Centruroides

Centruroides
Temporal range: Neogene–present
Striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Buthidae
Genus: Centruroides
Marx, 1890
Diversity
About 100 species
Centruroides limbatus from the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Centruroides is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. Several North American species are known by the common vernacular name bark scorpion. Numerous species are extensively found throughout the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Antilles and northern South America.[1] Some are known for their interesting patterning or large size (among Buthidae); most if not all fluoresce strongly under ultraviolet illumination, except after moulting. They contain several highly venomous species, and fatalities are known to occur. The venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides limpidus limpidus contains the neurotoxins Cll1 and Cll2.

Taxonomy

The number of species accepted as valid may vary, depending on the authority. The genus is highly speciose, containing at least 100 species:[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Sissom, W. D. & W. O. Lourenço (1987). "The genus Centruroides in South America (Scorpiones, Buthidae)" (PDF). Journal of Arachnology. 15: 11–28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  2. ^ Rein, J. O. (2022). "Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837". The Scorpion Files. Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  3. ^ Teruel, R. & F. Kovařík (2010). "The true identity of the enigmatic scorpion Centruroides subgranosus (Kraepelin, 1898), with some taxonomic comments on Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821) and Centruroides suffusus Pocock, 1902 (Scorpiones: Buthidae)" (PDF). Euscorpius. 97: 1–9.