Fluorescent
Guides
Anuroctonus pococki
California Swollenstinger Scorpion, California swollen-stinger scorpion
Anuroctonus pococki is a large scorpion species reaching 65 mm in length, distinguished by a swollen region on the telson just before the stinger—most prominent in mature males—and large black-tipped pedipalps. Native to the Coast Ranges of Southern California and Baja California, it is the only member of its genus found in Baja California. First described in 2004, this nocturnal ambush predator constructs burrows and exhibits mildly venomous stings that are typically painful but non-serious.
Centruroides
bark scorpion, bark scorpions
Centruroides is a highly speciose genus of buthid scorpions comprising at least 100 species distributed throughout the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Antilles, and northern South America. Commonly known as bark scorpions, members of this genus are notable for their strong fluorescence under ultraviolet light—except immediately after moulting—and several species possess venom potent enough to cause human fatalities. The genus includes species adapted to diverse habitats ranging from tropical rainforests to arid regions, with some showing marked intra-domiciliary tendencies in urban environments.
Centruroides sculpturatus
Arizona Bark Scorpion
Centruroides sculpturatus, commonly known as the Arizona bark scorpion, is a small, light brown scorpion native to the Sonoran Desert. It is the only scorpion species in North America considered dangerously venomous to humans, with stings capable of causing severe pain, numbness, and in rare cases life-threatening symptoms in young children. The species exhibits fluorescent properties under ultraviolet light due to compounds in its exoskeleton. It is frequently used in educational outreach programs due to its docile handling behavior in captivity.
Centruroides vittatus
Striped Bark Scorpion
Centruroides vittatus is the most common scorpion in the United States, occurring throughout the midsection of the country and northern Mexico. This species exhibits notable behavioral flexibility, including plant climbing and temperature-modulated antipredator responses. Populations show geographic variation in venom toxicity, with eastern populations exhibiting reduced toxicity linked to lower sodium β toxin gene expression. The species has been documented harboring the endosymbiont Mycoplasma vittatus, the first Mycoplasma species identified from an arachnid.
Hadrurus
Giant Hairy Desert Scorpion, Desert Hairy Scorpion
Hadrurus is a genus of large scorpions in the family Hadruridae, native to sandy deserts and xeric habitats of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Members of this genus rank among the largest scorpions in the world, exceeded in size only by Hadogenes, Pandinus, Heterometrus, and Hoffmannihadrurus. The genus currently contains seven recognized species, including the well-known Hadrurus arizonensis, commonly called the Giant Hairy Desert Scorpion. These scorpions are characterized by their robust, hairy bodies with yellowish coloration, though Hadrurus spadix notably exhibits a dark, nearly black prosoma and mesosoma.
Hadrurus anzaborrego
Anza-Borrego Hairy Scorpion
Hadrurus anzaborrego is a large scorpion endemic to the western Colorado Desert of southern California and extreme northern Baja California. It is a medium-sized member of the genus Hadrurus, reaching up to 11 cm in length. The species exhibits two distinct color phenotypes: light individuals are pale yellow, while dark individuals have a melanic posterior carapace and mesosoma. Both forms display a characteristic dark, v-shaped pattern near the eyes. The species name derives from Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, where the holotype was collected.
Scorpiones
scorpions
Scorpiones is an ancient order of predatory arachnids, representing the oldest known terrestrial metazoans with fossil records dating back approximately 435 million years. Members are characterized by a pair of large pedipalps modified into grasping pincers, four pairs of walking legs, and a segmented metasoma (tail) terminating in a telson bearing a venomous stinger. Scorpions are the only arachnids that give birth to live young, with females carrying offspring on their backs until their first molt. They exhibit a unique ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to fluorescent compounds in their exoskeletons.