Seasonal patterns of scorpion diversity along a gradient of aridity in Algeria

Abstract

Scorpion fauna of Algeria is insufficiently known. This study was carried out to assess seasonal changes of the scorpion biodiversity at the region of Tebessa (northeastern Algeria) along a climatic gradient including semiarid, arid and desertic climates randomized sampling was carried out at three sites stratified according to a climatic gradient. Sites visits were carried out 16 times per year at each site for a period of 2 h for each field trip. The distribution of the scorpions was studied by ecological descriptors and by statistical analyzes. In this study, 257 scorpion specimens belonging to the families Buthidae (64%) and Scorpionidae (36%) were collected. The Buthidae family was represented by four species: Buthus tunetanus (Herbst, 1800) (26%), Buthus aures Lourenço, 2016 (21%), Androctonus australis Ewing, 1928 (14%) and Androctonus aeneas (Koch, 1839) (3%), while the Scorpionidae was represented by a single species, Scorpio punicus Fet, 2000, which was also the most abundant at 36%. Statistical models revealed that climatic gradient and seasonal variation significantly influenced the distribution and the biodiversity of scorpions and that ecological descriptors were strongly correlated with climatic gradient and seasonal variation. This work constitutes the first study carried out on the scorpion diversity in northeastern Algeria. Thus, planning of control programs for the species identified in this area is essential.