Figure 16: Scorpio maurus fuscus.

Scorpio
maurus fuscus (Hemprich
& Ehrenberg, 1829)
Diagnosis: Dark brown in colour. Pedipalpal claw
similar to the lobster. Prosoma entirely smooth. Mesosoma smooth and without
crests. Metasoma tail segments yellow brown with scattered hairs and telson is
usually yellow in colour. Pectines 9-11 in males and 6-10 in females.
Measurements: Total length may reach 8cm (average 6.),
prosoma 6.5-9.1mm, mesosoma 18.6-20.3mm, metasoma 19.1-25.7mm. Pectines 9-10
Habitat
and distribution: This species construct its burrows either under stones or in
the tera
rosa soil. It was collected from areas with high rain fall and cold
winters. It is usually found in dense populations within the same area (Amr and
El-Oran 1994; Stathi and Mylonas, 2001). At Zubya, an oak forested area, over
15 specimens were collected within an area of about 500 m2 (Amr and
El-Oran, 1994). However, Warburg (1997) stated that, this oak wood scorpionid,
formerly the most abundant scorpion in the Mediterranean region, showed a
marked decline in numbers.