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)
Rm. Shelley, 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), Brimleyana, (21), 1994, pp. 45-55
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.