Scorpions

Order Scorpiones

The Scorpions (Order Scorpiones) includes 70 species across 5 families and 21 genera in our directory.

About Scorpions

Scorpiones includes ~2,700 described species. Scorpions are among the oldest terrestrial arthropods, with fossils dating back 435 million years to the Silurian period. They glow under ultraviolet light due to fluorescent compounds in their exoskeleton.

Economic Impact

Scorpion stings cause an estimated 1.2 million envenomations and 3,250 deaths worldwide annually (WHO). Scorpion venom is the most expensive liquid on Earth at $39 million per gallon - it contains compounds being researched for cancer treatment and as painkillers.

Ecological Role

Scorpions can survive extreme conditions - some species can be frozen for weeks and recover, and others survive extended starvation by reducing their metabolic rate by up to 97%. They are important desert predators controlling insect populations.

Families in Scorpiones (5)

Species in Scorpiones (70)

Anza-Borrego hairy scorpion

Hadrurus anzaborrego

Iuridae

Identification: The carapace of this species has a V-shaped clear interocular triangle. Hadrurus obscurus has a "block" shape, and H. arizonensis has a crescent shape. This species is allied to H. spadix and H. obscurus. This species was recently (20

Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion

Paravaejovis spinigerus

Vaejovidae

Identification: "Female, note wide girth. Not necessarily "fatness", but the width of the mesosoma segments (main body), the middle tergites (plates) are wider than the more anterior ones. In males, the tergites are usually the same width or nearly s

California Forest Scorpion

Uroctonus mordax

Vaejovidae

Identification: Fifth metasomal segment has a ventral median carina which forks to form a "Y" (see photos below). This character, according to Kari McWest (see comments here: 1 ), is the "definitive character for U. mordax mordax and U. m. pluridens

Chihuahuanus russelli

Vaejovidae

Identification: Red fingers, scalloped (open space between base of fingers); elongate metasoma (tail). Overall color yellow brown, rarely with markings on the back. Originally described from specimens collected in Portal, Cochise Co., Arizona, which

Diplocentrus diablo

Diplocentridae

Type Locality: Holotype male from Santa Cruz, Starr County, Texas, 18 August 1985 (Stockwell & Nilsson 1987)

Diplocentrus whitei

Diplocentridae

This is the largest of the 5 species of Diplocentrus in the US. The sting is harmless and is less dangerous than its pinch (which can draw blood!)

Hentz Striped Scorpion

Centruroides hentzi

Buthidae

"This is the original Centruroides vittatus, described back in 1821. The types were destroyed in a fire, and when Wood (1863) reported scorpions from Texas, he called the Texas one we now know as C. vittatus by that name. The name stuck, and Banks "r

Kochius sonorae

Vaejovidae

Identification: Large pedipalps chelae, spiniform setae, shagreened surface. Similar to Vaejovis hirsuticauda but without setose telson.

Lesser Stripetail Scorpion

Chihuahuanus coahuilae

Vaejovidae

Identification: This scorpion superficially looks similar to the much larger Vaejovis spinigerus , with which it is often confused. But closer examination with the two will show that Vaejovis coahuilae has its carapace entirely "mottled", whereas Vae

Texas Cave Scorpion

Pseudouroctonus reddelli

Vaejovidae

One of the more interesting vaejovids, both ecologically and taxonomically, is Pseudouroctonus reddelli (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972), a relatively large, dark-colored species distributed throughout much of central Texas (Gertsch & Soleglad 1972 ; Stockw

Vaejovis cashi

Vaejovidae

Perhaps the most abundant scorpion in the Chiricahua Mountains, found from as low as Cave Creek near Portal to the summit. Venom is extremely weak with no ill effects to humans.

Vaejovis intermedius

Vaejovidae

Identification: This is the only species in the United States that has characters found on both Vaejovis and Serradigitus . These include elongate fingers that terminate in a large claw-like denticle with the outer edge with a white "cap", but withou

Vaejovis vorhiesi

Vaejovidae

Undescribed species related to the montane scorpions Vaejovis vorhiesi , V. cashi , and V. paysonensis will be temporarily placed in this guide until the descriptions in progress are published.