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Hadrurus arizonensis

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Hadrurus arizonensis
Photo: Insectarium de Montréal, René Limoges

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Description

These scorpions are about 14 cm long. The upper side of their bodies is yellowish-brown, while the tail, legs, head and pincers are yellow. The tip of the tail is called a telson, and bears the venom sac and stinger.

Country of origin

United States
French name
Scorpion poilu géant du désert (traduction libre)
Scientific name
Hadrurus arizonensis
English name
Giant desert hairy scorpion
Class
Arachnida
Order
Scorpiones
Family
Luridae
Living environment

Diet

These are insectivorous arthropods.

Habitat

They live in semi-arid and arid regions. They dig deep galleries for their burrows, but may also hide under rocks or logs.

Geographic distribution

They are found in Mexico and the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah).

Ecological role

They are both predators and prey, helping to maintain a balance in their natural habitat.

Special behaviour

These scorpions awaken at dusk and are active mostly at night, when things are calm outside. During the day, they stay hidden in their deep gallery-filled burrows.

They almost always adopt an arched posture. Before mating, a male and female grasp each other by the pincers and perform an elaborate dance. The male then positions the female over the spermatophore (the sac holding the spermatozoa) so that she can fertilize it. After they are born, the young scorpions stay on the mother’s back, safe from possible predators.

Interesting facts

Status

This is a common species.

Interesting facts and curiosities

Although their sting is painful, it is not harmful to humans. These are the largest scorpions in North America. They have sensory hairs over much of their bodies, which they use to find their way around, given their very poor eyesight. Scorpions are thought to be the earliest arachnids. They have not changed since they first appeared over 300 million years ago.

At the Insectarium

These scorpions can be seen in the arthropod corridor at the Insectarium.

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