How to kill the most dangerous scorpion in Brazil

 As I discussed last time, the Brazilian Yellow Scorpion (BYS) has an incredibly powerful sting, fatal to humans in hours. And it’s numbers are increasing in cities in Brazil, for various reasons, but mainly because it feeds on cockroaches and flies, more rubbish means more food, so more scorpions. And also the absence of natural enemies (see below).

So how do you control it? Well they are quite small, but I strongly warn against treading on one! Insecticides can work, Bifentol for example can kill them, but BSYs can survive for up to 400 days without food, as long as they stay wet, and it’s hard to spray everywhere. When they do reproduce, which they can do at any time in the year, they are quite fertile.

Surprisingly, there are natural enemies. Hens will voraciously feed on BYS’s though they are well aware of the sting, and apparently survive. They even prefer them to corn (“hmm, spicy”). In 1922 the mayor of Aparecida in Brazil distributed chickens as a way of attempting to control a scorpion outbreak.

But the true Nemesis of the Brazilian Yellow Scorpion is a toad, Rhinella icterica. Quite a common toad in southern Brazil, living in forests and Cerrado savanna, in the wild R. icterica tends to live in the same environments as BYSs, and both are active at night. They appear to be more or less immune to the scorpion sting and will happily hunt and kill scorpions. 

Photo conveniently showing the different coloration of male and female Rhinella icterica. Wikimedia Commons - Caio Biasoli

None of this however helps in the city. At a domestic level advice is remove any food sources which might attract cockroaches and seal any cracks in walls, especially in damp areas. Put down insecticides or sticky traps. And, anecdotally, tip out shoes before you put them on - and run a shower for a few minutes before entering, scorpions like damp, dark places and are quite capable of crawling up the drains!
 

Jared C, Alexandre C, Mailho-Fontana PL, Pimenta DC, Brodie ED Jr, Antoniazzi MM. (2020). Toads prey upon scorpions and are resistant to their venom: A biological and ecological approach to scorpionism. Toxicon., 178:4-7.

Murayama GP, Pagoti GF, Guadanucci JPL, Willemart RH. (2020). Voracity, reaction to stings, and survival of domestic hens when feeding on the yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus). J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis., 28:e20210050

Murayama GP, Barbosa B, Willemart RH (2023). Experimental approach to the dislodging effect and the mortality of a pesticide in the yellow scorpion Tityus serrulatus. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0289104.

The Most Dangerous Scorpion in Brazil

 So imagine you are in the Brazilian holiday resort of Buzios, lazing on the beach or sipping a caipirinha, and a yellow scorpion appears. Not only that, it is the MOST DANGEROUS SCORPION IN BRAZIL!

Wikimedia Commons, Fernanda Moreira

It’s Tityus serrulatus, the Brazilian Yellow Scorpion ("escorpião-amarelo") (who makes up these names?). Anyway, they are quite small, 5-7cm, but manage to cause the highest number of poisonings from animal bites in Brazil, facing some strong competition! A cocktail of toxins cause a whole raft of symptoms and can kill you in an hour. The Instituto Vital Brazil has reportedly captured 200 of these little monsters in Buzios, and taken them to the institute for anti-venom research.

This scorpion loves to feed on flies and cockroaches, and so is drawn to the same refuse that they are. An absence of natural enemies in cities (not surprisingly) makes them well adapted to urban life, and their numbers are increasing. Make sure you clean up your rubbish!

https://revistaforum.com.br/brasil/2024/2/21/paraiso-turistico-brasileiro-invadido-por-escorpies-venenosos-154375.html

Pimenta RJG, Brandão-Dias PFP, Leal HG, Carmo AOD, Oliveira-Mendes BBR, Chávez-Olórtegui C, Kalapothakis E. (2019). Selected to survive and kill: Tityus serrulatus, the Brazilian yellow scorpion. PLoS One, 14(4),e0214075.

Looking in, looking out

 A treehopper (Membracis sp.) on the window pane. 

