Abstract
Abstract Rhopalurus rochai (Borelli 1910) is a very common scorpion species found in the semiarid areas of Pernambuco State, Brazil. This work describes the life history traits of 1st instar R. rochai such as litter size, development time, dispersal, and survivorship. The development of 2nd instar juveniles under different feeding regimens was also investigated to determine the effect of food and body mass on intermolt period and number of ecdyses. Field-collected females displaying an enlarged mesosoma were observed daily in the laboratory to obtain newborns that were used to assess events in the 1st instar. Females gave birth on average to 35.8 young (range = 23–55). The duration of the 1st instar (from eclosion to ecdysis) ranged from 7 to 10 days (n = 179). Dispersal started as early as one day following ecdysis and lasted up to 9 days post-molt. All starved juveniles died between days 11 and 30 of the 2nd instar. Increasing food ingestion did not enhance the probability of molting, but decreased ...
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