The gecko's last dance: Aegaeobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) prey on Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindacher, 1870) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Greece

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The gecko's last dance: Aegaeobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) prey on Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindacher, 1870) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Greece

Abstract

Scorpions mainly feed on insects and other invertebrates. However, several species include small vertebrates in their diets. Here, we report a case of lizard consumption by a Mediterranean scorpion. This is the first documented case of Aegaeobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Buthidae) preying on the gecko Mediodactylus kotschyi, adding to a limited body of reports of lizard predation by European scorpions.

Freideriki Karavatsou, Apostolos Christopoulos, Aris Deimezis-Tsikoutas, Evdokia Beleri, Panayiotis Pafilis "The gecko's last dance: Aegaeobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) prey on Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindacher, 1870) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Greece," The Journal of Arachnology, 53(3), 171-173, (2 January 2026) https://doi.org/10.1636/JoA-S-24-034