# "Mafia" scorpion.



## skinheaddave (Dec 12, 2002)

Just thought I'd let you know that I've seen the common name "Mafia scorpion" pop up over the last couple days.  Don't know who started it, but it seems to refer to H.spadix (see the post by Wolf in the classifieds).  Just thought everyone should keep abreast of these things, as we are bound to get a newbie question at some point from someone who doesn't know the latin.

Cheers,
Dave


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## jwb121377 (Dec 12, 2002)

Thank you Dave, I hadn't herd that yet.


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 12, 2002)

> _Originally posted by skinheaddave _
> *Just thought I'd let you know that I've seen the common name "Mafia scorpion" pop up over the last couple days.  Don't know who started it, but it seems to refer to H.spadix (see the post by Wolf in the classifieds).  Just thought everyone should keep abreast of these things, as we are bound to get a newbie question at some point from someone who doesn't know the latin.
> 
> Cheers,
> Dave *


Hi Dave,

Any idea what the black-back haddies that have been going around are? H. arizonensis, H. spadix? 

Paul


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## conipto (Dec 12, 2002)

I saw these listed on Art Cerda's list this week, and my roommate asked what they were.  We were pretty much unable to figure it out.  I'll ask Art what his are that he calls Mafia Scorpions.

Bill

Edit, I checked again, he's got them listed as: Anuroctonus phaeodoctylus


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## atavuss (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Re: "Mafia" scorpion.*



> _Originally posted by phoenixxavierre _
> *Hi Dave,
> 
> Any idea what the black-back haddies that have been going around are? H. arizonensis, H. spadix?
> ...


h. spadix have black up to their mouth parts, arizonensis do not, if you want to see a picture of my h. spadix with her babies do a search in this scorpion forum.
Ed


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 12, 2002)

*Re: Re: Re: "Mafia" scorpion.*



> _Originally posted by atavuss _
> *h. spadix have black up to their mouth parts, arizonensis do not, if you want to see a picture of my h. spadix with her babies do a search in this scorpion forum.
> Ed *


Hey Ed! 

These buggers have black over their whole back (up to their mouth parts as you've described). 
Any idea how long ago you posted your pic? I looked back a few pages (you've posted a book! lol) but I'm not sure if it was recent or if I should go back a ways. 
Thanks Ed!

Paul

PS If I can ever get out to go camera shopping I'll eventually post pics of them.


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## Kugellager (Dec 12, 2002)

Anuroctonus phaiodoctylus are Mafia Scorpion...Ed you can find these out at El Mirage if you live in S CA; the lighter color is what I have heard would be there.  I don't know what time of year is best to find them though. 

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/a_phaiodactylus(m).jpg
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/a_phaiodactylus.jpg

H.spadix has the common name of Nevada Desert Hairy but are also called just Desert Hairys 

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_spadix.jpg
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_spadix1a.jpg

H.arizonensis has the common name Arizona Desert Hairy also just Desert Hairy.  

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_arizonensis1.jpg
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_arizonensis2.jpg


Both desert hairys can be almost totally black on the main part of their body though H.spadix is usually closer to black and H.arizonensis more dark brown.  The main difference is in a roughly triangular patch extending from their medial eyes to their mouth.  In H.arizonensis this area is lighter in color. In H.spadix it is the same color as the rest of the body.  All three can be kept in the same basic conditions.

John
];')


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## skinheaddave (Dec 13, 2002)

Okay, so it would seem that usage is less than settled (on a common name .. the shock!).   

Cheers,
Dave


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 13, 2002)

*H. spadix it is!*



> _Originally posted by Kugellager _
> *Anuroctonus phaiodoctylus are Mafia Scorpion...Ed you can find these out at El Mirage if you live in S CA; the lighter color is what I have heard would be there.  I don't know what time of year is best to find them though.
> 
> http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/a_phaiodactylus(m).jpg
> ...


Thanks John! 
I have H. spadix then. 
Are these terribly cannabilistic? I'm keeping 8 of them together in a large plastic container (long and deep enough for shallow burrows). They are kept well fed, but all seem to have disappeared about a day or two after introducing them to their new environment (which consists of peat moss, leaf litter and some topsoil/potting soil mix). 
Is sand a necessity for this species? Thanks for all your help, Ed and John! 

Paul


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## Kugellager (Dec 13, 2002)

Paul,

I am currently keeping a H.arizonensis and a H.spadix in the same enclosure as an experiment. H.spadix like H.arizonensis are not supposed to be communal. However, if they are around the same size and they are fed regularly there should be little problems keeping them together.  I have kept 3 H.arizonensis in only a 5 gallon tank for several months before I put them in a larger enclosure.