Chrysanthemum world

 Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum sp.) are native to east Asia, but have been cultivated in China for millennia, apparently since the 15th century BC, or even earlier. Later they became very popular in Japan, and the monarchy there is known still as the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Although most chrysanthemums are grown for their beauty, some species can be drunk as a tea, or boiled and eaten in dishes such as Chinese hotpot. Conversely, the seed pots of some species have been used for centuries to make permethrin, an effective insecticide and the ancestor of modern synthetic pyrethroids.  

So why am I talking about chrysanthemum's in a blog about Brazilian nature? Because they are part of it, being grown mainly in the state of Sao Paulo. Especially around Holambra, where Dutch immigrants established a flourishing horticultural industry and today there is an important flower auction system, the Veiling Holambra. The ornamental flower industry has grown rapidly in Brazil, with Ibraflor (the Brazilian Institute of Floriculture) reporting in 2021 an annual average growth rate of 10-12 per cent over the previous 10 years. Roses are the most popular, followed by chrysanthemums, alstroemerias, lilies and lisianthus, and orchids. 97% of domestic demand for chrysanthemums is supplied by domestic production (Gobatto et al 2019).

A survey of virus infections in chrysanthemum greenhouses and the weeds present in and around those greenhouses gives a snapshot of an ecosystem in Sao Paulo (and Colombia, but I'll just talk about Brazil) (Gobatto et al 2019).

 The chrysanthemums are grown in greenhouses, but they can interact with the environment outside. A survey of weeds in and around greenhouses in Sao Paulo found 51 different species, which were consequently tested for the commercially important RNA viroid, Chrysanthemum stunt disease (CSVd). The only one found to have a natural infection was Oxalis latifolia (in Brazil "trevo"), which not only contained virus particles but also showed symptoms. Originally from Central America, O. latifolia is a very common weed, and in fact has been introduced around the world as a garden flower, and even, in India, as rabbit food.

Oxalis latifolia (Wikimedia Commons)

 Of the other species of weeds tested, 17 were found to be possible hosts of CSVd. ie. they didn't have virus infections, but could be infected in lab conditions. The most widespread in and around greenhouses was Cardamine bonariensis ("griãozinho") a kind of cress. C. bonariensis seems to have originated in Europe, probably entering Brazil with imported plants. Although no natural infections were found, or have been reported, evidence that it can support CSVd is worrying.

 And of course there are insects. The most important pests of chrysanthemums in Brazil are aphids and thrips (Bueno et al, 2003). One of the commonest thrips is Frankliniella occidentalis, a very polyphagous species that has spread from the southern USA around the world, and can feed on practically everything (well, at least 500 species). F. occidentalis has been shown to transmit another chrysanthemum virus Chrysanthemum stem necrosis virus (Goretti & Lima 2019).

Frankliniella occidentalis (author's collection)

So there we have it. An ecosystem, a world, of mainly expats in the same place and time. An artificial ecosystem for sure, but how many ecosystems are completely "natural" these days?

 Bueno, V.H.P.; Lenteren, J.C. van; Silveira, L.C.P.; Rodrigues, S.M.M. (2003). An overview of biological control in greenhouse chrysanthemums in Brazil. Bulletin OILB/SROP 26(10), 1-5.

 Gobatto, D., de Oliveira, L.A., de Siqueira Franco, D.A., Velásquez, N., Daròs, J.A., Eiras, M. (2019). Surveys in the chrysanthemum production areas of Brazil and Colombia reveal that weeds are potential reservoirs of Chrysanthemum Stunt Viroid. Viruses. 2019 Apr 17;11(4):355.

 Goretti, Maria & Lima, Élison (2019). Tripes - ornamentais. Pragas e doenças associados aos cultivos na Serra de Baturité, CE (pp.123-130). Publisher: Liceu.

 

Brazilian Horses

A Mangalarga Marchador

Horses have played a huge part in Brazilian history, and every one was descended from an imported horse, there being no natural equines in South America. Over time, many local breeds have developed, often based on Portuguese types such as the Lusitano and Alter Real imported with Portuguese colonisers. The Lusitano was specifically bred for the bull fighting ring, and they tend to be intelligent and highly manoeuvrable, whilst the Alter Real were originally high grade carriage horses.

