Scorpions prey on a diveresity of different preys including members of their own order. In addtion, several scorpion species live in the same habitat and therefore may compete for the same resources (e. g. prey). In settings like this, intraguild predation may occur (that is "the killing and sometimes eating of a potential competitor of a different species" [Wikipedia]).
In a recent article, Şahin Toprak and co-workers reports of three cases of intraguild predation, involving the species Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912), Compsobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905) and Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880) in Turkey (all family Buthidae).
Abstract:
Scorpions are predators of a wide range of invertebrates even including other scorpions. Larger species commonly prey on smaller species or juveniles. Here, we report three cases of intraguild predation of Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) and Compsobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905) by Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Şırnak Province, Turkey. These are the first cases reporting antagonistic interactions among scorpions in Turkey.
Reference:
Toprak Ş, Kurt R, Yagmur EA. First report of intraguild predation in scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Turkey. Euscorpius. 2022(363):1-4. [Open Access]
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