# Parthenogenetic scorpions



## Ilovepredators (May 27, 2017)

Was wondering what species of scorpions are parthenogenetic.  I am aware of Tityus stigmurus, I've also been told Hottentotta hottentotta, and Centruroides gracilis.  So if anyone would like to add the the list i would appreciate it.


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## ArachnoDrew (May 27, 2017)

I could be wrong but i don't believe C Gracilis is Parthenogenic. Tityus for Sure. Hottentotta hottentotta yes  @gromgrom just had a brood of 
Liocheles australasiae (Dwarf scorpion) which is parthenogenic aswell

Reactions: Agree 1


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## gromgrom (May 27, 2017)

I've heard rumors of C. gracilis but I'm not sold on it till I see it.. .and someone sells me them!  

Also what @ArachnoDrew said

Reactions: Like 2


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## mconnachan (May 27, 2017)

I've been looking into this recently, it's amazing the different animals that can reproduce this way, one of the most surprising is the Komodo Dragon, fascinating, even tarantulas have been known to reproduce parthenogenetically.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## TarantulaArvind (May 27, 2017)

mconnachan said:


> fascinating, even tarantulas have been known to reproduce parthenogenetically.


That's awesome.. Could you link me the source..!? Which all genera ?!?
If its been documented and proved, this will be one great news for the T hobby..


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## mconnachan (May 27, 2017)

TarantulaArvind said:


> That's awesome.. Could you link me the source..!? Which all genera ?!?
> If its been documented and proved, this will be one great news for the T hobby..


It's documented in the Tarantula Keepers Guide by Schultz & Schultz, after reading this I googled and got lots of results.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## mconnachan (May 27, 2017)

On the other hand, Campbell (1883) kept a female of Tege-
naria guyonii in captivity a whole year, during which she under-
went two moults ; then she laid eggs from which young hatched.
And Damin (1893) imprisoned a female Filistata testacea Latr.
from the spring of 1891 until the spring of 1893 ; she moulted
twice in the summer of 1891 and once in the spring of 1892,
then made a cocoon from which young spiders emerged. He
notes the extreme rarity of the males of this species, and asks :
' Does not this absence of the male indeed indirectly cause the,

This is quite old, but it tells of a female that produced young parthenogenetically.I'm sure there is much more up to date references to the subject, this was all I could find ATM. Although it does not reference tarantulas I've read that they do in the TKG by Schultz & Schultz.


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## TarantulaArvind (May 27, 2017)

mconnachan said:


> It's documented in the Tarantula Keepers Guide by Schultz & Schultz, after reading this I googled and got lots of results.


Thank you.. I'll look into it


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## Tleilaxu (May 28, 2017)

Paravaejovis spinigerus is supposedly parthenogenetic as well, a long with sexual reproduction.


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## RTTB (May 29, 2017)

Tityus trivitatus is parthenogenetic.


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## Banshee05 (May 29, 2017)

man...please read the most recently and serios paper about that topic (in scorpions)...

Seiter, M. et al. 2016. The South African scorpion Pseudolychas ochraceus (Hirst, 1911) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) can reproduce by parthenogenesis. Journal of Arachnology *44*: 85-87.

The last "appropiate species" is not 100% demonstrated/ documentad and proved regarding the strong criteria proposed by Francke (2008) (as many others as well):

Ayrey, R. F. 2017 . Serradigitus miscionei, the first vaejovid scorpion to exhibit parthenogenesis. Euscorpius, No. 241: 1-7.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Vixvy (May 29, 2017)

We have a thread here with partheno scorps list but its way way back.


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## Jason Brantley (May 29, 2017)

Centruroides vittatus is also parthenogenic. I had one about ten years ago. Wasn't even fat or looked gravid or anything...just looked inside the cage one day and bam. Babies.


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## brandontmyers (May 29, 2017)

Michael Seiter posted on this board a few years back with a list. The link to the post is http://arachnoboards.com/threads/list-of-parthenogenic-scorpions.139164/#post-2166131.

His quote "Ten of the known parthenogenetic species belong to the family Buthidae, i.e.: Centruroides gracilis (Latreille), Tityus columbianus (Thorell), Tityus metuendus Pocock, Tityus serrulatus Lutz & Mello, Tityus stigmurus (Thorell), Tityus trivittatus Kraepelin, Tityus uruguayensis Borelli, Ananteris coineaui Lourenço, Hottentotta hottentotta (Fabricius), Hottentotta caboverdensis Lourenço & Ythier, Tityus neblina Lourenço and one member of the family Liochelidae, i.e. Liocheles australasiae (Fabricius) (Lourenço, 2008; Lourenço & Cloudsley-Thompson, 2010). And the newest one is Tityus confluens Borelli (Seiter, 2012)"

Since then there have been a few added: Lychas tricarinatus which was previously labeled in the hobby as Lychas sp. nov. India, Pseudolychas ochraceus, and Serridigitus miscionei (which is the first scientifically recorded Vaejovidae to exhibit parthenogensis).

A good recent paper on parthenogenisis in scorpions is: http://www.ibiologia.unam.mx/html/pub/Francke_RIA16_93_104.pdf

There are tons of claims from other people about parthenogenisis in scorpions, most notably Heterometrus longimanus in the Phillipines. Until there are specimens that are said to give birth asexually and then those future generations do the same, it's all hearsay.

