Behavioral evidence of pheromonal signaling in desert grassland scorpions Paruroctonus utahensis

Behavioral evidence suggests that, in some scorpion species, females deposit a pheromone that attracts mates. To date, however, no pheromone has been identified. The goal of our study was to isolate a pheromone from female desert grassland scorpions, Paruroctonus utahensis (Williams, 1968) (Scorpion...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of arachnology 2012-08, Vol.40 (2), p.240-244
Main Authors: Taylor, Matthew S., Cosper, Caleb R., Gaffin, Douglas D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animals
arachnid
arthropod
Behavior
behavior change
Data processing
Deposits
Deserts
Experimentation
Female animals
females
Grasslands
ground-directed chemical signaling
laboratory experimentation
Male animals
males
Mating behavior
pectines
Pheromone
Pheromones
Psychological aspects
Quadrants
Research s
Scorpiones
Scorpions
Sex attractants
Solvents
Spiders
Zoological research
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Summary:Behavioral evidence suggests that, in some scorpion species, females deposit a pheromone that attracts mates. To date, however, no pheromone has been identified. The goal of our study was to isolate a pheromone from female desert grassland scorpions, Paruroctonus utahensis (Williams, 1968) (Scorpiones:Vaejovidae). We took in situ cuticular washes from female P. utahensis in a chloroform-methanol solution; the extract stratified into aqueous and organic layers. In controlled laboratory experiments, most males exposed to female extract (aqueous and organic fractions combined) exhibited pre-courtship behavior, whereas those exposed to the solvent control (2∶1 chloroform-methanol) showed no change in behavior. When extract fractions were separately tested, males initiated pre-courtship behavior when exposed to the organic fraction but not when exposed to the aqueous fraction. These data are the first experimental evidence of a female pheromone in this species and are important early steps toward characterizing any scorpion pheromone.
ISSN:0161-8202
1937-2396
DOI:10.1636/Hi11-75.1