Etat des lieux et diversité scorpionique (Scorpiones, Arachnida) de la région de Ghardaïa (Centre de l’Algérie)

Abstract

Scorpions are among the oldest and most highly adapted arthropods to extreme desert environments; their remarkable ecological plasticity having enabled them to persist for more than 450 million years across all major geological eras. The present study focuses on the inventory and ecological analysis of scorpion assemblages in the region of Ghardaïa (central Algerian Sahara), with the primary objective of assessing the influence of habitat type on scorpion diversity and spatial distribution in arid ecosystems. Sampling was conducted over a 12-month period across four contrasting biotopes (erg, reg, palm grove and urban area) using two complementary methods: direct capture and nocturnal detection with ultraviolet lamps. A total of 305 individuals were collected, representing 11 species belonging to the family Buthidae, distributed across 6 genera. The results reveal a strong numerical dominance of Androctonus amoreuxi (58%) and A. australis (24.4%), together accounting for more than 82% of total individuals. PERMANOVA analyses confirm that habitat type is the primary factor structuring scorpion assemblages, while season exerts a secondary yet statistically significant effect. The palm grove exhibited the highest abundance, whereas the reg and erg displayed the greatest species richness and diversity, harboring specialized species adapted to rocky and sandy microhabitats, respectively. The urban area proved to be the most depauperate biotope, with only a single species recorded, reflecting severe environmental filtering induced by increasing habitat artificialization. NMDS ordination revealed a strong ecological affinity between most species and their respective biotopes, with the notable exception of A. amoreuxi, whose broad ecological valence allows it to colonize three distinct habitats: the reg, erg and palm grove.