Hottentotta rugiscutis

Hottentotta rugiscutis is a species of scorpion which is endemic to India.[1][2]

Hottentotta rugiscutis
From Vellore District, Tamil Nadu, India.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Buthidae
Genus: Hottentotta
Species:
H. rugiscutis
Binomial name
Hottentotta rugiscutis
Pocock, 1987
Synonyms
  • Buthus hendersoni (Pocock, 1900)
  • Buthus rugiscutis nigritus (Pocock, 1900)

Description

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Hottentotta rugiscutis measures 30–60 mm long. Males have twisted pedipalp fingers and wider manus. The chelicerae are yellow to green with a reticulate pattern. The color is consistently yellow to reddish brown with sparse body hair. Their pedipalps have 5 carinae on the femur, lacking carinae on the chela. The metasoma is densely granulated, with the first and second segments wider than long.[1]

Range

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Hottentotta rugiscutis is endemic to India.[1][2] From there it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and West Bengal.[1]

Venom

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Studies indicate that the venom of Hottentotta rugiscutis contains 0.79 mg/mg of protein. The LD50 value of its venom is approximately 4.2 mg/kg via the intraperitoneal route and 3.02 mg/kg via the subcutaneous route. Symptoms observed in animals injected with H. rugiscutis venom include agitation, hyper-excitability, sweating, paralysis, salivation, squeaking, hunched back movements, convulsions, weakness, and death.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kovařík, František (2007). "A revision of the genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908, with descriptions of four new species (Scorpiones, Buthidae)". Euscorpius. 2007 (58): 1–107. doi:10.18590/euscorpius.2007.vol2007.iss58.1. ISSN 1536-9307.
  2. ^ a b Pocock, R.I. (May 1899). "LVIII.—Descriptions of some new species of scorpions". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 3 (17): 411–420. doi:10.1080/00222939908678143. ISSN 0374-5481.
  3. ^ Nagaraj, Santhosh Kambaiah; Dattatreya, Pavana; Boramuthi, Thippeswamy Nayaka (December 2015). "Indian scorpions collected in Karnataka: maintenance in captivity, venom extraction and toxicity studies". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 21 (1): 51. doi:10.1186/s40409-015-0053-4. ISSN 1678-9199. PMC 4670532. PMID 26640478.