logo
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Vaejovidae

Scorpion
Vaejovis intermedius

rule
Chihuahuan Desert Home icon   Scorpions Home icon
Vaejovis intermedius

Scorpion (Vaejovis intermedius). Photograph by Jan Ove Rein.

rule

Physical Characteristics

Yellow to tan, brown dorsum. The "dorsal stripe" is the "heart" showing through. "The beauty of this species is that its body is yellow orange and the pedipalps and metasoma increase in "redness" to maroon distally! Very impressive in juvenile specimens! The fingers are long and slender. Reaches 55-60mm. Impressive scorpion, extremely fast and agile" (personal commun., Keri McWest).

Habitat

Cliffs, rocky slopes, road cuts, etc.

Geographic Range

The species is found in Coahuila and southern Trans-Pecos Texas southeast to Val Verde County, Texas.

Diet

Vaejovis intermedius preys on spiders and large insects.

rule

Literature Cited

Jackman, J. A. 1997. A field guide to spiders and scorpions of Texas. Gulf Press, Houston.

Polis, G. A. 1990. The biology of scorpions. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.

Web Resource

Scorpions of the Chihuahuan Desert

Scorpions of Texas

rule

Aaron Bodor, June 2006.

A.H. Harris, Last Update: 4 Jul 2006.