Maybe there are introduced individuals from the Mediteranean or abandoned idividuals fom pet owners, but will they stay alive and reproduce in nature?
The distribution of this species indicates its presence in alpine regions in southern and central Europe (including Italy, Austria and Switzerland), so the short answer is "why not Germany?" You may already know about the attached paper (in which case, my apologies), but it gives details about how the knowledge of the distribution has changed in relation to taxonomic revisions of the species. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Matt
In know of at least two Euscorpius sp. specimens that were found in Germany and that I have seen myself (one from Hamburg and one from Göttingen). However, none of them were identified to species level and both of them were obviously introduced from the Mediterranean during the previous summer holidays. Both were found within houses, the Göttingen specimen was found dead and desiccated under the washing machine, while the Hamburg specimen was still alive. If there is a chance that Euscorpius may reproduce in the wild I'd expect it to arrive in the warm regions of southern Germany. We have many mediterranean species that arrived in Rheinland-Pfalz, among them Scutigera coleoptrata that is apparently currently expanding its range.
Best wishes,
Frank
Thank you very much, Matt and Frank, your informations are very helpful! I have two specimen of unidentified Euscorpius sp. near Passau, Bavaria, from which one was found alive within a house and was suggested to be intoduced from Ultental in Italy, but the other one was found currently in a garden under a stone. They will be identified to species level at ZSM, Munic and probably barcoded, so that also the origin can be cleared up.
Best wishes
Rudi
Hi Rudi, I am glad the information was useful! I was interested in your question not just because of my interest in arachnids (mites, mostly) but because of the work by the pioneering German arachnologist Carl Ludwig Koch. Euscorpius germanus was one of the species that Koch described (from the southern Tyrol). It may be of interest, but Koch's original description is available online (at p. 110 and Plate CVIII in the scanned version of Die Arachiden vol. 3 (1837), http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/55836#page/186/mode/1up
Best of luck with your research! Kind regards, Matt
Hello Gioele, Frank, Matt,
meanwhile I could have a look on the two specimen of Passau, I suppose there is no Euscorpius germanus.
The first one I think is Euscorpius italicus 8826, 8244), and so - as you supposed - introduced by accident.
The second one (8253, 8245, 8248) I would determine as Euscorpius mesotrichus, but I am not sure.
Would you please have a look at the pictures? If you need another detail, please let me know.
Regards,
Rudi
Dear Gioele,
thank you for the detailed information!
I tried to take photographs like you did it (surely not as well as you did), and I hope, this will help to get a diagnosis for this specimen. I think this are not exactly the segments you want to see.
Meanwhile there was found a second specimen in Passau, in another district. This individual I didn't see, I have only the foto which is attached.
Would you please have a look at the pictures?
Thank you very much!
Best regards
Rudi
The two specimen of Passau are now at the ZSM in Munic and it is intended to make barcoding. We will see, where they come from!
Gioele asked, where the animals were found: the first one was in garden about 50 meters from the next house, under a flagstone at an annexe. The second one was in a house next an open door, the finder said it came in through the door.
Regards,
Rudi
Dear Gioele,
apologize my intervention here. I just want to give a short note: last summer a lady called me to collect a scorpion- 40km southern of Vienna, and it looks to me as a E.italicus specimen. However, I was at this place and checked it twice, but I was never able to detect any single specimen again. Therefore, I would here also conclude that it was introduced via plants or some holiday "souvenirs" in the suitcases.
Anyway, if you once want to check them, contact me.
all the best
,
Michael
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