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ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONAL1S H U N G A R I C I Tomus 62. PARS ZOOLOÖICA 1970.
Ergebnisse der zoologischen Forschungen von Dr. Z. Kaszab in der Mongolei.
230. Scorpions
by H . L . STAHNKE, Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A.
During the period 1 9 6 3 - 6 8 Dr. Z. KASZAB made six zoological expeditions into Mongolia (for the maps of localities see K A S Z A B , 1 9 6 4 — 1 9 6 9 ) . The scorpions collected on the first two trips were previously reported (STAHNKE 1 9 6 7 ) . On the succeeding expeditions scorpions were taken at the following places :
No. 564, Gobi Alta i territory: Schargyn Gobi (near Jesön Bulag — 46.18 N , 96.16 E), S.E. edge, 1200 metres (3837 ft), June 23, 1966. Isolated on sand hi l l between roots of Saxaul. One çf.
No. 571, Gobi Al ta i territory: Schargyn Gobi and lake Beger, about 20 km east of Chaliun Samon, Chuural ßacran, 1700 metres (5577 ft), June 24-25, 1966. On eastern edge of the mountain pass of the Char Azraga mountains. Singly under stones. 11 Q, 1 çf.
No. 582, Gobi Al ta i territory: Mountains of Gobi Altai, 9 km south from Beger Somon, 1600 metres (5249 ft), June 26, 1966. On northern exposed flat mountain slope, on barren stony soil, isolated under stone. 1 çf.
No. 596, Gobi Alta i territory: Zachuj, Gobi, about 10 km N.W. from lake Burr, 1500 metres (4921 ft) , June 28, 1966. Isolated under stone on edge of dried river bed on mountain slope. 1 Q .
Mo. 600, Gobi Alta i territory: From S.E. corner of the Az Bogd Mts. to about 20 km E. of the new settlement Al ta i Somon, 1500-1900 metres (4921-6233 ft), June 29, 1966. Isolated under stones in very barren, almost plantless area. 4 çf.
No. 604, Gobi Alta i territory: Tachijn Schar range mountains, about 40 km N.W. from Az Bogd mountain pass, 2000 metres (5562 ft), June 30, 1966. From high mountains to broader plateau, almost plantless, with stony soil, isolated. 1 Q .
No. 626, Chovd territory: 10 km N.W. from Uenc Somon, 1500 metres (4921 ft), July 4, 1966. Moister valley soil wi th very rich vegetation; from the valley environment, very barren and steep mountain slopes, isolated under stones. 3 çf, 3 Q .
No. 631, Chovd territory: 10 km S.S.W. from Bulgan Somon, 1200 metres (3837 ft) , July 4-5, 1966. Near a left branch of the Bulgan river, near large sand hills, which are held together by Tamariscus, Saxaul and Ephedra, in a large, drainless, salty basin, isolated from the bottom. 2 çf.
No. 636, Chovd territory: Uljasutajn river, 45 km N.N.E. from Bulgan Somon, 1400 metres (4593 f t) , July 7, 1966. Left tributary of Bulgan river, about 6-8 km from the mouth of Bulgan river; deep narrow pass, very steep sloped mountains wi th scanty vegetation, isolated on valley floor. 1 çf.
No. 804, South Gobi territory: East border of Zöölön mountains, 34 km W.S.W. of Bajandalaj Somon, 1600 metres (5249 ft), June 15, 1967. Very desolate, rocky mountainous region. Under rock isolated from plants. 1 çf.
No. 809, South Gobi territory: Sevrej mountains, 10 km S.W. of Sevrej Somon, 1600 metres (5249 ft) , June 17, 1967. Foothills of Sevrej range, very desolate high desert with broken stone and gravel covered ground. Isolated under stones. 5 çf, 2 Q .
No. 821, South Gobi territory: Nojon mountains, in a gorge on the way between Dund river ("old" Gurban-tes Somon) and Nojon Somon, 30-40 k m S.E. of the Salt
386 H. L. S T A H N K E
Sca, 1600 metres (5349 ft), June 19, 1967. Under rocks, isolated from the ground, and from the plants. 4 çf.
