Centruroides edwardsii
| Centruroides edwardsii | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Scorpiones |
| Family: | Buthidae |
| Genus: | Centruroides |
| Species: | C. edwardsii |
| Binomial name | |
| Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Centruroides edwardsii is a species of scorpion in the genus Centruroides found from Mexico to Colombia.[1]
Description
[edit]Centruroides edwardsii is a relatively large species of scorpion, with adults reaching between 6.0 cm and 10.5 cm in length.[1][2] Most of the body and the pedipalps are reddish brown while the legs are yellow.[1] Males are larger than females.[2]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Centruroides edwardsii occurs throughout Central America from northwestern Mexico to central Colombia.[1] It is found in diverse habitats, including tropical dry forest, desert, and rainforest, and occurs from sea-level to 1,728 metres (5,669 ft).[2] C. edwardsii does well in human-modified landscapes and is frequently encountered in urban environments and human dwellings.[2][3] Introduced populations occur in Cuba and Senegal.[1]
Ecology
[edit]Scorpions in the genus Centruroides primarily prey upon insects, but C. edwardsii has occasionally been documenting consuming small vertebrates including the snake Tantilla armillata and anole lizards.[4][3]
Venom
[edit]The venom of C. edwardsii has hemolytic activity and has been demonstrated to cause paralysis in both arthropods and small vertebrates.[3][5] Due to its frequent co-occurrence with humans, C. edwardsii frequently stings people in some regions. It's venom may be dangerous to children under 15.[2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 de Armas, Luis; Teruel, Rolando; Kovařík, František (2011-11-16). "On Centruroides margaritatus (Gervais, 1841) and closely related species (Scorpiones: Buthidae)". Euscorpius. 2011 (132): 1–16. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Cupitra Vergara, Nelson Iván; Cubides Cubillos, Sergio; Saldarriaga, Mónica Marí; Estrada-Gómez, Sebastián (July 2014). "Distribución de Centuroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) en el Departamento en Antioquia, Colombia". Acta Biológica Colombiana.
- 1 2 3 Díaz, Cecilia; Rivera, Jennifer; Lomonte, Bruno; Bonilla, Fabián; Diego-García, Elia; Camacho, Erika; Tytgat, Jan; Sasa, Mahmood (5 December 2019). "Venom characterization of the bark scorpion Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais 1843): Composition, biochemical activities and in vivo toxicity for potential prey". Toxicon. 171: 7–19. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.021. hdl:10669/80393. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ Acosta-Chaves, Víctor; Villalobos-Chaves, David (June 2015). "Tantilla armillata. Predation by a Central American Bark Scorpion (Centruroides edwardsii)" (PDF). Mesoamerican Herpetology. 2 (2): 202–203. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
- ↑ Estrada-Gómez, Sebastián; Cupitra, Nelson Ivan; Arango, Walter Murillo; Muñoz, Leidy Johana Vargas (July 2014). "Intraspecific Variation of Centruroides Edwardsii Venom from Two Regions of Colombia". Toxins. 6 (7): 2082–2096. Retrieved April 6, 2026.