Survival of the scorpion Opistophthalmus pugnax (Scorpionidae) after exposure to a lethal dosage SO2 gas.

Abstract

Scorpions are well known for their ability to adapt to dry habitats, scarcity of food and radioactive radiation. Nothing is known about their response to toxic gases. Results from this experiment showed that a high dose of 1000 parts per million SO₂ was not lethal for Opistophthalmus pugnax; compare this to humans who cannot tolerate and survive high SO₂ levels. In fact, the oxygen production rate increased from 4.16 µmol/g^-1hour^-1 to 7.69 µmol/g^-1hour^-1 after exposure of one hour to SO₂. Forty minutes after exposure, ṀO₂ was still nearly twice as high compared with the ṀO₂ value at the beginning. Further experiments are suggested to solve the problem of possible spiracle occlusion caused by SO₂.