Study of Micromorphology of Sense Organs in Scorpion of Hottentotta saulcyi

The fine organization of scorpion sense organs has not been adequately reported, although it is relevant to both sensory ecology and taxonomy. Micromorphology of sense organs in Hottentotta saulcyi (Birula, 1903) is studied in this work with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and this work provides the first detailed ultrastructural description of this species. High-resolution SEM imaging enabled detailed examination of sense organs distributed on the pedipalps, legs, pectines, and telson. Several types of sensilla were also distinguished, such as trichobothria, slit sensilla, peg sensilla, and constellation array each having specific morphological characteristics and a regular spatial arrangement. It was interesting to note that the constellation array demonstrated a species-specific and constant pattern which highlights its usefulness as a diagnostic feature to identify a species. The current results show that micromorphological examination of sense organs using SEM provides new and valid characters with respect to the conventional external morphology. This study not only enhances current knowledge of sensory specialization in H. saulcyi but also highlights the broader significance of ultrastructural characters in scorpion systematics. The findings provide a morphological backbone that would be used in further comparative, taxonomic, and phylogenetic analyses in family Buthidae.