Alpiscorpius gamma

{{Short description|Species of scorpion}} {{Speciesbox | image = | image_caption = | taxon = Alpiscorpius gamma | authority = (Di Caporiacco, 1950) | synonyms = * ''Euscorpius germanus gamma'' Di Caporiacco, 1950 * ''Euscorpius mingrelicus caprai'' Bonacina, 1980 * ''Euscorpius gamma'' Di Caporiacco, 1950 }}

'''''Alpiscorpius gamma''''' is a species of scorpion found in parts of Central and Southern Europe. Its body reaches the length of 32 mm and is darkly pigmented, but is largely indistinguishable from closely related species with which it forms the »''mingrelicus'' complex«. The animal is not considered aggressive and has mild venom, so it is not dangerous to humans.<ref name="Files">{{cite web| url=http://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/e_gamma.htm |last=Rein |first=Jan Ove |year=2000 |title=''Euscorpius gamma'' Caporiacco, 1950 |work=The Scorpion Files |publisher=Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet |access-date=2020-06-09}}</ref>

Its known range includes Austria,<ref name="Spn"/> Italy, Slovenia and Croatia,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Kovařík |first=František |last2=Štundlová |first2=Jana |last3=Fet |first3=Victor |last4=Šťáhlavský |first4=František |date=September 2019 |title=Seven new Alpine species of the genus ''Alpiscorpius'' Gantenbein et al., 1999, stat. n. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) |journal=Euscorpius |volume=287 |pages=1–29 |doi=10.18590/euscorpius.2019.vol2019.iss287.1|doi-access=free }}</ref> being commonly distributed in Slovenia.<ref>{{cite book |year=2003 |title=Živalstvo Slovenije |editor-first1=Boris |editor-last1=Sket |editor-first2=Matija |editor-last2=Gogala |editor-first3=Valika |editor-last3=Kuštor |editor-link1=Boris Sket |editor-link2=Matija Gogala |location=Ljubljana |publisher=Tehniška založba Slovenije |isbn=86-365-0410-4}}</ref>

''Alpiscorpius gamma'' inhabits humid habitats where it rests in crevices under tree bark, beneath rocks etc.<ref name="Files"/>

== Taxonomy == The taxon was originally described as a subspecies of ''Euscorpius germanus'' based on samples collected in southwest Slovenia and eastern Italy.<ref name="Spn">{{cite journal |author1=Scherabon, B. |author2=Gantenbein, B. |author3=Fet, V. |author4=Barker, M. |author5=Kuntner, M. |author6=Kropf, C. |author7=Huber, D. |year=2000 |title=A new species of scorpion from Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia: ''Euscorpius gamma'' Caporiacco, 1950, stat. nov. (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) |journal=Ekológia (Bratislava) |volume=19 |issue=Suppl. 3 |pages=253–262 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/224941215_A_new_species_of_scorpion_from_Austria_Italy_Slovenia_and_Croatia_Euscorpius_gamma_Caporiacco_1950_stat_novScorpiones_Euscorpiidae }}</ref> At that time, ''Euscorpius germanus'' was thought to be distributed across large part of Europe, from Italy to Caucasus. However, a subsequent taxonomical revision split ''E. gamma''{{'}}s then parent species ''Euscorpius mingrelicus'' from ''E. germanus''. The taxonomic status continued to be complicated due to frequent misidentification – the species can only be distinguished by microscopic morphological characters such as the distribution of sensory hairs on pedipalps, with the difference being apparent only after statistical analysis.<ref name="Spn"/> Then, in 2000, taxonomists proved that specimens of ''Euscorpius germanus gamma'' can be clearly distinguished from related populations by molecular characters, so the subspecies was elevated to the species rank. A female collected near the mouth of Rižana river in Slovene Istria and kept in the collection of La Specola museum (Florence, Italy) was named type specimen.<ref name="Spn"/> In 2019 the species was moved from ''Euscorpius'' to ''Alpiscorpius''.<ref name=":0" />

== References == {{Reflist}}

Category:Euscorpiidae Category:Scorpions of Europe Category:Animals described in 1950