Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia

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  Soil Preference and Burrow Characteristics of Two Theraphosidae Species in Penang Island, Malaysia Abstract Tarantulas play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by regulating insect populations. However, little is known about the soil preferences and burrow structures of tarantulas in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the soil preference as well as the burrow structure of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  from Penang Island. The soil characteristics of the soil samples collected around the burrows of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  (n = 30) and  Chilobrachys andersoni  (n = 30) were determined using soil texture analysis. The measurements and burrow structures from adults and juveniles of  Coremiocnemis cunciularia  and  Chilobrachys andersoni  were determined. It was revealed that the moisture content and clay percentage in the soil samples around burrows of  Chilobrachys anderso...

New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

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New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

Abstract

Limited studies have been conducted on the scorpions of East Azarbaijan Province, resulting in the identification of seven Buthid species. The examination of Androctonus specimens collected from East Azarbaijan Province between 2021–2023 resulted in the identification of two new records, A. kunti Yağmur, 2023 and A. turkiyensis Yağmur, 2021. These two species were collected and described from east and south of Turkey respectively and recorded here for the first time from Iran. With the identification of A. kunti and A. turkiyensis, which before reported as Androctonus crassicauda, the total number of reported scorpion species in East Azarbaijan Province raised to eight, while the number of Androctonus species documented in Iran rose to six. Diagnostic characters of the two species and an identification key to Iranian Androctonus were provided. Understanding the distribution of various Androctonus species is crucial for determining their habitat conditions, preventing scorpion stings, and developing specific antivenoms tailored to each species for effective treatment.
Barahoei, H., Farmani, M., Shahi, M., Yousefi, S., Abbasi, M., Rahmani, F. (2025). 'New records of Androctonus Ehrenberg, 1828 from East Azarbaijan Province, Iran (Scorpiones: Buthidae)', Iranian Journal of Animal Biosystematics, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22067/ijab.2025.92965.1098