help needed....

[Static_69]

i just bought 2 scorps today...one labeled as a yellow rock scorpion and the other a red thick tail...any1 know the scientific name of these?






Risto

[XOskeletonRED]

Yellow rock is commonly used to refer to Hottentotta trilineatus as well as H. polystictus (commonly confused scorpions) and Red thick-tail, I have heard used to refer to Babycurus jacksoni, but there are several scorpion species other than that, which I have heard called that name as well. If the scorpion has the subaculear spine, it is probably the Babycurus. Would need some photos be be closer to positive with ID though.


adios,
edw. =D

[Static_69]

yeah i knew you'd pull through for me on those...and i have no idea what your talking about with that spine thing lol...and no digital camera..



Risto

[XOskeletonRED]

The spine is located on the bulbous part of the sting, right next to the sting itself. It looks like a small thorn. If it is not there, the bulbous part of the sting will be very smooth from the start of it, to the tip of the stinger.


adios,
edw.

[Static_69]

ok..that one is definitely a babycurus jacksoni...but what about the other??? any idea on identifying that one?




Risto

[jper26]

Try looking in the scorpion files buthidae family hottentotta trilineatus see if thats what you have.

[Reitz]

These URLs link to Jan's site (scorpion files).

This one http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_trilineatus2.jpg isn't great, but it shows a darker example.

This is probably the best http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_trilineatus.jpg. Specifically look at the patterning on it's back, the thickness and ridges of it's tail (metasoma), and relative size of its claws (chela).

Here's another darker version: http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_trilineatus3.jpg (I actually wouldn't be able to ID that scorp as an H. trilineatus, but that's why they don't pay me the big bucks).

Good luck,
Chris

[Static_69]

well the "red thick tail's" claws are like black on the ends of them and it looks almost exactly like the one on invertcare.com that's labeled Babycurus jacksoni.

as for the yellow rock scorp, it seems almost irredescent with kinda of a darker carapace.




Risto

[XOskeletonRED]

One down, one to go. Sounds like a Hottentotta or Centruroides scorpion with having a dark carapace. I'd cross reference the material in the Scorpion Files and see what I could come up with, if I were you. Three major possibilities with the Hottentotta genus are H. trilineatus, H. polystictus or H. hottentotta. Though H. hottentotta is refered to as the Brown Rock Scorpion, it could easily be misidentified as the other two because the color likeness of the majority of stateside color morphs are similar, but with different patterns on the tergite segments. I will still have to refer away from it being a Centruroides, but only because the name it was refered to as never having been one I've heard to refer to Centruroides.


adios,
edw. =D

[Static_69]

well on that jacksoni there is def. a little "thorn" type thing...i saw it when he was eating a cricket...thanks for the help.




Risto

[Static_69]

well...the "yellow rock" looks mostly like an H. polystictus...
but i'm not giving that 100% because its really young and may change color....




Risto

[XOskeletonRED]

If it has three stripes down the segments of the tergite, it is H. polystictus. More than three stripes (five), H. trilineatus, one dark stripe center with two segmented lighter stripes, H. hottentotta. H. hottentotta should appear completely shades of brown, rather than any form of true yellow. H. trilineatus should carry the most yellow coloring and H. polystictus should carry more black on the segments of the tergite. There are obviously more color morphs of each species, but they are not as often seen as the ones I just described, in the States.



adios,
edw.

PS: Hottentotta males will not achieve more than 1.25 inches in 65% of all cases. Females are the only ones I've ever measured at longer than this, consistently, and they were nearing 1.5 inches max. I've had a couple that would've gone two inches.

[Static_69]

lol ok...i'm guessing tergites are the plate on the back of the scorp?




Risto

[XOskeletonRED]

yup... the individual segments that make up the body (mesosoma).

[Static_69]

i can't even see any stripes...the plates on its back are just white and they have like whiter bands on the end of them.




Risto