Incidentally, horses are traditionally measured to their shoulders, not the top of their heads, and they are measured in "hands", one hand being 4 inches.

Baixadeiro  - an old breed developed in the marshlands, they are tough, with hard wearing feet able to withstand long immersion in water. Perhaps surprisingly for such an environment they are small, with short legs, and only abut 14 hands high.

Brazilian pony - bred for use with children using bloodlines including Scottish ponies and the Argentine Falabella, they are of course small (8.3 to 9.8 hands), but docile and popular.

Brasileiro de Hipismo (Brazilian Sport Horse) - a fairly recent and very successful breed developed in the 70s for competition and they have already competed at the Olympics. They are tall (over 16 hands) and lively, but not temperamental.

Campeiro - basically "field horse" the origins of this breed go right back to the horses brought with the Portuguese to southern Brazil in the 1540s. Over the years the breed has been improved with Thoroughbred and Arabian bloodlines and they now make good riding and ranch horses.

 A Campolina

Campolina - developed in the 1860s and 70s in Minas Gerais from a mixture of many bloodlines including Andalusian and Clydesdale (!), it is one of the larger breeds at 15-16.2 hands and used for riding and driving

Corajosa - "courageous", this pony is not only hardy, but also apparently gentle and kind. They were bred not for children, but for riding and draft work in areas with little grassland.

Crioulo - a cross of African and European breeds they are found in the south, where they make good ranch horses for the cowboys and gauchos.13-15 hands high.

 A Crioulo and Gaucho rider

Mangalarga Marchador (see photo at start of the blog) - originally developed in the 1700s and one of the most popular breeds in Brazil today. They are comfortable and easy to ride, with lots of stamina, and so make good trekking or ranch horses. The breed includes bloodlines from various Spanish lines, and they may be the closest living connection to the medieval Spanish Jennet. 

Mangalarga Paulista - basically an attempt to upgrade the Mangalarga Marchador by crossing with English Thoroughbreds or Anglo-Arabians, the Mangalarga Paulistas  are attractive, but apparently not so comfortable to ride over long distances.

Nordestino - a fairly small (13 hands), but extremely rugged and sturdy horse, probably derived from North African breeds, the Nordestino was developed in the harsh and hot north east of Brazil. They were popular in the military as being easy to train and with great endurance, but they are less common these days.

Pampa - apparently derived from feral horse populations that were caught and trained by various indigenous tribes in Brazil. They are well adapted to local conditions and characteristically have hard, tough, hooves as they would not have been shod. They also generally have "pinto" markings, which means large white splodges somewhere on their body

Pantaneiro - a breed from the Pantanal, a huge marshy area in the state of Mato Grosso. As they were not developed as such, with the deliberate introduction of blood lines, but were rather just bred from those horses that survived the harsh terrain, they are extremely hardy, with excellent disease resistance. They are mostly used as ranch horses.

 Pantaneiros

Piquira - a fairly recent development for children, mostly derived from crossing Crioulos with, bizarrely, Shetland ponies. They aren´t tiny, but are on the small side (12-13 hands) and apparently docile and calm

Many of the breeds above are now quite rare, as either their original function no longer exists, or they´ve been replaced by imported breeds. This applies especially to the Baixadeiro, the Campeiro and the Pantaneiro. Because of this the Brazilian Agricultural Research Assocation (Embrapa) encourages breeding programs, as well as storing seman and DNA samples, and even frozen embryoes, so the breeds are not lost.

More details on these breeds, and many others, can be found at the Equinest web site at http://www.theequinest.com

Very small red dots

Panonychus ulmi (Dept Agriculture UK)

This is the European red spider mite (Panonychus ulmi), ("ácaro vermelho europeu"), but it has emigrated. It is now found all over the world, where it is something of a nuisance. It feeds on plants, and unlike many invertebrates, it`s not fussy. Add a very high reproductive rate and you have a pest.

