Species in the scorpion genus Centruroides (Scorpiones: Buthidae) are good candidates for the study of ecological niche partitioning because of their habitat plasticity, widespread geographic distribution, and presence of cryptic species. Currently, three species belonging to three subgroups of Centruroides are distributed along the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico, presenting a rare opportunity to study niche partitioning within a single genus. We examined the environmental, substrate, and habitat conditions of Centruroides flavopictus, Centruroides gracilis, and Centruroides rileyi within Estación de Biología Los Tuxtlas, west of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Our results demonstrate habitat partitioning occurs along humidity, temperature, and elevational gradients: individuals of C. gracilis were found in habitats of low humidity and high temperature, and were predominantly found on the substrate in human‐mediated habitats; individuals of C. flavopictus were found in a larger range of humidity and temperature conditions within secondary and primary forest; and individuals of C. rileyi had the greatest habitat specificity, and were found in conditions of low temperature and high humidity on trees within primary forest. Furthermore, individuals of C. rileyi were found significantly higher in trees than those of C. flavopictus. This study represents the first example of niche partitioning within a genus of scorpion, and the first description of the ecological niche in an arboreal‐specialist scorpion.

中文翻译：

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同类蝎子的生态位分配

由于其栖息地可塑性，广泛的地理分布和隐性物种的存在，蝎形纲属（Centurouroides）（Scorpiones：Buthidae）中的物种是生态位分区研究的良好候选者。目前，在墨西哥南部的特万特佩克地峡上分布着属于Centruroides的三个亚群的三个物种，这为研究单一属中的生态位分配提供了难得的机会。我们检查了Centrouroides flavopictus，Centrouroides gracilis和Centrouroides rileyi的环境，基质和生境位于Tehuantepec地峡以西的EstacióndeBiologíaLos Tuxtlas。我们的研究结果表明，栖息地的划分是沿着湿度，温度和海拔梯度发生的：在低湿度和高温的栖息地中发现了纤毛梭菌的个体，并且主要在人类介导的栖息地的基质上发现。在次生和原始森林中，黄萎病菌的个体在较大的湿度和温度条件下被发现；C. rileyi和C. rileyi的个体具有最大的栖息地特异性，并且在原始森林内的树木上处于低温和高湿度的条件下被发现。此外，发现树中的C. rileyi个体明显高于树木中的那些。C. flavopictus。这项研究代表了蝎子属中的生态位分配的第一个例子，也是树栖专家蝎子中生态位的第一个描述。