Akrav israchanani

Akrav israchanani is an extinct species of scorpions from the Ayyalon Cave in Israel.[1]

Akrav israchanani
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Arachnida
Order:
Scorpiones
Family:
Akravidae
Genus:
Akrav
Species:
A. israchanani
Binomial name
Akrav israchanani
Levy, 2007

Description

Akrav israchanani was an eyeless, brown, troglobitic scorpion of about 50mm in length first described from only 20 dry, cuticular remains of hollow carcasses.[1] The combinations of characteristics was unusual enough for the scorpion to be placed in its own, monotypic family, however this has been called into question by later researchers.[2]

Habitat and distribution

The scorpion was originally known only from the Ayyalon Cave in Israel, a deep limestone cave, isolated from rainwater and the surface by a layer of chalk. The extinction of the scorpion is inferred from the lack of live or recently dead specimens.[1][2] In December 2015, more scorpion remains were found in the nearby Levana Cave.[3]

References
  1. Levy, 2007 "The first troglobite scorpion from Israel and a new chactoid family (Arachnida: Scorpiones)"
  2. Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad & Sergei L. Zonstein, 2011 "The genus Akrav Levy, 2007 (Scorpiones: Akravidae) revisited"
  3. "The second record of a relict Akrav israchanani Levy, 2007 (Scorpiones: Akravidae) from Levana Cave, Israel" (PDF). Occasional Publications in Scorpiology.


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