Centruroides sexing ID keys

[Frank]

Hi, I could get some stripped bark scorps (centruroides spp.), I wanted to know if there were some sexing ID keys common to all centruroides? Is the long metasoma segments for the male for all centroroides or only for c. margaritatas?


Thanks, quick answers if possible. Frank

 

[skinheaddave]

Frank,

The elongated metasomal segment is present to some degree or other in all Centruroides I am familiar with. The other good distinguishing feature is that the males have distinctly longer pectines. Now, as for these scorpions, there is no excuse for someone not to know what species it is, and this information can be important for judging things like how hot it is. Centruroides is a pretty easy genus to ID down to the species level and I'd be skeptical of buying anything labled "Centruroides ssp." (especialy since ssp. is for subspecies and thus they are one taxonomic level off -- not a good sign that this is a knowledgable dealer).

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Of course there is always the slight chance you may get a really uncommon (in the pet trade) species or something with very nasty venom.

Centruroides is a great genus for the whole range of scorpion types.

John
];')

 

[Frank]

Thanks for the pectines hint.

I just got an information that he had a few stripped bark. I'll have the corect species name today. It is me that named *centruroides spp.* so I did mistake (sorry I was a bit sleepy when I wrote it )

Spp. is for exemple: centruroides gracilis pensilis=pensilis is the spp. and gracilis the sp.? I want to be sure about that.

For stripped bark, are there other common species than exilicauda and vittatus that can be named like that?



Thanks, Frank

 

[skinheaddave]

Yep, that's it, Frank.

As for naming, the majority of Centruroides feature striping of one sort or another so I imagine the common name could apply to pretty much anything. Chances are it is C.vittatus, though, as they are commonly available and have more pronounced striping.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[skinheaddave]

Sorry, I'm an idiot. It occured to me rather suddenly that I have misguided you entirely on the whole ssp. spp. business because I read your spp. as ssp. Rather than try to go back and fix things, I'll just lay it all out.

sp. = species
ssp. = subspecies
spp. = all species within a genra

So, in other words, Centruroides sp. means an unknown species of Centruroides, but Centruroides spp. means all species of Centruroides. Centruroides gracilis ssp. means an unknown subspecies of C.gracilis.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Frank]

Hehe, that's fine, I didn't read the post earlier

Thanks for the informations. They are vittatus, I don't know if I should take a couple if he has a couple..


Frank