PARAMETRIC VALUES OF Androctonus crassicauda ( OLIVER , 1807 ) ( SCORPIONES : BUTHIDAE ) FROM TURKEY

The aim of the present study was to analyze the parametric values of Androctonus crassicauda (Oliver, 1807), the most significant scorpion species in Turkey. For this purpose, 11 male and 11 female A. crassicauda specimens were collected from Sanliurfa region. The body parts most important for species identification were measured by using sensitive calipers. Differences between sexes were statistically significant for pectinal organ length (♀: 7.50±1.26mm; ♂: 8.63±1.05mm; p=0.033), pectinal tooth count (♀: 25.36±0.86; ♂: 33.36±0.80; p=0.000), and carapace width (♀: 10.27±1.19mm; ♂: 9.09±0.73mm; p=0.000). However, body length (♀: 90.09±14.74mm; ♂: 82.95±5.40mm), abdomen width (♀: 12.09±1.90mm; ♂: 11.09±0.88mm), and metasoma length (♀: 43.09±3.08mm; ♂: 44.63±6.50mm) were not significantly different between sexes.


INTRODUCTION
Scorpions can be considered living fossils since they have barely changed during the last 400 million years.These venomous arthropods of the Arachnida class are relatives of spiders, ticks and mites.They have a characteristic form (16,17) which makes them easily recognizable.
The present study aimed at analyzing the parametric values of A. crassicauda, which is the most important scorpion species in Turkey due not only to envenomation cases but also to antivenom production.

Specimen examination and diagnosis
Morphometric measurements of the thirty-two scorpions were carried out as described by Vachon (23,(25)(26)(27)(28). Pectinal tooth count and morphological investigation were performed under stereomicroscope using diagnosis keys (11,26,27) for species typing.Discrimination between sexes was based on the pectinal tooth number and confirmed by the presence of genital papillae in males.For all the measurements, we used callipers to the nearest 0.1mm.Statistical analysis (parametric and non-parametric) of results were performed using SPSS version 11.0.

Habitat
Most specimens were collected at night, by using a UV lamp, inside buildings and houses in Harran, and others were collected under stones at daytime.The area is at the altitude of 518 m and presents typical continental climate and steppe vegetation.

Morphological characteristics
All scorpions were examined under stereomicroscope.Most of them were reddishbrown, varying from brown to black.Patellae of pedipalps did not present ventral trichobothria.Pedipalps were also reddish-brown.Chelae were slender with long fingers.
The specimens had movable pedipalp fingers with three principal distal granules and one terminal granule.Carapaces bore granules and well-developed carinae.Tergites presented granules and slightly marked carinae.Sternites were pale brown and triangular.Legs were yellow-ochre.
Metasomas and vesicles were uniformly reddish-brown with blackish carinae; aculei were reddish-brown at the base and blackish at the end.Metasomal segments were slightly widened backwards; metasomal segments I-IV had strongly developed carinae and spiniform granules on the posterior side; vesicles showed three ventral series of granules; aculei as well as vesicles were moderately curved in scorpions identified as A. crassicauda.
Results of morphometric measurements of the scorpions body parts (Figures 2 and   3), according to sex, are shown in Table 1

Sexual dimorphism
Adult female A. crassicauda (Figure 4) are larger than males.However, males have a higher number of pectinal teeth and therefore longer pectines than females.
Metasoma is longer and wider in males than in females with the same total length.Carapace is wider in females than in males.Pectinal organ length (males, p=0.033), pectinal tooth count (males, p=0.000) and caudal carapace width (females, p=0.011) were significantly different between sexes.Differences of body and metasoma lengths and abdomen width between males and females were not statistically significant (p>0.05).

DISCUSSION
Measurements such as body length, abdomen width, pectinal organ length, pectinal tooth count, and carapace length are the most commonly used parameters for species identification and sex discrimination of scorpions.
Karatas and Karatas (8,9) used pectinal tooth count to discriminate between sexes and identify species.Vachon (25) stated that the pectinal tooth number of male A. crassicauda is 33 while several other studies have reported 30 pectinal teeth in males and 24 in females (13).In the present investigation, the number of pectinal teeth were not significantly different between males (33.36±0.80)and females (25.36±0.86);p=0.000.Comparing recent findings on A. crassicauda with data from the present study, and according to the identification key, no morphological differences were detected.
According to recent reports, Androctonus crassicauda can be found in the Sinai Peninsula (Egypt), across the entire Middle East (Southeastern Anatolia -Turkey), Arabian Peninsula and Armenia (15,30).In the present study, it is reported that this species is common in Southeastern Anatolia region, especially Akçakale and Harran towns of Sanlıurfa province near Syria and Iraqi borders in the Middle East.
Vignoli et al. (30) collected A. crassicauda specimens in a village, inside farmhouses and houses, and in the desert; they also found dead specimens inside farmhouses.
In the present study, most specimens were collected in similar places (inside farmhouses, buildings and adobe houses in Harran).According to Fet and Braunwalder (5), species of the Androctonus genus inhabit deserts.In the study by Crucitti (3), the specimens were collected inside buildings.Our results showed that A. crassicauda can be found in different habitats, such as clefts in adobe bricks, sandy areas, inside houses, on the surface and bottom of stones and under dry feces inside animal houses.
On the other hand, body and metasoma lengths and abdomen width showed no significant differences between sexes (p>0.05).
In conclusion, human envenomation caused by A. crassicauda sting still constitutes a serious health problem in many countries including Turkey.It is one of the most medically important species in the Middle East, which is also used for antivenom production.Morphometric measurements of A. crassicauda from Turkey had not been thoroughly determined so far and our study described its detailed parametric values.