Euscorpius

Euscorpius
Euscorpius italicus in italy
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Euscorpiidae
Genus: Euscorpius
Thorell, 1876[1]
Synonyms[2]

Acanthothraustes Mello-Leitão, 1945
Scorpius Poda, 1761

Euscorpius is a genus of scorpions, commonly called small wood-scorpions. It presently contains 65 species and is the type genus of the family Euscorpiidae – long included in the Chactidae[3] – and the subfamily Euscorpiinae.

The most common members belong to the E. carpathicus species complex, which makes up the subgenus Euscorpius.[2] This group is widespread from North Africa and Spain to temperate Eurasia from England and northern France through the Czech Republic to Russia.[3]

The species range in colour from yellow-brown to dark brown. Many are brown with yellow legs and stinger. The largest is E. italicus at 5 cm (2 in), and the smallest is E. germanus at 1.5 cm (0.6 in). The venom of Euscorpius species is generally very weak, with effects similar to a mosquito bite. Some smaller specimens may not even be able to puncture the human skin with their stings.

Species

Euscorpius contains the following sixty-five species:[4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Euscorpius.
  1. ^ Thorell, T. (1876). "I.—On the classification of Scorpions". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 4. 17 (97): 1–15. doi:10.1080/00222937608681889. ISSN 0374-5481.
  2. ^ a b Teruel & Fet (2005)
  3. ^ a b Rein (2008a)
  4. ^ Rein, Jan Ove (2022). "Euscorpiidae Laurie, 1896". The Scorpion Files. Retrieved 10 April 2022.