Scorpions
Creepy crawlies

The Scorpiones-scorpions-are easily identified by the greatly enlarged, pincer-like
pedipalps and elongate-jointed abdomen which ends in a swollen sting. Antennae are
absent and the mouthparts are formed by small pincer-like chelicerae (fangs). There is a
central pair of dorsal eyes and two to five smaller lateral pairs of eyes on the front corner
of each side of the 'head'. There are four pairs of walking legs. These remarkable creatures
are among the most primitive groups of animals on the earth, with fossil scorpions up to
several metres long having been ,mong the dominant predators on the earth even before
the dinosaurs.

Many scorpions lack common or vernacular names, but general names such as rock
scorpion, bark scorpion, thick-tailed scorpion or burrowing scorpion are often used. These
common names may apply to many different species too, so the rock scorpion may refer to
three or four different types of Hadogenes species. Scorpion distributions are influenced
by climate and geology. For example, the distribution Parabuthus sp. is limited to areas
receiving less than 600mm of annual rainfall. This excludes most Parabuthus sp. from
the Waterberg region although they can occur in sparse populations at the edge of the
area and can subsequently be included here. Sometimes rainfall allows them to encroach
into marginal regions so there is a chance of encountering these dangerous species in
parts of the Bushveld. Lengths of scorpions are measured from the tip of the sting to the
front of the carapace. Many scorpions exhibit clinal variations of colouration and size. The
following descriptions are based on specimens from the Waterberg and surrounding areas,
but there may be huge variations in colour even within a fairly localised area.
The mating processes of scorpions are fascinating with some rather unique behaviour
taking place. Courtship is usually initiated by the male who often wanders around in the
warmer months actively looking for females. Evidence suggests that the female gives
off a pheromone that the male recognizes and responds to. Females remain near or in
their shelters which could be a burrow, a crevice, under bark or under a rock, depending
on the particular species. During this time males often inhabit temporary shelters not
normally associated with the species to which he belongs. When a male locates a female
he communicates his intentions through vibrations. He may judder his entire body, tap
his pincers or ever wag his tail. These actions produce vibrations that travel through the
substrate. Only after the male is sure that he has made his intentions known and the female
makes a positive response, will he approach her. Securing the female is imperative and
males of most genera have modified pincers on their pedipalps which are used to grasp the
female. The male may grasp the female by her pincers or, in some cases, males and females
lock mouthparts. Once the male has a firm grip on the female, he manoeuvres her to a
place where he can deposit his spermatophore.
The spermatophore is a container which holds the male's sperm. He fans out his pectines
(a pair of sensory, feather-like appendages below the body) to feel the substrate while
looking for a smooth hard place such as a rock, stone or branch to attach this spermatophore.

This part of courtship may last from five minutes to half an hour during which time the male can
move the female as much as 25 metres or more. Once the male has attached his spermatophore
to a suitable object, he has to position the female so that the hooks on top of the spermatophore
can catch into her genital opening.

After the male has deposited his spermatophore and he manoeuvres the
female into position over it, she may arch her body over the spermatophore, or the male
may lift her up and then literally drop her. At this time the female spreads the genital
opercula which normally cover her genital opening and the end of the spermatophore
enters her. The weight of the female bends the spermatophore and triggers the release of
sperm. She may remain motionless for a few minutes or just a few seconds. After sperm
uptake both male and female break away from each other, often violently. Either one may
club the other with its tailor even probe the other with its sting. The female may even try
to eat the smaller male at this point. After mating, the spermatophore may be eaten by the
male or the female. Males can mate more than once during mating season and can produce
another spermatophore in as little as six days.