Scorpionida: India
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Scorpionida
Introduction
Scorpions are one of the oldest forms of life still to be found on the surface of the earth. They have remained unchanged for hundreds of millions of years. Fossils scorpions resemble the present day scorpions. Hence, they may will be described as one of the living fossils. Scorpions have originated from an extinct group, the Eurypterids, which existed during Silurian period. These eurypterids were acquatic inhabits. First terrestrial scorpions appeared on earth in Europe and North America, during carboniferous period.
The number of recognized world species is about 1500, out of which 102 species and subspecies, distributed in 18 genera and 5. families, are found in Iridia. Scorpions are distributed all over the world, with the exception of Newzealand and extreme south of South America. They are abundant in tropical and subtropical zones. They live partly in habitats such as cracks in the rocks or leafaxill or under barks of a tree or in burrows. They are nocturnal in habit. The majority of species are more or less harmless to human beings; others give painful stings causing swelling and sometimes fever as well; such symptoms usually disappear after one or two days. Some species are dangerous, their sting can lead to death, especially of children. These poisonous scorpions are found in Northern Africa and American desert regions.
The poison from the Sahara Scorpion (Androctonus australis) is comparable in strength to that of the cobra snake and can kin a dog within seconds.
Scorpions belong to phylum Arthropoda; subphylum Chelicerata; class Arachnida and order Scorpionida.
Historical Resume
The studies on scorpions were fust began in Europe in the middle of eighteenth century. Linnacus (1758) recognized some species which he put in genus Scorpio. Then the study on scorpions gradually drew attention of other naturalists and arachnologists of different parts of world.
i) Pre-1900
The work on Scorpions of British India was done by Gervais. (1844),Dufour (1856), Oates (1888), Kessler (1876) and Kreeplin (1893). Pocock (1900) compiled all previous works of different authors on Indian scorpions and published a volume of Fauna of British India, on Arachnida, in which he described all Ialown species and genera of scorpions.
ii) 1901-1947
In the early part of twentieth century, scientists from different institutions took initiative in studying scorpions. Birula (1913-1928) Hirst (1915), Henderson (1915-1919) etc. added much to the knowledge by describing many new species. Apart from working on systematics, scientists took interest in other aspects of scorpions also, such as toxicity, ecology, histology, biology embryology etc. Caius and Mhaskar (1934) carried on research on the toxicity and ayurvedic remedy for the poison of scorpions. Rahimulla (1939) published his works on systematics of scorpions. Tembe and Awati (1940-45) studied the histology of scorpions. Md. S. Ahamed, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta.
iii) 1948-1990
Mathew (1948, 1960) mad'e significant contribution on the embryology of some Indian scorpions. Mani (1959) described few new species oCthe group.
Systematic studies on scorpions from Hazaribagh, Bihar and Western Himalayan ranges were made by Basu (1964). Dubale and Vyas (1968-73) made contributions to the histology of Chela and endostemite and mylogy of feeding apparatus. Sreeniv~sa Reddy has been working on the systematics of scorpions for more than three decades. He has revised species of the family Ischnuridae. Raj Tilak (1970) studied the burrowing Rabits of some scorpions. Tikader and Bastawade (1977) have been carrying research on the systematics of the scorpions for more than two decades. Tikader (1973) published a list of scorpions in Deecan, India. Tikader and Bastawade (1977) described a new species from Maharashtra Tik~der and Basta~ade (1983) subsequently studied the Indian scorpions thoroughly and made a valuable publication on the group The Fauna of India, volume on Scorpions. Couzijn 1981 made significant contribution on Indian scorpions by revising genus Heterometrus of the family Scorpionidae. Ahamed studied scorpions of West Bengal and his research paper is under publication.
Scientists in the Zoological Survey of India have taken projects on the study of scorpions in different areas of India. The scorpions of Meghalaya and Tripura are being studied by Ahamed.
Studies from Different Environs
Though scorpions are distributed in three different ecological niches, the plain lands, rocky areas and forests, their representatives are found in less number in each area except the fltst. Hence scorpions of different environs are studied rather collectively.
