Centruroides gracilis
fig.1. male MEXICO
fig. 2. male MEXICO
fig. 4. female MEXICO
fig. 5. female MEXICO
fig. 3. male MEXICO
fig. 6. female MEXICO
| Description | (Latreille, 1804) |
| Classification | Buthidae, Centruroides |
| Body Size | about 100mm |
| PTC | ♂: 24-36 ♀: 24-32 |
| Life Span | ♂: about 33 months ♀: about 38 months |
| Distribution Area | North America, Central America, South America (introduced), Africa (introduced) |
| Climate | A |
| Common Name | Brown Bark Scorpion |
| Etymology | thick, elongated |
| Synonyms | Scorpio gracilis Latreille, 1804 Androctonus biaculeatus Lucas, 1835 Tityus mulatinus C. L. Koch, 1844 Tityus macrurus C. L. Koch, 1844 Tityus congener C. L. Koch, 1844 Tityus nebulosus C. L. Koch, 1844 Tityus denticulatus C. L. Koch, 1844 Scorpio nigrifrons Berthold, 1846 Scorpio sayi Girard, 1853 Atreus pruinosus Bellevoye, 1870 Centrurus heterurus Karsch, 1879 Centruroides subviridis Franganillo, 1930 Centruroides gracilis nigrescens Franganillo, 1930 Rhopalurus borellii subviridis Franganillo, 1930 Centruroides gracilis ruber Franganillo, 1935 Centruroides gracilis pectinatissimus Moreno, 1939 Centruroides gracilis johannis Moreno, 1939 |
| Danger | Strong Poison (LD50=2.7mg/kg), Encounter Frequently |
This species is distributed in North America, Central America, South America and Africa (introduced). In detail, Cameroon (introduced), Gabon (introduced), Canary Islands (introduced), Mexico*¹, USA (introduced), Cuba*¹*⁶(introduced), Guatemala, Honduras*¹*⁵, Jamaica*², Martinique (introduced), Nicaragua, Panama (introduced), Venezuela*¹(introduced), Colombia (introduced), Ecuador. However, some of the reports from Panama as C. gracilis turned out to be C. limbatus, which is somewhat suspicious*⁷. There is no claim that Colombia is introducted area, but geographically it is most likely an introduction area. The distribution area has been expanded by humans. Females are also capable of parthenogenesis as well as bisexual reproduction*²*³. This is one of the reasons why the distribution area has expanded.
Pectinal Teeth Count is female: 24-32, male: 24-36*¹.
The body color varies regionally, with some having a reddish body, others having a black body with reddish scissors, and others having a dark brown body with yellow paws and reddish scissors.
The length of the body is about 100mm, but there is a difference between males and females; males have a longer posterior abdomen and rarely reach 150mm in length.
The number of births ranges from 25 to 35, and there are reports of births of 91.
Females reach maturity in about 300 days and have an average lifespan of 38 months*⁴. Males mature in about 235 days (6th instar) or 280 days (7th instar), with an average lifespan of 33 months*⁴.
Relatively low toxicity in the genus Centruroides, but a dangerous species with fatalities. LD₅₀=2.7mg/kg. The type of poison are neurotoxic and cardiotoxic. They occur pain, redness, itching and swelling. Specimens from Central and South America have a higher venom level than ones from North America.
This species is mostly arboreal, living mostly in tree bark and under fallen trees. This species is known to climb to the base of trees and find hiding places in the crevices of tree bark.
This species preys on spiders, centipedes, millipedes, crickets and other invertebrates and even cannibalism*⁵*⁶.
●Latreille. 1804. Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des crustacés et des insectes. Ouvrage faisant suite aux œuvres de Leclerc de Buffon, et partie du cours complet d'histoire naturelle rédigé par C. S. Sonnini, membre de plusieurs sociétés savantes. Paris :F. Dufart X-XIII.
〇*¹ Eliézer Martín-Frías, Luis F. de Armas & Jorge F. Paniagua-Solis. 2009. Centruroides gracilis (latreille, 1804). variabilidad de los peines y descripción de algunas anomalías morfológicas (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa, nº 44 (2009) : 453-457.
〇*² Teruel, R. 2008. Confirmation of the occurrence of Centruroides gracilis (Latreille 1805) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Jamaica. Boletín Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa 42 370.
〇*³ Teruel, R. 2004. Primer registro de partenogénesis en Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Revista Ibérica de Aracnología 9(30) 141-42.
〇*⁴ Francke, O. F. & S. K. Jones. 1982. The life history of Centruroides gracilis (Scorpiones, Buthidae). Jornal of Arachnolgy 10 223-39.
〇*⁵ Anna M. Davison, Tom W. Brown & Cristina Arrivillaga. 2020. Notes on the diet and reproduction of the bark scorpion Centruroides gracilis (Scorpiones: Buthidae) on Utila Island, Honduras. Euscorpius, No. 314.
〇*⁶ Rodríguez-Cabrera, T. M., Teruel, R., & Morell Savall, E. 2020. Scorpion predation in Cuba: new cases and a review. Euscorpius, No. 306: 1-7.
〇*⁷ Teruel, R., & Cozijn, M. A. 2011. A checklist of the scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) of Panama, with two new records. Euscorpius, No. 133: 1-6.
ⒸKazusa Kawai