Figure 14: Orthochirus
scrobiculosus.
Orthochirus
scrobiculosus (Grube,
1873)
Diagnosis: Black in colour. Prosoma: entirely smooth.
Mesosoma: densely granulated. Metasoma: tail segments covered with small
depressions. Pectines 19-20 in males and 15-18 in females.
Measurements: Total length can reach up to 3 cm.
(Average 2.6 cm), prosoma 3mm., mesosoma 7.6mm., metasoma 15.2mm.
Habitat and distribution: Wahbeh (1976) reported this
species from Madaba area. Amr and El Oran (1994) listed several localities for
this species from arid and mid regions in Jordan. Collected also from Azraq,
Jerash and Thygrat al Jubb (Stathi and Mylonas,
2001) and from Wadi Rum (listed as Orthochirus innesi)
by Kovařík and
Whitman (2004).
Orthochirus scrobiculosus negebensis is the known subspecies
occurring in Jordan, Palestine and Sinai (Levy and Amitai, 1980), while other
subspecies occur in Iraq, Iran and Turkestan. This is a desert inhabitant;
where it is usually found in small crevices under stones and burrows. High population
densities were noticed in Azraq area. Specimens from Wadi Rum were found in
deep sand burrows that extends more than 50 cm deep. Other specimens were
observed during the early morning hours basking on small shrubs, perhaps to
absorb humidity.
