Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies
Abstract Background: Scorpions can use their pincers and/or stingers to subdue and immobilize their prey. A scorpion can thus choose between strategies involving force or venom, or both, depending on what is required to subdue its prey. Scorpions vary greatly in the size and strength of their pincer...
Published in: | Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 https://doaj.org/article/946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 2023-05-15T15:10:49+02:00 Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies Luis Fernando García Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas Julio César González-Gómez Mariángeles Lacava Arie van der Meijden 2022-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 https://doaj.org/article/946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 EN eng SciELO http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992022000100308&tlng=en https://doaj.org/toc/1678-9199 1678-9199 doi:10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 https://doaj.org/article/946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Vol 28 (2022) Bite force Scorpions Venom use Predatory behavior Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Toxicology. Poisons RA1190-1270 Zoology QL1-991 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 2022-12-31T08:40:21Z Abstract Background: Scorpions can use their pincers and/or stingers to subdue and immobilize their prey. A scorpion can thus choose between strategies involving force or venom, or both, depending on what is required to subdue its prey. Scorpions vary greatly in the size and strength of their pincers, and in the efficacy of their venom. Whether this variability is driven by their defensive or prey incapacitation functionis unknown. In this study, we test if scorpion species with different pincer morphologies and venom efficacies use these weapons differently during prey subjugation. To that end, we observed Opisthacanthus elatus and Chactas sp. with large pincers and Centruroides edwardsii and Tityus sp. with slender pincers. Methods: The scorpion pinch force was measured, and behavioral experiments were performed with hard and soft prey (Blaptica dubia and Acheta domesticus). Stinger use, sting frequency and immobilization time were measured. Results: We found that scorpions with large pincers such as O. elatus produce more force and use the stinger less, mostly subjugating prey by crushing them with the pincers. In C. edwardsii and Tityus sp. we found they use their slender and relatively weak pincers for holding the prey, but seem to predominantly use the stinger to subjugate them. On the other hand, Chactas sp. uses both strategies although it has a high pinch force. Conclusions: Our results show that scorpionspecies with massive pincers and high pinch force as O. elatus use the stinger less for prey subjugation than scorpionspecies with slenderpincers. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Bite force Scorpions Venom use Predatory behavior Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Toxicology. Poisons RA1190-1270 Zoology QL1-991 |
spellingShingle |
Bite force Scorpions Venom use Predatory behavior Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Toxicology. Poisons RA1190-1270 Zoology QL1-991 Luis Fernando García Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas Julio César González-Gómez Mariángeles Lacava Arie van der Meijden Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
topic_facet |
Bite force Scorpions Venom use Predatory behavior Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Toxicology. Poisons RA1190-1270 Zoology QL1-991 |
description |
Abstract Background: Scorpions can use their pincers and/or stingers to subdue and immobilize their prey. A scorpion can thus choose between strategies involving force or venom, or both, depending on what is required to subdue its prey. Scorpions vary greatly in the size and strength of their pincers, and in the efficacy of their venom. Whether this variability is driven by their defensive or prey incapacitation functionis unknown. In this study, we test if scorpion species with different pincer morphologies and venom efficacies use these weapons differently during prey subjugation. To that end, we observed Opisthacanthus elatus and Chactas sp. with large pincers and Centruroides edwardsii and Tityus sp. with slender pincers. Methods: The scorpion pinch force was measured, and behavioral experiments were performed with hard and soft prey (Blaptica dubia and Acheta domesticus). Stinger use, sting frequency and immobilization time were measured. Results: We found that scorpions with large pincers such as O. elatus produce more force and use the stinger less, mostly subjugating prey by crushing them with the pincers. In C. edwardsii and Tityus sp. we found they use their slender and relatively weak pincers for holding the prey, but seem to predominantly use the stinger to subjugate them. On the other hand, Chactas sp. uses both strategies although it has a high pinch force. Conclusions: Our results show that scorpionspecies with massive pincers and high pinch force as O. elatus use the stinger less for prey subjugation than scorpionspecies with slenderpincers. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Luis Fernando García Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas Julio César González-Gómez Mariángeles Lacava Arie van der Meijden |
author_facet |
Luis Fernando García Juan Carlos Valenzuela-Rojas Julio César González-Gómez Mariángeles Lacava Arie van der Meijden |
author_sort |
Luis Fernando García |
title |
Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
title_short |
Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
title_full |
Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
title_fullStr |
Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pinching or stinging? Comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
title_sort |
pinching or stinging? comparing prey capture among scorpions with contrasting morphologies |
publisher |
SciELO |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 https://doaj.org/article/946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, Vol 28 (2022) |
op_relation |
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1678-91992022000100308&tlng=en https://doaj.org/toc/1678-9199 1678-9199 doi:10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 https://doaj.org/article/946688e18a9346f8a62977913af485a3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2021-0037 |
container_title |
Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases |
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1766341768977055744 |