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Species Paravaejovis spinigerus - Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion

Scorpin - Paravaejovis spinigerus Scorpion - Paravaejovis spinigerus Which scorpin ? - Paravaejovis spinigerus Scorpion - Paravaejovis spinigerus Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion - Paravaejovis spinigerus AZ Striped tail scorpion - Paravaejovis spinigerus Scorpion 3.23.18 - Paravaejovis spinigerus Paravaejovis spinigerus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Chelicerata (Chelicerates)
Class Arachnida (Arachnids)
Order Scorpiones (Scorpions)
Family Vaejovidae
Genus Paravaejovis
Species spinigerus (Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion)
Other Common Names
striped-tail scorpion, devil scorpion, stripetail scorpion
Pronunciation
spin-IH-jeruss
Explanation of Names
spinigerus refers to the enlarged, spinoid terminal granules on the dorsal keels of the metasoma/tail.
Size
Adults from 35 to 55 mm, large females may be up to 70 mm. At higher elevations, like in the Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, and Huachuca Mtns, and in the higher elveations near Prescott, specimens are typically smaller and may be darker, especially with markings within the interocular triangle.
Identification
"Female, note wide girth. Not necessarily "fatness", but the width of the mesosoma segments (main body), the middle tergites (plates) are wider than the more anterior ones. In males, the tergites are usually the same width or nearly so. Strong, striped tail with enlarged, spinelike, terminal granules on dorsal keels (a character shared by most Vaejovis scorpions, but not on Paruroctonus); hands relatively small, rarely robust (like this one), and smooth (no keels), lustrous. Dorsum lustrous, granular, usually darker than appendages. Carapace slightly darker behind interocular triangle (3 sets of eyes: 2 triads lateral, at front corners; 1 pair median, visible here in middle of carapace), with interocular region usually pale."
~ Kari J McWest
Range
This species is one of the most common in Arizona and also occurs in southwestern New Mexico and SE California into Mexico. It is especially common in the Arizona Upland Division of the Sonoran Desert and into low-lying confier forests to elevations of 5,000 feet or slightly higher.
Habitat
Most common in chaparral of the Upper Sonoran Desert. Readily found under rocks. Sting painful, not dangerous.
Remarks
It was originally described from specimens supposedly from Texas, but specimens have not been collected in Texas since the description by H. Wood in 1863.