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Hottentotta tamulus

Hottentotta tamulus,theIndian red scorpion,also known as theeastern Indian scorpion,is a species ofscorpionof the familyButhidae.It occurs in most ofIndia,[2]easternPakistan[1]and the eastern lowlands ofNepal,[3]and recently fromSri Lanka.[4]

Hottentotta tamulus
Hottentotta tamulusfromMangaon,Maharashtra,India
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Buthidae
Genus: Hottentotta
Species:
H. tamulus
Binomial name
Hottentotta tamulus
(Fabricius, 1798) NMPC[notes 1](male,neotype)[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • H. tamulus concanensis(Pocock, 1900)
  • H. tamulus sindicus(Pocock, 1900)
  • H. tamulus gujaratensis(Pocock, 1900)
  • H. tamulus gangeticus(Pocock, 1900)
  • Scorpio tamulusFabricius, 1787
  • Buthus nigro lineatusDufour, 1856
  • Buthus grammurusThorell, 1889
  • Buthus tamulus concanensisPocock, 1900
  • Buthus tamulus sindicusPocock, 1900
  • Buthus tamulus gujaratensisPocock, 1900
  • Buthus tamulus gangeticusPocock, 1900

Taxonomy

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This species was namedScorpio tamulusbyJ.C. Fabriciusin 1798.[5]The species name was apparently derived from the occurrence in the state/province of theTamil peopleof southeastern India. It was later often referred to thegeneraButhusorMesobuthus,although it was already correctly placed inHottentottabyA. A. Birulain 1914,[6]a referral that was confirmed again byF. Kovaříkin 2007.[1]Nevertheless, thebinomenMesobuthus tamulusis traditionally widespread in the popular and scientific literature. R.I. Pocock(1900)[7]distinguished fivesubspeciesaccording to coloration and distribution, but these are color-morphs (individuals with varying color) rather than subspecies.[1]

Description

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Hottentotta tamulusfrom Satara,Maharashtra,India

Total body length is about 50 to 90 mm. Males with flexed proximal margins of pedipalp fingers. Manus of pedipalps is also wider than female. There are 30 to 39 pectinal teeth in males, and 27 to 34 in females. Chelicerae are yellow and reticulated. Pedipalps are densely hirsute, whereas legs and metasoma are sparsely hirsute. Patella of pedipalps covered with short setae. Mesosoma is darker than rest of the body. Ventral carinae on metasomal segments are black. Chela without carinae. Dorsum densely and very finely granulated. Dorsum bears two short, inconspicuous marginal carinae. Telson is granulated.[8]

The walking legs and the tip of the pedipalp pincers are bright orange-yellow to light reddish-brown in color. Themesosomaltergitesalways bear three distinct carinae. Theirhabitusis typical ofbuthidscorpions, with rather smallpedipalppincers, moderately thickenedmetasomalsegments and a rather bulboustelsonwith large stinger. The base of the pedipalp pincers (manus) is slightly more inflated in males than in females.[1]

Toxicity

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This species is of great medical significance in densely populated areas of India and Nepal and occasionally causes human fatalities.[3][9][10]Fatality ratesof 8–40% have been reported in clinical studies; most victims are children.[9][11]

Symptoms of envenomation by this species include:[3][9][10][12]

The venom mainly affects thecardiovascularandpulmonary system,eventually leading to apulmonary oedema,which may cause death.[9][10]Scorpionantivenomhas little effect in clinical treatment but application ofprazosinreduces the mortality rate to less than 4%.[10][13] As in other scorpions, the venom ofH. tamulusconsists of a complex mixture ofproteins.Some major components have been isolated, including thetoxintamapin.Scorpion envenomation with high morbidity and mortality is usually due to either excessive autonomic activity and cardiovascular toxic effects or neuromuscular toxic effects. Antivenin is the specific treatment for scorpion envenomation combined with supportive measures including vasodilators in patients with cardiovascular toxic effects andbenzodiazepineswhen there is neuromuscular involvement. Although rare, severe hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis to scorpion antivenin (SAV) are possible.[14]

Habitat and ecology

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Despite its medical importance, little is known about theecologyandhabitatpreferences of this species.[10]It is widespread across vegetated lowlands withsubtropicaltotropical,humidclimate and often lives close to or in human settlements, especially in rural areas. A study[15]fromSaswad-Jejuri,Pune(westernIndia) has foundH. tamulusin a wide range of microhabitats, including scrubland and veld with stones, red and blacksoilin cropland, loamy, grassy and stony hillslopes and -tops, black soil inmangoorchards,Eucalyptusplantations, and under tree bark. With an abundance of 48.43% it was by far the most abundant of the six scorpion species recorded in this study. It occurs rather seldom under tree bark, a habitat dominated by its sister speciesHottentotta pachyurus(8.9% versus 91.1% abundance). As all other scorpions,H. tamulusisnocturnal,preying upon smallinvertebratesand even smallvertebrateslikelizards.[16]Encounters with humans mainly occur during the night or early morning, when the scorpions accidentally crawl into beds or fall from ceilings.[10]

In Sri Lanka

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Originally,H. tamuluswas not found in Sri Lanka. But from 2010 to 2013, experiments and other medical reports suggest that the species is also present in Sri Lanka.[4]Few deaths were recorded fromJaffnapeninsula in recent times. After observing medical reports and patients, a research team found three dead scorpion specimens and five live specimens as well. After series of observations from research team and other international scientists, it was revealed that the scorpion specimens belong to the speciesH. tamulus.

