Juvenile Heterometrus Sexing plus Feeding Advice

[nineslugs]

Hello! I am not a frequenter of this forum since I mostly keep insects. Recently however (~2 weeks as of posting) I got a baby (4th or 5th instar?) scorpling at an expo sold to me as Heterometrus laoticus. This is my first scorpion, so I'm full of questions!

Yesterday the scorpling successfully molted and I took the opportunity to look at the shed under my dissecting scope to see if I could try and sex it, but the genital operculum doesn't look like pictures I have seen of Heterometrus!


It is sort of heart shaped, but not pointed in the way I expected it to be in a female or as rounded as I expected from a male. Do juveniles have opercula that are a different shape from adults, or is it a different species altogether?

There were also some miniscule mites on the shed, which I am assuming are benign but am not sure about.


Finally, how should I go about feeding a scorpion that has recently molted? Pre molt I offered it food every other day, but it refused. It still seems skittish and I am unsure as to when to feed it since I'm assuming it is still hardening its exoskeleton.

Bonus pic of the eyes and chelicerae:



Addition: if anyone needs more pictures for help with ID I still have the shed and can also take pictures of the live scorpling.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

It's a male. Females have the operculum pointed to the rear, and males either have it pointed to the front, or oval.
If you send some good pictures of the scorpion itself, I can probably tell you the species as well (they're often mislabled).
Do you find the mites in the substrate as well or only on the scorpion? If they are found mainly in the substrate, they are just a detrivorous species of mite, which don't pose any threat and are the most common. After his exoskeleton has hardened, you could put him in a clear container to have a look at his underside, to check if there's a high number of mites, in which case they might be parasitic.
Usually, you should offer food once a week. After a molt, wait for the exoskeleton to look completely darkened again before offering food. Might take a week or two.

 

[nineslugs]

Thanks for the info! Here is a picture of the live scorpling, not greatest since he is very small.

I can't see any mites in the substrate but there are springtails I introduced. The substrate was otherwise fresh, so there shouldn't have been any. The mites on the shed are unfortunately too small to see with the naked eye (at least for me), so I can't really tell if there are any on the scorpling unassisted.

He still isn't accepting any food, but I think his shell might need to harden a bit more. He is acting very feisty though! I'm hoping he eats soon.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Yeah it's really small. It looks like the seller was right with H. laoticus, but it could be H. silenus as well. Easier to tell when it's a bit bigger.

 

[nineslugs]

Yeah it's really small. It looks like the seller was right with H. laoticus, but it could be H. silenus as well. Easier to tell when it's a bit bigger.

All right, thank you! I will update with images the next time he sheds, and update when he finally eats. I'm rooting for the little dude.

 

[paumotu]

For all of my baby/juvenile forest scorpion specimens I just provide chopped up roaches and let them find the prey. This way it it possible to let them decide when they eat without the stress of a live prey item bothering a recently molted scorpion

 

[Matt1987]

This is a male as the operculum is pointing forwards. A females points toward the rear.

As for feeding, it may be best not to put any feeders in with him until he is in a less vulnerable position. Given he has just come out of moult, his exoskeleton could still be delicate and any feeder insects could potentially cause serious injury.

if you are to feed at all then perhaps put in a small mealworm or a young dubia roach as they shouldn’t cause any issue. Definitely no locusts or crickets.

Hello! I am not a frequenter of this forum since I mostly keep insects. Recently however (~2 weeks as of posting) I got a baby (4th or 5th instar?) scorpling at an expo sold to me as Heterometrus laoticus. This is my first scorpion, so I'm full of questions!

Yesterday the scorpling successfully molted and I took the opportunity to look at the shed under my dissecting scope to see if I could try and sex it, but the genital operculum doesn't look like pictures I have seen of Heterometrus!

View attachment 466705
It is sort of heart shaped, but not pointed in the way I expected it to be in a female or as rounded as I expected from a male. Do juveniles have opercula that are a different shape from adults, or is it a different species altogether?

There were also some miniscule mites on the shed, which I am assuming are benign but am not sure about.
View attachment 466707

Finally, how should I go about feeding a scorpion that has recently molted? Pre molt I offered it food every other day, but it refused. It still seems skittish and I am unsure as to when to feed it since I'm assuming it is still hardening its exoskeleton.

Bonus pic of the eyes and chelicerae:

View attachment 466708

Addition: if anyone needs more pictures for help with ID I still have the shed and can also take pictures of the live scorpling.

 

[nineslugs]

Scorpling update! Thanks for all the advice. After waiting for his shell harden up he started taking food. He seems to like baby dubias and had begun to get fat again!
He had been very feisty and aware of his environment. Strikes a threatening pose when I go to mist his enclosure, it's pretty cute.