Male or female?

[Garret026]

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

I have a feeling, but can you tell us which Heterometrus species this is first ?

 

[Garret026]

I have a feeling, but can you tell us which Heterometrus species this is first ?

It was sold to me as H. longimanus.

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

If it is H longimanus the difference between male and female is in the length to width ratio of the chela.
3.3-4.4 in males and 2.4 in females, so females much narrower chelas.
Example: your chela is 1,5cm wide, then 1,5 * 2,4 = 3,6 cm length, if the length is bigger than it's a male.
But before you can sex, you need to be positive about the exact species (!)

 

[Garret026]

If it is H longimanus the difference between male and female is in the length to width ratio of the chela.
3.3-4.4 in males and 2.4 in females, so females much narrower chelas.
Example: your chela is 1,5cm wide, then 1,5 * 2,4 = 3,6 cm length, if the length is bigger than it's a male.
But before you can sex, you need to be positive about the exact species (!)

Do you have any suggestions when it comes to properly identifying the subspecies? I'm fairly new to scorpions.

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

Your species belongs to the Heterometrus genus, so it's a "Heterometrus xxxxx" (the xxxx part is the species name).
At first glance it looks just like any Heterometrus petersii to me, those are by far the most common in the hobby.
I suggest you start by looking at the color of the telson, H longimanus has a lighter(light brown to reddish) colored telson(stinger bulb) than it's metasoma (tail).

A short guide to identifying several Heterometrus species;
--H. petersii and H. laoticus have dark telsons, rounder chela, and dorsal keels on the 5th metasomal segment that consist of relatively minute granules, while H. spinifer and H. longimanus usually have telsons that are lighter than their metasomas (usually red in adults, and various shades of yellow/orange as juveniles), narrower chela, and dorsal keels on the 5th metasomal segment that consist of relatively large, pointed granules.
--H. petersii and H. laoticus can be distinguished from each other in that H. petersii has granulation on the carapace and tergites while H. laoticus is totally devoid of any granulation, and H. petersii shows sexual dimorphism in that males have an enlarged tooth on the movable finger of the chela. Both species have a pectine tooth count of 15-19 in both sexes.
--H. spinifer and H. longimanus can be distinguished from each other in that H. spinifer has a pectine tooth count of 15-19 in both sexes, while H. longimanus has a pectine tooth count of 12-18 in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps in H. spinifer is not noticable, with chela slightly lobiform and a length to width ratio of 2.4-2.6 in both sexes. In H. longimanus on the other hand, the chela, patella, and femur of the pedipalps in males are narrower and more elongate than in females. Chela not lobiform in male, slightly lobiform in female. Length to width ratio of chela 3.3-4.4 in males, roughly 2.4 in females.
--Females of H. spinifer and H. longimanus are nearly indistinguishable from each other. Some small differences are that in H. spinifer the manus has smooth carinae forming irregular reticulations, while the manus of H. longimanus is sparsely tuberculate, and that while both species usually have the carapace with disc smooth and margins granulate, sometimes in H. longimanus the entire surface is granulate.

Another big differentiator is the internal tubercle on the patella(fore arm), try to find if yours has one and eliminate some more species according to this list;
With pronounced internal tubercle on patella:
H.cimrmani
H.keralaensis?
H.liophysa
H.longimanus
H.spinifer
H.thorellii

Without conspicuous internal tubercle on patella:
H.liurus
H.mysorensis
H.rolciki

Without pronounced internal tubercle on patella:
H.barberi
H.beccaloniae
H.bengalensis
H.cyaneus
H.flavimanus
H.fulvipes
H.gravimanus
H.indus
H.kanaraensis
H.laoticus
H.latimanus
H.madrapatensis
H.nepalensis
H.petersii
H.phipsoni
H.scaber
H.sejnai
H.swammerdami
H.tristis
H.ubicki
H.wroughtoni
H.xanthopus

you can also post more clear pictures of your scorpion, often members will/can help you.
If you see that yours has a dark brown telson, just as dark as the metasoma, then i suspect it's a petersii.
Heterometrus scorpions are really nice and easy to keep, unfortunately not easy to identify.
I hope this info helps you out

