Family Buthidae
- Pseudolychas ochraceus Plain Pygmy Thicktail.jpg (13.51 KiB) Viewed 1833 times
Pseudolychas is an obscure genus of small, brown buthid scorpions that are endemic to the eastern half of southern Africa and recorded from
South Africa, eSwatini, and Mozambique. These scorpions are restricted to humid habitats, including indigenous coastal and Afromontane forests, and may be found under stones, in or under rotten logs, and in leaf litter. At least one species is very common in the suburban gardens of major cities on the South African Highveld (e.g., Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, and Pretoria), where it seems to have benefited from the artificially humid conditions in an otherwise fairly dry savanna-grassland. Specimens are regularly encountered indoors, trapped in baths and washbasins, where they seem to seekrefuge during the dry winter season.
Given their prevalence around human habitations, it is perhaps fortunate that, unlike some of their buthid relatives in the arid western half of southern Africa, Pseudolychas are docile, and their venom is mild.
These scorpions are not considered medically important.
Description
Size: up to 4 cm with tail extended.
It usually has a light-coloured tail tip (telson) and light legs. The hands/pincers are generally dark with light fingers. The body is plain brown, often with dark bars across the segments.
Distribution
It is probably the most commonly encountered scorpion in houses in Gauteng and Bloemfontein. It occurs in the Free State, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West provinces.
Habitat
Pseudolychas ochraceus is unusual because it thrives in the urban environment. Their natural habitat is riverine valleys and areas of dense vegetation. It prefers damp, moist areas and often shelters under rock, rotting logs and inside leaf litter.
During the warmer times of the year these scorpions become mobile in the environment and often enter houses where they end up trapped in bathtubs, sinks and showers. They have also been found under dish cloths and in laundries. The prefer places of increased moisture.
Biology
Isolated females of Pseudolychas ochraceus are capable of parthenogenetic reproduction.
Venom
Mildly venomous. It's a very docile scorpion and stings are rare.
Links:
https://www.africansnakebiteinstitute.c ... -scorpion/
https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article-a ... m=fulltext