DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.18590/euscorpius.2007.vol2007.iss56.1
Abstract
Distribution of Mesobuthus nigrocinctus is studied and new geographical records are given. As a result of field studies, M. nigrocinctus is recorded from 17 confirmed localities from five provinces in Turkey. Comparative statistical analysis of morphology of M. nigrocinctus and M. gibbosus indicated highly significant differences between these two species. Student’s t-test analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) showed that: (a) while all morphometric ratios demonstrated significant differences between M. nigrocinctus and M. gibbosus females, only selected ratios show significant difference in the males (Ca_L/W, Ch_L/W, Met-II_L/H, and Met- V_L/H); (b) among M. nigrocinctus, Adıyaman population was partly separated; (c) among M. gibbosus, females from Kahramanmaraş population significantly differed from females of all other populations in selected ratios (Ca_L/W, Met-I_L/H, Met-I_L/H, Met-V_L/W, and Met-V_L/H) while no such significant difference was found in the males. In males, classification results of DFA show that all specimens from Kahramanmaraş Province were n distinct areas of the graph relative to its vertical axis. These specimens grouped closer to M. gibbosus than to M. nigrocinctus.
Recommended Citation
Karataş, A. 2007 . Mesobuthus nigrocinctus (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Turkey: Distribution and Morphological Variation. Euscorpius, No. 56: 1-10.