No. 827, at the same locality, 1500 metres (4920 ft), June 20, 1967. Collected at night by lamplight near the Salt Sea (about 21* 30 m : 16°C; 24 h : 12°C, early morning 9°C). A t the beginning a clear sky, still night with full moonlight, about mind-night a strong south wind. 2 çf.
No. 830, South Gobi territory: Nojon mountains, an oasis near a branch of Muchor örege river, 65 km W, of the border post of Ovot Chuural, 1450 metres (4757 ft), June 21, 1967. Wide extensive sandy desert with Haloxijlon, Tamariscus and Nitraria, Camp in a wide, dry river bed near the camp was a spring and a small creek, a valley with luxurious green vegetation, otherwise the region is very desolate. Isolated from the ground and from the plants. 1 çf.
No. 845, Bajanchongor Territory: Border post at Caganbulag in the mountains of the Cagan Bogd range, 1550 metres (5085 ft), June 24-25, 1967. West of the spring in a large, wide dry river bed, which extends up to the Chinese border. Tamariscus, Zygophyllum and a few Caragana in the valley; the mountains are very rocky and almost without plant growth. Under rocks, isolated from the ground and from the Tamariscus. 8 çf.
No. 846, at the same locality, 1550 metres (5085 ft), June 24, 1967. Collected at night by lamplight (about 21 h 30': 22°, 24 h: 20°, early morning 10°). Stormy wind. 1 9-
No. 847, Bajanchongor territory: Cagan Bogd mountains, Tooroin bulag spring, 13 km east of the Caganbulag border post in the Cagan Bogd range mountains, 1500 metres (4920 ft), June 25-26, 1967. Old poplar, Tamariscus, Salix, etc. Valley with flowering plants (Draba, Juncus, etc.j. Under rocks. 2 çf.
No. 868, Bajanchongor territory: Dzun mod oasis, about 100 km south of Schine zinst Somon, 1300 metres (4265 ft), June 29, 1967. Poplar forest, with a waterless spring, the environment consists of a wide, extensive, sand semi-desert with Haloxijlon, Caragana, and Ephedra as well as Zyophyllum, the rest Nitraria. Under rock. 1 çf.
A l l specimens taken at the above sites belonged to one taxon, Mesobuthus eupens mongoliens ( B I E U L A ) . Some night collecting by lamplight was done. I t is noteworthy that the scorpions were apparently active on nights of strong winds wi th temperatures ranging from 9 °C ( 4 8 °F) to 1 6 °C ( 6 0 °F) . Since all scorpions fluoresce in ultra violet light i t is unfortunate that the expeditions did not have the use of a portable blacklight. This technique has proven to be an extremely effective means of sampling the populations of these nocturnal animals. They may be found climbing the branches of the vegetation and crawling over the ground surface. Apparently there must be a fairly large population of this taxon present in the various areas sampled. This is the judgement of the writer when comparing the numbers taken by daylight rock rolling, etc. wi th nocturnal blacklight sampling. Also, the sparser, more cryptozoic taxa are generally not encountered during daylight collecting. I t is highly possible that new species would have been revealed wi th the U.V. light technique. W i t h portable equipment now available scorpions and other fluorescing arthropods, as well as some desert lizards, can be detected al a distance of ten to forty feet.
As indicated previously, the KASZAB collection establishes a new range for this taxon which now is known to extend from 4 0 ° to 4 7 ° N and 9 3 ° to 108 °E. The type material was taken from Alashan Province, Mongolia, about 4 0 ° X 1 0 8 ° .
The qualitative characteristics of the additional material did not vary significantly from those previously reported (STAHXKE 1967) . The quantitative descript ion has been enhanced as indicated in the following table:
Out of 76 specimens ( 4 9 cf, 2 7 Ç ) the lengths range from, 0 * 1 7 - 4 2 mm, •Q 1 8 - 4 9 mm. As indicated by the above table the mean çf length was 33 mm and
T a b l e 1. M e a n S . D C . V .
