Jawad S.M.1, Lira A.F.A.2, Zahid M.1 2023. Litter size in scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) species from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.32. No.3: 333–335 [in English].
1 Department of Zoology, Islamia College Peshawar, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
2 Centro de Educação e Saúde, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Cuité, Paraíba, Brasil. E-mail: andref.lira@gmail.com
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.32.3.09
ABSTRACT. Litter size is crucial to the survival of species in their environment and constitutes useful information for conservation purposes. Information about litter size for eight scorpion species from Pakistan is provided. Pregnant females were field collected and kept in laboratory conditions until juvenile birth. Data from litter size were provided for the following species: Compsobuthus rugosulus, Hottentotta alticola, H. jalalabadensis, H. tamulus, Isometrus maculatus (Buthidae), Deccanometrus latimanus (Scorpionidae), Scorpiops pseudomontanus, and S. petersii (Scorpiopidae). In addition, we found that Pakistani scorpions give birth during the warm months of the year. Our results provide important insights into the biology and conservation of Pakistani scorpions.
KEY WORDS: Buthidae, Scorpionidae, Scorpiopidae, reproductive biology.