Zoological Survey of India has made scorpion collections through several faunistic surveys. since its inception. Patchy collections had been made earlier. Among the areas thoroughly surveyed in India so far are : West Bengal, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab. The scorpions in Maharashtra were studied by Tikader and Bastawade in the early seventies. Mani (1959) studied high altitude scorpions and pseudoscorpions from North West Himalaya in late fifties. Recently Ahamed has studied, the systematics of scorpions of West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura.
Estimation of Taxa
Sc~rpionidea comprises only one order Scorpionida, which contains 33 recognized families in the world, out of which 5 families namely Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Vaejovidae, Ischnuridae and Scorpionidae occur in India. It is represented by 102 species and subspecies in India, out of 810 species in the world.
Classified Treatment
Order Scorpionida Family 1. Buthidae
Ths systematic studies on scorpions were made by Caius (1938) who reported the distribution of Butheolus melanurus Kessler. Awati and Timbe (1952) published their work on the morphology, anatomy and bionomics of BUlhus tamulus Fabricius. In 1964, Basu made some interesting observations on two new species of Lychas. Family 2. Scorpionidae
Bahadur (1952) studied the morphology of the scorpion Palamnaeus bengalensis Thorell. Sreenivasa Reddy has been working on different aspects of scorpions since 1959. He has made valuable publications on physiology (1959) and systematics (1970). The embryology of the scorpion Palamnaeus scaber Thorell was studied by Mathew (1948). Rao (1967) contributed much knowledge on the feeding apparatus in the scorpion Heterometrus fulvipes Koch. Dubale and Vyas (1970) published their work on the histology of a scorpion of the genus Heterometrus. In 1980, Couzijn of the Rijks museum Lieden, (the Netherlands), revised the genus Het'erometrus and described some new species of the same group. Among the scientists of Zoological Survey of India, Mani studied the systematics of high altitude scorpions in 1959.
Subsequently Tikader and Bastawade (1983) have described two new species of the family Scorpionidae. Family 3. Vaejovidae
Mani (1959) recognized one new species of the scorpion Scorpiops (Scorpiops) rohtanensis Mani. Tikader and Bastawade (1977, 1983) described two new species Scorpiops (Neoscorpiops) deccanensis and S. (Euscorpiops) bhutanensis of this family. Deoras (1961) studied the Bombay Scorpion and its method for the electrical extraction of venom. Chowdhury and Ganguly (1978) studied some cardiovascular effects ofcrude scorpion venom.
Expertise India
In ZSI
D. B. Bastawade, ZSI, Arunachal Pradesh Field Station, Zoological Survey of India, Itanagar 791 111 (A.P.).
Md. S, Ahamed, ZSI, 'M' Block, New Alipore, Calcutta 700 053.
Elsewhere
B. K. Tikader, C.L. 85, Salt Lake City, Calcutta.
Abroad
J. L. Cloudsley -Thompson, Department of Zoology, Birbeck College, Malet St. London WCIE 7HX (England). H. W. C. Couzijn, C/o. Rijks museum, Van Natuurlijke Histoirie, Leiden, (The Netherlands). O. Kraus, Universitat Hamburg, Zoologisches Institut, 2000 Hamburg 13 (Germany). B. H. Lamoral, Natal Museum, Pietennaritzburg (South Africa). W. R. courenco, Laborntoire de Zoologic (Arthropodes) Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 61 Rue de Buffon, Paris 75005 (France). M. Vachon, Museum d'histoire Naturelle, 61 Rue de Buffon, Paris 75005 (France). L. Vander Hammen, Rijksmuscum Van Natuulijke Histoirie (The Netherlands).
Selected References
Pocock, R. I. 1900. Fauna ofB•ritish India, Arachnida, London: 1-279. Tikadcc, B. K. &Bastawade, D. B. 1983. Fauna ofIndia, Scorpions, Calcutta, III : i-xii + 1-671. Vachon, M. 1952. Etudes Sur Les Scorpions 1 : 482.
