The Distribution and Habitat ofCentruroides hentzi(Banks) (Scorpiones, Buthidae) in Georgia

Abstract

Field collections made by the authors in pineland ecosystems in southern Georgia during 2011 significantly expand the previously published range limits of the scorpion Centruroides hentzi in Georgia. We commonly found specimens beneath the exfoliating bark of Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) and P. elliottii (Slash Pine) snags, stumps, and logs in sandhills and pine flatwoods habitats, documenting this scorpion from 50 sites in 34 south Georgia counties, and extending the known range of C. hentzi 150 km north (from near Waycross, Ware County, GA) to Statesboro, Bulloch County, GA. Our collections indicate that the species is widespread in pine-dominated uplands throughout much of the lower and middle Coastal Plain of southern Georgia. We comment on the life history, ecology, and habitat requirements of the species based on this survey and the existing literature. In Georgia, C. hentzi is a characteristic associate of Longleaf Pine and Slash Pine ecosystems, is often locally abundant, and is part of an arthropod-vertebrate food web that includes the endangered Picoides borealis (Red-cockaded Woodpecker).