In Brazil it is mainly found in the south, where like many European migrants it finds the climate more congenial.  There it is a major pest of apples, pears, peaches and vines, overwintering as eggs on the tree trunks.  In the spring the eggs hatch and nymphs  start crawling over the plant. Now, these mites are very very small, about 0.7 mm, so you wouldn´t think it would matter much, but there are a LOT of mites. Each female only lives about 2-3 weeks, but can lay up to 50 eggs. Gradually the leaves become spotted, then bronzed and they fall off. Infested flowers often produce no fruit.

Incidentally, mites are NOT insects, they´ve got eight legs and they are distantly related to spiders. Including the ability to spin webs.

 Neoseiulus californicus

The main predators of mites are other mites, predatory mites.  Since 1992 hundreds of thousands of Neoseiulus californicus have been reared in huge plastic greenhouses in Brazil and released into orchards. They don´t eat all the mites, which is a good thing as then they themselves would starve. They just kill enough to leave the tress healthy. With luck you get a balance.

Brazilian Dogs

Everybody likes dogs, and most parts of the world have dogs developed for the local conditions, from Labrador to Chihuahua. It`s surprising therefore that a country as large as Brazil has only two,  the Brazilian terrier, and the Fila Brasileiro. It`s not that there aren`t dogs around, there are thousands of miniature poodles and Yorkshire terriers keeping people company in the apartments of Rio and Sao Paulo, even Gisele Bunchen had until recently a Yorkie called Vida. And there are innumerable "Vira latas" (mongrels) in the favellas and fazendas. But of specifically Brazilian purebred breeds, there are only two.

The Brazilian Terrier, or Fox Paulistano

 The exact ancestry of the Brazilian terrier is unknown, but they are basically descended from Fox Terriers, with some Jack Russell, Miniature Pinschers and Chihuahuas thrown in. They resemble a large Jack Russel, and are said to have a similar temperament, friendly, intelligent and energetic. They were bred for farm work, active all day and they make excellent ratters. A group will even combine to attack larger prey, attacking from each side until it`s worn down.

 Although fairly small they are NOT apartment dogs, they need lots of exercise and stimulation, otherwise they get bored and a bit destructive. They also have a very strong hunting instinct, strongest of all the terriers, and so leaving one with a cat all day is probably not a good idea.

The Fila Brasileiro or Brazilian Mastiff

The Fila Brasileiro is another animal entirely, large (about 50 Kg) and very powerful. They were bred as working dogs on plantations or cattle ranches, probably from a combination of Mastiffs, Bulldogs and Bloodhounds, but unlike some large breeds they are normally alert and active.

 Life as a working dog on a Brazilian farm meant driving off predators such as jaguars, and running down stray cattle, and slaves. The bloodhound ancestry made them good trackers, and they were trained not to kill their prey, but to grab the animal or slave by the neck until the farmer arrived. Puppies still show this instinct in play today.

Although affectionate to their owners and families, it goes without saying that Filas are utterly and completely unsuited to be apartment dogs! Infact, in many countries such as the UK, Denmark and New Zealand you cannot own one at all. In the past Filas were often trained to be "Ojeriza" or distrustful of strangers, and with their very strong protective instinct this made them sometimes dangerous to anyone outside of their "pack". But this was the fault of stupid owners rather than the dogs themselves, and with proper training and socialisation from an early age they are calm and safe with strangers, even if not especially friendly.

Filas still make good farm dogs, and they might be branching out. They are reportedly used by the Israeli army and some American police forces, where they have the advantage as tracker dogs that, if necessary, they are fiercely defensive of their handlers once the quarry is found.

A five year study by the Brazilian army compared Filas, Dobermans and Alsatians in jungle conditions, looking at intelligence, aggressiveness, sensibility, temperament, energy, resistance, and strength. The Alsatians were smarter, the Dobermans more aggressive, but Filas won every other category.