Abstract
Population density of the desert grassland scorpion, Paruroctonus utahensis was estimated on six shortgrass prairie sites in central New Mexico. Soil hardness, as well as the composition and structure of vegetation, were measured on each site. Standing crop biomass of potential prey for scorpions was estimated on 81 sampling nights for two sites with different densities of scorpions. Paruroctonus utahensis density was positively correlated with vegetation characteristics and inversely correlated with the hardness of the soil. Prey biomass levels were similar on sites with different vegetation and different scorpion density. It is suggested that the density of scorpions is primarily influenced by soil characteristics as they relate to the burrowing behaviour of Paruroctonus utahensis, and only secondarily related to vegetation through the latter's covariation with soil texture.
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