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Sexing by the underside is universal throughout all Heterometrus sp. The shape of the genital operculum and pectines show an obvious male in this case. The genital operculum (the small white plate) is pointed towards the front of the scorpion. The pectines are long and broad, with long ‘teeth’. These are indicators of a male.
As for the species, it’s always difficult to say for sure without very clear pictures of the granulation on top of the carapace, and on the pedipalps. Even then it can be difficult.
Looking at these pictures, my guess would be Heterometrus laoticus, based on the shape and color of the chela, color of the stinger and seemingly ungranulated carapace.
If you want to know for sure, a clear close-up of the carapace and chela would help.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Your species belongs to the Heterometrus genus, so it's a "Heterometrus xxxxx" (the xxxx part is the species name).
At first glance it looks just like any Heterometrus petersii to me, those are by far the most common in the hobby.
I suggest you start by looking at the color of the telson, H longimanus has a lighter(light brown to reddish) colored telson(stinger bulb) than it's metasoma (tail).

A short guide to identifying several Heterometrus species;
--H. petersii and H. laoticus have dark telsons, rounder chela, and dorsal keels on the 5th metasomal segment that consist of relatively minute granules, while H. spinifer and H. longimanus usually have telsons that are lighter than their metasomas (usually red in adults, and various shades of yellow/orange as juveniles), narrower chela, and dorsal keels on the 5th metasomal segment that consist of relatively large, pointed granules.
--H. petersii and H. laoticus can be distinguished from each other in that H. petersii has granulation on the carapace and tergites while H. laoticus is totally devoid of any granulation, and H. petersii shows sexual dimorphism in that males have an enlarged tooth on the movable finger of the chela. Both species have a pectine tooth count of 15-19 in both sexes.
--H. spinifer and H. longimanus can be distinguished from each other in that H. spinifer has a pectine tooth count of 15-19 in both sexes, while H. longimanus has a pectine tooth count of 12-18 in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in proportions of pedipalps in H. spinifer is not noticable, with chela slightly lobiform and a length to width ratio of 2.4-2.6 in both sexes. In H. longimanus on the other hand, the chela, patella, and femur of the pedipalps in males are narrower and more elongate than in females. Chela not lobiform in male, slightly lobiform in female. Length to width ratio of chela 3.3-4.4 in males, roughly 2.4 in females.
--Females of H. spinifer and H. longimanus are nearly indistinguishable from each other. Some small differences are that in H. spinifer the manus has smooth carinae forming irregular reticulations, while the manus of H. longimanus is sparsely tuberculate, and that while both species usually have the carapace with disc smooth and margins granulate, sometimes in H. longimanus the entire surface is granulate.

Another big differentiator is the internal tubercle on the patella(fore arm), try to find if yours has one and eliminate some more species according to this list;
With pronounced internal tubercle on patella:
H.cimrmani
H.keralaensis?
H.liophysa
H.longimanus
H.spinifer
H.thorellii

Without conspicuous internal tubercle on patella:
H.liurus
H.mysorensis
H.rolciki

Without pronounced internal tubercle on patella:
H.barberi
H.beccaloniae
H.bengalensis
H.cyaneus
H.flavimanus
H.fulvipes
H.gravimanus
H.indus
H.kanaraensis
H.laoticus
H.latimanus
H.madrapatensis
H.nepalensis
H.petersii
H.phipsoni
H.scaber
H.sejnai
H.swammerdami
H.tristis
H.ubicki
H.wroughtoni
H.xanthopus

you can also post more clear pictures of your scorpion, often members will/can help you.
If you see that yours has a dark brown telson, just as dark as the metasoma, then i suspect it's a petersii.
Heterometrus scorpions are really nice and easy to keep, unfortunately not easy to identify.
I hope this info helps you out

The info on the internal tubercle is new to me, thanks!