Calchas nordmanni Birula, 1899

Calchas nordmanni Birula, 1899 View in CoL

Specimens examined: Şahinbey , Güllüce Village , lower slopes of Ellezi Mountain, 13.IX.2003: 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /524/1-2); Şahinbey, Güllüce Village, 21.IX.2003: 1 ♂ ( ZDNU 2003 /573/1), 1 ♀ ( ZDNU 2003 /573/2) .

Comments: This species of Iuridae is a relatively small scorpion with a length of ca. 45 mm. Its color is brownish or light brownish. It was first described from Çoruh Valley ( Artvin) by Birula (1899). Later, it was found also in Siirt, Antalya (Kinzelbach, 1980, 1982); Birecik (Vachon & Kinzelbach, 1987), and Diyarbekir ( Kovařík, 1996). This is the rarest scorpion species in Gaziantep, with only four specimens found. It is known only from Anatolia ( Antalya, Artvin, Bilecik, Erzurum, Kars, and Malatya Provinces) and Megisti (Meis) and Samos (Sisam) Islands ( Vachon, 1971; Kinzelbach, 1980; Sissom, 1987; Kovařík, 1996; Fet & Braunwalder, 2000). Of our specimens, two were collected from under stones, at the entrance of a small cave with its opening facing east with a length of ca. 2 m. The locality is surrounded by oak ( Quercus coccifera ) forest. The other two specimens were collected under stones on the slopes of Ellezi Mountain at nearly 800 m asl, close to nut, almond, and fig gardens, and vineyards.

Family Scorpionidae