1. T o t a l L e n g t h 3 3 . 29 6 . 9 20 . 7 35. 04 9. 7 27. 7
2. C a u d a l L 5. 25 0 . 2 3 4 . 4 C a r a p a c e L $ 4 . 78 0, 09 1. 9
3. C a r a p a c e L 2. 61 0. 09 3. 5 C a r a p a c e a n t e r i o r L 2 . 54 0. 1 5 5. 8
4. C a u d a l L 4. 57 0. 06 1 .4 C a u d a l S e g V L 4 . 51 0. 11 2. 4
5. C a r a p a c e L 0. 89 ' 0. 03 3. 6 C a u d a l S e g V L $ 0. 94 0. 05 5. 3
6. C a u d a l S e g V L 2. 02 0. 09 4. 4 C a u d a l S e g V W 1. 98 0. 14 6. 8
7. C a u d a l S e g V L 1 . 86 0. 05 2 . 9 C a u d a l S e g I L 1 . 91 0. Í 4 7. 1
8. C h e l a L 3 . 36 0. 51 1 5. 0 M a n u s W $ 3 . 6 5 0 . 4 7 1 2 . 9
9. C h e l a L 1 . 53 0. 04 2 . 8 T a r s u s JL Î 1. 52 0. 04 1. 1
10. C h e l a Lt 2 . 03 0. 03 1.5 F e m u r L . ? 2. 03 0 . 1 2 5. 7
1 1. P e c t i n a l t ee th 2 5 . 9 1. 07 4 2 0 . 9 1 . 06 5
that of the Q 35. According to the samples and statistics the female is the larger of the sexes. This is somewhat unusual among buthids; for that matter, i t is generally not so throughout the order. Perhaps more extensive sampling would change the pattern.
Allometric growth in this taxon does not seem to be largely confined to the male as is the case frequently among scorpions. This condition seems to be greater for the male only in items 2 and 8, but greater in the female for items 3, 5, 6, 7 and 10.
The number of pectinal teeth of the samples varied from 19 to 23 (M 20.8) in the female and from 24 to 28 (M 26.0) in male.
The ecological aspects available attest to the hight survival capabilities of this taxon. The most common habitat consisted of rocky, barren, plantless areas where the scorpions were found isolated under moderate sized rocks. The climate of the Gobi is one of great extremes, combined wi th rapid changes in temperature, not only at all seasons of the year but even within 24 hours—as much as 32 °C (58 °F). For example at Ulan-Baator, elevation 1200 metres (about 3800 ft) , the annual mean is - 2 . 5 °C (27.5 °F), the January mean -26 .5 °C ( -15.7 °F) and the July mean 17.5 °C (63.5 °F), the extremes being —42.5 °C ( -44.5 °F) and 38 °C (100.5 °F) . Even in southern Mongolia the temperature drops to —32.5 °C (—27 °F) and during July in Alashan (the type habitat) the temperature goes up to about 38 °C (100 °F) day after day. The annual rainfall at Ulan-Baator is about 24 cm (9.6 in).
338 H . L . S T A H N K E
The elevations at which samples were taken, including the first two expeditions, ranged from 780 metres (2559 ft) to 2000 metres (6562 ft) . Even though the mean elevation sampled was about 1300 metres (4265 ft) , the greater number of specimens (23 çf, 7 Ç) were taken between the elevations of 1500 metres (4920 ft) to 1600 meters (5249 f t ) .
References: B I R U X A , A. A. : Arachnologische Beiträge. I . Zur Scorpionen — und Solifugen — Fauna des Chinesischen Reiches. (Revue Russe d'Entom. 11 (2 ) , 1 9 1 1 , p. 195 -201 . ) — K A S Z A B , Z. ( 1964—1969) : Reiseberichte der 1—6. Expeditionen. — Ann. Hist. -nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., 56 (1964) : 229—240; 57 (1965) : 2 0 3 - 2 1 5 ; 58 ( 1 9 6 6 ) : 2 4 3 - 2 5 8 ; 59 ( 1967) : 191—210; 60 ( 1 9 6 8 ) : 109—129; 61 ( 1 9 6 9 ) : 189—209. — S T A H N K E , H . L . 93 . Scorpiones. Ergebnisse der zoologischen Forschungen von Dr. Z. K A S Z A B in der Mongolei. (Reichenbachia. 9/6), 1967, p. 5 9 - 6 8 ) .
