A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation?

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  A pseudoscorpion clinging to a cave salamander: phoresy or failed predation? Abstract Pseudoscorpions are well known for phoretic associations with arthropods, but interactions with amphibians are rarely documented. Here we report a pseudoscorpion attached to the left palpebral region of an adult male Italian cave salamander, Speleomantes italicus , observed during a visual survey in a karst cave in Tuscany, Italy. The pseudoscorpion, assigned on the basis of visible morphology and locality to Chthonius cf. elongatus , was grasping a minute cutaneous fold on the lower margin of the left upper eyelid with one chela while the salamander moved slowly over the rock surface. No handling was performed and the initial contact between the two animals was not observed. The event therefore cannot be interpreted unambiguously, but may represent opportunistic phoresy or defensive attachment following a failed predation attempt. To our knowledge, this is the first published observation of a ...

First epidemiological reports and urban range extension of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Paraná, Brazil

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First epidemiological reports and urban range extension of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Paraná, Brazil

Abstract

The scorpion genus Tityus Koch, 1836, (Buthidae) includes most of the medically significant species in South America. Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 occurs in urban areas and remnants of wet Chaco, Cerrado, and Atlantic Forest in Paraguay and Brazil. Despite a low overall risk of mortality, its wide distribution, parthenogenesis, and synanthropy, pose potential public health concerns. In Brazil, the envenomation cases remain largely unknown. Here we present the first epidemiological reports of this species in Brazil (municipality of Foz do Iguaçu), including new occurrences in the state of Paraná. In addition, we also estimate the spatial factors influencing the records of T. trivittatus in Paraná based on the examined material. A total of 355 specimens were recorded and examined, with proximity to populated areas being the main factor influencing the species sampling bias. For the epidemiological reports, all sting cases involved local pain and occurred typically in feet, hands or legs. All cases were considered successfully treated by the local medical professionals These findings highlight the need for enhanced surveillance of T. trivittatus in southern Brazil.

Goldoni, P. A. M., Iniesta, L. F. M., Cequinel, J. C., Marques-da-Silva, E., & Brescovit, A. D. (2025). First epidemiological reports and urban range extension of Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, 1898 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Paraná, Brazil. STUDIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANIMAL SCIENCES, 6(2), e18435. https://doi.org/10.54020/seasv6n2-005