattern differed between wet and dry seasons for all specimens and specimens without broods, but differences were small and probably biologically irrelevant, probably because the species tolerates a wide variation in abiotic conditions. Deepening the knowledge of the behaviour activity of T. serrulatus can have practical applications for health surveillance agencies, aiming to increase the effectiveness of scorpion control in urban areas.

Reference:
Brites-Neto J, Willmer JNG, Delciellos AC. Activity pattern of Tityus serrulatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in an urban area in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Med Vet Entomol. 2024. [Subscription required full text]