INTRODUCTIONS OF THE SCORPIONS CENTRUROIDES-VITTATUS (SAY) AND C-HENTZI (BANKS) INTO NORTH-CAROLINA, WITH RECORDS OF THE INDIGENOUS SCORPION, VAEJOVIS-CAROLINIANUS (BEAUVOIS) (SCORPIONIDA, BUTHIDAE, VAEJOVIDAE)

The scorpions Centruroides vittatus (Say) and C. hentzi (Banks), with subaculear tubercles on their telsons, have been accidentally imported into piedmont and coastal North Carolina and may become established i n parts of these regions. They are distinguished by the larger size of C. vittatus and by the following differences in pigmentation: the pre sence of a darkly pigmented, inverted triangular patch on the cephalot horax of C. vittatus, as opposed to light mottled brownish coloration in C. hentzi, and by the reticulated brown pigmentation on the dorsal surfaces of the chelicerae of C. hentzi, in contrast to the unpigmente d condition in C. vittatus. The native scorpion, Vaejovis carolinianus (Beauvois), which lacks the subaculear tubercle, occurs in southweste rn border counties adjoining South Carolina and Georgia and has penetr ated the western fringe of the State, occurring just inside the Tennes see state line in the French Broad and Little Tennessee river valleys. It is also recorded from Yancey, Haywood, Mecklenburg, Iredell, Guilf ord, Wake, and Columbus counties, all probably representing accidental human importations. A key, descriptive drawings, and a map of occurre nces are presented.