As for the substrate to use for them, I personally prefer to try to duplicate as close as possible their natural environment. Which in the case of any of the three mentioned scorpions in this thread is a sandy-clay-rocky, desert environment. Some peat wont be a problem but it sounds like you are keeping them as a forest species. I don't know if that would be bad for them as long as its a pretty dry setup.  Note the envorinment in the pic of one at its burrow entrance in the wild.

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/h_arizonensis7.jpg

John
];')


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## zoobugs (Dec 14, 2002)

According to the ATS, H. spadix is called the Black Hairy Scorp.


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## atavuss (Dec 14, 2002)

*Re: H. spadix it is!*



> _Originally posted by phoenixxavierre _
> *Thanks John!
> I have H. spadix then.
> Are these terribly cannabilistic? I'm keeping 8 of them together in a large plastic container (long and deep enough for shallow burrows). They are kept well fed, but all seem to have disappeared about a day or two after introducing them to their new environment (which consists of peat moss, leaf litter and some topsoil/potting soil mix).
> ...


I am using a 50/50 mixture of forest bed and playsand.  it is not deep enough for her to burrow, she is always right out in the open  (except when she had her babies, she barricaded herself in her hide-a plastic lasagna dish with an entrance hole......and the babies seem to be stuck in 2nd instar, no other molts that I can see since this summer......about half of them have burrowed to the bottom of their enclosure, about half stay on the top of the substrate with no burrow).  all of my scorpions are in a closet that gets a small amount of ambient light from the herp/invert room.
Ed


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## atavuss (Dec 14, 2002)

*Re: Re: Re: Re: "Mafia" scorpion.*



> _Originally posted by phoenixxavierre _
> *Hey Ed!
> 
> These buggers have black over their whole back (up to their mouth parts as you've described).
> ...


Paul, use the search feature, look for "h. spadix with babies" and my user name  "atavuss",  I just did that and found the thread.  sorry, but I could not figure out how to post the link here in this thread......
Ed


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## skinheaddave (Dec 15, 2002)

Paul,

The thread is http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=550 

Ed,

To post a thread link, just follow these simple steps:
  - find the thread
  - load the thread
  - copy the URL from the top of your browser window.  You need everything between the http://  and the threadid=### bit inclusively.  Anything after that can be cut out.
  - start your post
  - click on the http:// button in the section above your message window.  Type in the name of the link in the first input box and paste the URL into the second one.  Ta da

Cheers,
Dave


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Kugellager _
> *Paul,
> 
> I am currently keeping a H.arizonensis and a H.spadix in the same enclosure as an experiment. H.spadix like H.arizonensis are not supposed to be communal. However, if they are around the same size and they are fed regularly there should be little problems keeping them together.  I have kept 3 H.arizonensis in only a 5 gallon tank for several months before I put them in a larger enclosure.*
> ...


Thankyou John! 

I appreciate all your advice! It sounds like you are doing a similar thing as I am, trying to match the natural environments as much as possible. 

Thanks again!

Paul


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 15, 2002)

*Re: Re: H. spadix it is!*



> _Originally posted by atavuss _
> *I am using a 50/50 mixture of forest bed and playsand.  it is not deep enough for her to burrow, she is always right out in the open  (except when she had her babies, she barricaded herself in her hide-a plastic lasagna dish with an entrance hole......and the babies seem to be stuck in 2nd instar, no other molts that I can see since this summer......about half of them have burrowed to the bottom of their enclosure, about half stay on the top of the substrate with no burrow).  all of my scorpions are in a closet that gets a small amount of ambient light from the herp/invert room.
> Ed *


Awesome, Ed! Congratulations!! That's a trip how half of them burrow and half of them don't!

Paul


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by skinheaddave _
> *Paul,
> 
> The thread is http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnoboards/showthread.php?s=&threadid=550
> ...


Thanks, Dave!   

Paul


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## looseyfur (Dec 16, 2002)

> _Originally posted by conipto _
> *I saw these listed on Art Cerda's list this week, and my roommate asked what they were.  We were pretty much unable to figure it out.  I'll ask Art what his are that he calls Mafia Scorpions.
> 
> Bill
> ...



bill-
art has these listed as mafia scorps??
http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/a_pterygocercus.jpg
hrm that sure is no H.spadix.
confused -
looseyfur


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## phoenixxavierre (Dec 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by looseyfur _
> *bill-
> art has these listed as mafia scorps??
> http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/a_pterygocercus.jpg
> ...


Sorry Looseyfur,

Conipto asked about mafia scorps and then answered his own question. I think I got off the original topic a bit by asking about differences between H. spadix and H. arizonensis, totally unrelated to the mafia scorp posting. 

Guess I should have started another thread, lol!

Paul


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