Emperor scorpion  (Pandinus imperator)

The largest of scorpions, but not the longest, the emperor scorpion has a dark body ranging from dark blue/green through brown to black. The large pinchers are reddish and have a granular texture. The thorax is made up of four sections, each with a pair of legs. Behind the fourth pair of legs are comb-like structures known as pectines – these are longer in males and are used by man to distinguish the sexes. The tail, known as the metasoma, is long and curves back over the body. It ends in the large recepticle containing the venom glands and tipped with the sharp, curved sting. Sensory hairs cover the pinchers and tail, enabling the scorpion to detect prey through air and ground vibrations (3). When pregnant, the body of a female expands to expose the whitish membranes connecting the segments. The emperor scorpion fluoresces greenish-blue under ultraviolet lights (4).

The emperor scorpion is found in Africa, including Benin, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Guinea, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone (1).

Inhabits both tropical forest and open savannas. It burrows beneath soils and hides beneath rocks and debris (3).

The emperor scorpion engages in an elaborate courtship dance in which the male holds on to the female's pinchers and moves around to find a suitable place on the ground to deposit his spermatophore. Once deposited, he manoeuvres the female over the area so she can receive the sperm (4). The female gives birth to between 9 and 32 live young after a seven to nine month gestation period, and they remain with her for some time. This semi-social behaviour is unusual in scorpions, although the mother is sometimes cannibalistic, eating her own young. The young are white when born, but darken with each moult, reaching sexual maturity at four months (3).

The emperor scorpion feeds on insects, arachnids, mice and small lizards, hunting them at night using its sensory hairs (4). It has poor eyesight and is preyed upon by bats, birds, small mammals, large spiders, centipedes and large lizards (4). The adult uses its pinchers to catch prey and will only use the sting in self-defence (5).

This species is thought to be threatened by over-collection for the pet trade (3).

Little conservation action is taking place for this species, which has yet to be assessed by the IUCN and occurs in some of the world's poorest countries where conservation is not a priority.

For further information on this species see:

• Animals – The Animal Information Centre:
  www.angelfire.com/mo2/animals1/scorpion/empscorp.html

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