California swollen stinger scorpion (Anuroctonus phaiodactylus)
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Arachnosquire
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Less than 65mm.
The generic name, Anuroctonus, is from the Greek word an, meaning "not," and the name Uroctonus, a genus of scorpion from North America. Anuroctonus thus means "not Uroctonus." The specific name, phaiodactylus, is from the Greek words phaeo, meaning "dusky," and dactyl, meaning "finger," and refers to the dark coloration of the fingers of the claw.
This species occurs in northwestern Baja California in Mexico, and in southern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, western Utah and southeastern Idaho in the United States. I have also seen one specimen collected from New Mexico, but could not subsequently locate the record for confirmation. Older records also list Colorado, Virginia, and Guatemala in distribution records for Anuroctonus phaiodactylus. These are probably incorrect. In southern California, this scorpion was found in well-packed sedimentary soils, usually, but not always, on sloping ground, especially near the bases of hills. On Stansbury Island, on the Great Salt Lake in Utah,this species was found in gently sloping to flat areas of packed, sandy soil. In Idaho, this species occurs on gently sloping grassland at an elevation of 4000 feet [Anderson, 1975, Tebiwa, 18(1):1-17]. In all cases, the scorpions are associated with packed soils and some sort of vegetation. Loose sand and completely barren ground do not seem to be desirable.This species spends almost its entire life inside its burrow. Every scorpion constructs a burrow and there is only one scorpion per burrow. Unlike some scorpions, which emerge from their burrows to ambush prey, Anuroctonus waits within its burrow for hapless prey to enter. Because the stinger cannot be brought to bear within the confines of the burrow, the relatively large, powerful pedipalps, or claws, are the primary means of subduing prey. Anuroctonus phaiodactylus can be very abundant in the areas where it occurs. Ordinarily, several scorpions are found in the same general area. The burrow openings are readily visible on the soil surface and are oval or cresent-shaped. Once a search pattern is developed for the burrow entrance, entire colonies of Anuroctonus are easily discovered. Only adult males leave the burrow for long periods. This occurs when they go in search of mates. As a result, nearly all of the Anuroctonus collected by blacklighting or in a casual fashion are adult males.
The generic name, Anuroctonus, is from the Greek word an, meaning "not," and the name Uroctonus, a genus of scorpion from North America. Anuroctonus thus means "not Uroctonus." The specific name, phaiodactylus, is from the Greek words phaeo, meaning "dusky," and dactyl, meaning "finger," and refers to the dark coloration of the fingers of the claw.
This species occurs in northwestern Baja California in Mexico, and in southern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, western Utah and southeastern Idaho in the United States. I have also seen one specimen collected from New Mexico, but could not subsequently locate the record for confirmation. Older records also list Colorado, Virginia, and Guatemala in distribution records for Anuroctonus phaiodactylus. These are probably incorrect. In southern California, this scorpion was found in well-packed sedimentary soils, usually, but not always, on sloping ground, especially near the bases of hills. On Stansbury Island, on the Great Salt Lake in Utah,this species was found in gently sloping to flat areas of packed, sandy soil. In Idaho, this species occurs on gently sloping grassland at an elevation of 4000 feet [Anderson, 1975, Tebiwa, 18(1):1-17]. In all cases, the scorpions are associated with packed soils and some sort of vegetation. Loose sand and completely barren ground do not seem to be desirable.This species spends almost its entire life inside its burrow. Every scorpion constructs a burrow and there is only one scorpion per burrow. Unlike some scorpions, which emerge from their burrows to ambush prey, Anuroctonus waits within its burrow for hapless prey to enter. Because the stinger cannot be brought to bear within the confines of the burrow, the relatively large, powerful pedipalps, or claws, are the primary means of subduing prey. Anuroctonus phaiodactylus can be very abundant in the areas where it occurs. Ordinarily, several scorpions are found in the same general area. The burrow openings are readily visible on the soil surface and are oval or cresent-shaped. Once a search pattern is developed for the burrow entrance, entire colonies of Anuroctonus are easily discovered. Only adult males leave the burrow for long periods. This occurs when they go in search of mates. As a result, nearly all of the Anuroctonus collected by blacklighting or in a casual fashion are adult males.