Also, the Centruroides gracilis that reproduce asexually apparently only occur in Cuba, so most likely none in the hobby are from that population.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## brandontmyers (May 29, 2017)

Didn't even see that Michael posted in this thread. Trust me, if there is someone on the board you should listen to it's @Banshee05.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## TheScorpionMan (May 29, 2017)

i


xunicronx said:


> Centruroides vittatus is also parthenogenic. I had one about ten years ago. Wasn't even fat or looked gravid or anything...just looked inside the cage one day and bam. Babies.


idk about vittatus being parthogenic. a lot of specimens are wild caught and could be gravid

Reactions: Like 1


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## Banshee05 (May 30, 2017)

warm words Brandon, thanks!
let me quote my own paper regarding the problem about the criteria and the full list of truely parthenogenetic scorpion species

"...In a critical review, Francke (2008) proposed that the parturition of a captive isolated female collected immature in the wild is the minimal evidence required to conclude that a scorpion species is parthenogenetic. Furthermore, Francke (2008) discusses previous claims of the occurrence of parthenogenesis in scorpion species and presents arguments why establishment of parthenogenesis should not be based on parturition of immature wild-caught specimens alone. Two key arguments are a reported case of a post-parturition molt in _Tityus uruguayensis_ Borelli, 1901 (Toscano-Gadea 2001) and the common occurrence of iteroparity (Polis & Sissom 1990), which could cast doubt on the establishment of parthenogenesis by the parturition of specimens that were not entirely raised under conditions of isolation. Although other post-parturition molts have never been observed in scorpions, further confirmation of such an event would have serious implications on establishing parthenogenesis based on parturition of wild caught specimens. Therefore, we follow the more stringent criteria proposed by Francke (2008) to confirm the previously suspected parthenogenesis in _P. ochraecus_ (Prendini 2004): raising captive born females to maturity in isolation and showing that these can reproduce without being inseminated...." (Seiter M. et al. 2016: 85)

Thus in fact we only have 10 species!! But be careful, e.g. Tityus stigmurus, which is 100% for sure a parthenospecies is also not included in that list, because nobody ever proved it carefully. Ross (2010) did a good work on them but used subadult females for his study and hence there is not 100% sure that the females were not fertilized before.


Ross, L.K. 2010. Confirmation of parthenogenesis in the medically significant, synanthropic scorpion _Tityus stigmurus_ (Thorell, 1876) (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 18: 115–121.
Seiter, M. Schramm, D.S., & Barthel, A. 2016. The South African scorpion _Pseudolychas ochraceus_ (Hirst, 1911) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) can reproduce by parthenogenesis. Journal of Arachnology 44: 85–87.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## Stugy (May 30, 2017)

Lychas tricarinatus is parthenogenetic... The Centruroides gracilis... Um I've heard that only the ones from Cuba are parthenogenetic.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Banshee05 (May 30, 2017)

L. tricarinatus is parthenogenetic, we proved it over 3 generations and the paper is submitted already (soon ready...), personally I doubt the case in C. gracilis... not because it is not possible, but because of the circumstances and the breeding in Cuba...Anyway, their are for sure much more species and many of those we already have in captive breed may have the possibility switching from sexual to asexual reproduction due to some environmental circumstances and most probably epigentic effects...but hard to prove.


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## brandontmyers (May 30, 2017)

Banshee05 said:


> L. tricarinatus is parthenogenetic, we proved it over 3 generations and the paper is submitted already (soon ready...), personally I doubt the case in C. gracilis... not because it is not possible, but because of the circumstances and the breeding in Cuba...Anyway, their are for sure much more species and many of those we already have in captive breed may have the possibility switching from sexual to asexual reproduction due to some environmental circumstances and most probably epigentic effects...but hard to prove.


Michael, what are your thoughts on Serridigitus miscionei and the paper by Ayrey?


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## Banshee05 (May 31, 2017)

He is writing it unclear and not precise, but it seems that he caught adult females and they give birth and all were females, because he was not able to breed or raise them, thus, this is NEVER a clear example for a parthenospecies. Of course, it it strongly suggested, as formaly for _P. ochraceus_.
Ayrey should send me some, I breed them and prove it

Reactions: Disagree 1 | Funny 2


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## Ilovepredators (Jun 5, 2017)

mconnachan said:


> I've been looking into this recently, it's amazing the different animals that can reproduce this way, one of the most surprising is the Komodo Dragon, fascinating, even tarantulas have been known to reproduce parthenogenetically.


I actually asked that question earlier from the answers I got there are no Parthenogenetic species of tarantulas.


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## Banshee05 (Jun 7, 2017)

While reading my own comments above again, I have to clarify something, because maybe it sounds too hard and un-polite: I do not want to harm or discredit Mr. Ayrey or contradict his contribution. I do apologize for being heedless and rude!!!
I just wanted to record that his findings leaves room for interpretation and is not 100% proven, albeit it can be strongly suggested!

Reactions: Like 1


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## brandontmyers (Jun 7, 2017)

Michael,

I definitely didn't take it as being rude. I know the debate about parthenogenesis can get pretty ugly. I imagine you feel similar as when us hobbyists see the parthenogenic Heterometrus longimanus coming out of the Philippines. 

I enjoy seeing new papers from Ayrey as there aren't a lot of people studying the genera he is. With that being said, it's always good to be a little skeptical until things are seen as fact.


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## Banshee05 (Jun 8, 2017)

yes I know Brandon, but this excuse was for the author if he is reading this.


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