Akrav israchanani was an eyeless, brown, troglobitic scorpion of about 50mm in length first described from only 20 dry, cuticular remains of hollow carcasses. 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.
The name Akrav israchanani combines the Hebrew word for scorpion, “akrav”, with the names of the researchers who identified it, Israel Naaman and Hanan Dimentman.
Habitat and distribution
The scorpion was originally known only from the Ayalon 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.In December 2015, more scorpion remains were found in the nearby Levana Cave.
The family Akravidae was described in 2007 from dry, cuticular remains of hollow carcasses of a blind scorpion found in the Ayalon Cave in Israel (20 dead and more or less complete specimens have been found, but no live or recently dead specimens have been found yet). The cave is situated under a layer of chalk that is impenetrable to water and the cave extends over 2.5 kilometers.
The scorpion was found together with a few other blind invertebrates (Crustacea, Collembola and Pseudoscorpiones), and this finding was exceptional, primarily due to the caves’ isolation from the outside world. The subterranean Crustacean living in the Ayalon caves are assumed to be a relict of the later Micocene circum-tropical Tethys Ocean, but it is not clear if the scorpions are from this period, or if they have occupied the area in later periods.
Akravidae is monotypic family with only one genus and one species discovered. The scorpion is lacking eyes and shows typical troglobite characteristics. Akravidae belongs to the Chactoid families. Specimens so far are about 50 mm in lenght, and has a brownish color. See Levy’s paper for further details.
No traces of potential prey items for the scorpions have been found, raising the question if the lack of live specimens is due to an extcinction of this scorpions. Hopefully, further surveys will find an answer.
Akravidae is taken from the Biblical Hebrew word for scorpion (Akrav).
No data have been found about the venom of these scorpions.
In 2011, Fet, Soleglad & Zonstein have published a detailed analysis of the known specimens of this taxa and present a phylogenetic discussion on the species, genus and family
Levy, G. (2007)
The first troglobite scorpion from Israel and a new chactoid family (Arachnida: Scorpiones).
Zoology in the Middle East; 40: 91-6.
Fet V, Soleglad ME, Zonstein SL. (2011)
The genus Akrav Levy, 2007 (Scorpiones: Akravidae) revisited.
Euscorpius. (134):1-49 [Free fulltext].