Deaths fromH. tamuluswere recorded in 2006, 2007 and 2009 as one patient per year. No cases were recorded in 2010. In 2011, 12 children in Jaffna died due toH. tamulusstings. In 2012, 80 patients were recorded. Out of them, 52% were female, 48% were male. 30% from them were children between the age 3 and 12.[4]

In 2013, manyH. tamulusstings were recorded, as many as four each week, again mostly in women and children. Usually, the drugPrazosinis recommended forH. tamulusstings. The drug can reduce the increasing blood pressure.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^No specimen number specified.

References

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  1. ^abcdefKovařík, F. (2007)."A revision of the genusHottentottaBirula, 1908, with descriptions of four new species "(PDF).Euscorpius.58:1–105.Retrieved14 April2010.
  2. ^Bastawade, D.B.; S.S. Jadhav & R.M. Sharma (2012).Scorpionida(PDF).Zoological Survey of India.pp. 1–16. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 17 September 2013.Retrieved10 June2019.
  3. ^abcBhadani, U.K.; M. Tripathi; S. Sharma & R. Pandey (2006)."Scorpion sting envenomation presenting with pulmonary edema in adults: a report of seven cases from Nepal".Indian Journal of Medical Sciences.60(1): 19–23.doi:10.4103/0019-5359.19672.PMID16444084.
  4. ^abcKularatne, Senanayake A.M.; Dinamithra, Nandana P.; Sivansuthan, Sivapalan; Weerakoon, Kosala G.A.D.; Thillaimpalam, Bhanu; Kalyanasundram, Vithiya; Ranawana, Kithsiri B. (January 2015). "Clinico-epidemiology of stings and envenoming ofHottentotta tamulus(Scorpiones: Buthidae), the Indian red scorpion from Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka ".Toxicon.93:85–89.doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.11.225.PMID25450799.
  5. ^Fabricius, F. C. (1798).Entomologiae Systematicae, Supplementum(in Latin). Vol. 5. Hafniae: Proft & Storck. p. 572.Retrieved14 April2010.
  6. ^Birula, A. A. (1914). "Ergebnisse einer von Prof. Franz Werner im Sommer 1910 mit Unterstützung aus dem Legate Wedl ausgeführten zoologischen Forschungsreise nach Algerien. VI. Skorpione und Solifugen" [Results of a zoological expedition to Algeria carried out by Prof. Franz Werner in the summer of 1910 with support from Legate Wedl. VI. Scorpions and solifuge].Sitzungsberichte der kaiserlich-königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien(in German).123(1): 633–668.
  7. ^Pocock, R.I. (1900).Arachnida. The Fauna of India, including Ceylon and Burma.London: W.T. Blandford. pp. xii+279.
  8. ^Charles University; Kovařík, František; Lowe, Graeme; Monell Chemical Senses Center; Ranawana, Kithsiri B.; University of Peradeniya; Hoferek, David; Jayarathne, V. A. Sanjeewa; University of Peradeniya (2016)."Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpionidae) with description of four new species of the genera Charmus Karsch, 1879 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972, stat. n".Euscorpius.2016(220): 1–133.doi:10.18590/euscorpius.2016.vol2016.iss220.1.Retrieved29 August2021.
  9. ^abcdBawaskar, H.S.; P.H. Bawaskar (1998). "Indian red scorpion envenoming".Indian Journal of Pediatrics.65(3): 383–391.doi:10.1016/0041-0101(95)00005-7.PMID10771989.
  10. ^abcdefBawaskar, H.S.; P.H. Bawaskar (2008)."Scorpion sting: A study of clinical manifestations and treatment regimes"(PDF).Current Science.95(9): 1337–1341.
  11. ^Bawaskar, H.S. (1977). "Scorpion sting and cardiovascular complications".Indian Heart Journal.29(4): 228.PMID562842.
  12. ^Kanoo, S.; M. B. Mandal; A. B. Alex & S. B. Deshpande (2009). "Cardiac dysrhythmia produced byMesobuthus tamulusvenom involves NO-dependent G-Cyclase signaling pathway ".Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology.379(5): 525–532.doi:10.1007/s00210-008-0375-7.PMID19037630.S2CID23872549.
  13. ^Bawaskar, H.S.; P.H. Bawaskar (2007)."Utility of scorpion anti-venin vs. prazosin in the management of severeMesobuthus tamulus(Indian red scorpion) envenoming at rural settings "(PDF).Journal of the Association of Physicians of India.55:14–21.PMID17444339.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 July 2011.Retrieved14 April2010.
  14. ^Bhoite RR, Bhoite GR, Bagdure DN, Bawaskar HS (2015)."Anaphylaxis to scorpion antivenin and its management following envenomation by Indian red scorpion,Mesobuthus tamulus".Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine.19(9): 547–549.doi:10.4103/0972-5229.164807.PMC4578200.PMID26430342.
  15. ^Pande, S.; D. Bastawade; A. Padhye & A. Pawashe (2012)."Diversity of scorpion fauna of Saswad-Jejuri, Pune district, Maharashtra, western India".Journal of Threatened Taxa.4(2): 2381–2389.doi:10.11609/jott.o2910.2381-9.
  16. ^Ythier, E. (2007)."Pictures of the previous months".The Scorpion Fauna.Retrieved14 April2010.
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