Relationship between body size and habitat heterogeneity on cannibalism and intraguild predation in scorpions

Body size and habitat complexity are important regulatory factors in predator–prey dynamics. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of the relationship between body size and habitat complexity on intra- and interspecific interactions in scorpions. We used 540 Tityus pusillus (360 adults and 180 s instar) and 180 juveniles of T. stigmurus. The individuals were divided into the following groups: intraspecific individuals of similar size, intraspecific individuals of different size, interspecific individuals of similar size, and interspecific individuals of different sizes. Each group was categorized into three subgroups based on habitat complexity: low, moderate, and high. Body size and habitat complexity correlated with predatory events in interspecific relationships. Cannibalism was not observed in arenas with similar-sized individuals or highly complex arenas with asymmetric-sized individuals. However, intraguild predation occurred regardless of the complexity of the arena and decreased as the complexity of the habitat increased. In both groups, the largest individual was the predator. The effect of habitat complexity on scorpion predation may be associated with their hunting strategies. Our study indicated that habitat complexity and body size play key roles in intra- and interspecific interactions in scorpion species.