Centruroides limbatus
Encyclopedia
Centruroides limbatus is a species
of bark scorpion
from Central America
. Its specific name "limbatus" is from the Latin
meaning "black-edged" and refers to the colored markings of this species.
, Nicaragua
and Panama
but is most common in Costa Rica
. In at least one case, this species is responsible for an emergency room visit in the United States
(see below) but whether the scorpion in question was a lone individual introduced accidentally, a pet
kept in captivity, or an indication that this has becomes an introduced species
is not indicated.
understory
, where it can be found among the vegetation. It is also known to frequent houses and other building where shelter and food are abundant. C. limbatus is a diurnal species that spends night hiding in cracks and crevices. It has been recorded from sea level
to 1400 meters.
species that comes in a wide range of colors. Typically they have yellowish bodies with a contrasting blackish color on chelicera, the fingers of the pedipalp
s, the fifth segment of the tail, and the cephalothorax
. Some individuals are paler over all, and some other individual are darker overall and display a bluish-black color. Numerous chromatic variations can be found between these two extremes.
assures that "this species is not considered dangerous to humans" but warns that nonetheless that they "are venomous and being stung by one is no picnic." According to another researcher's firsthand account of being stung while trying to capture a subadult specimen near Tortuguero, Costa Rica:
In an unusual case reported by the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, a 67-year-old woman presented to a community emergency department in Orange County, California
after being envenomed by a scorpion identified as a member of this species. Her reaction seems more serious than that implied in the above assessments and may be due to anaphylactic shock. According to a report:
The report also notes "Scorpions have been reported to be accidentally transported to areas where they are not indigenous
, and patients may present anywhere with envenomation by dangerous scorpion species."
. All of the species in this group are characterized by their long, narrow pedipalps and overall relatively large size. C. bicolor
closely resembles C. limbatus but these two species can be discerned from each other by the color of the pincers as well as more subtle characteristics.
guesses that "this species is probably not kept in captivity by hobbyists" this species is indeed bred in captivity.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of bark scorpion
Centruroides
Centruroides is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Buthidae. Several North American species are known by the common vernacular name bark scorpion. Numerous species are extensively found throughout the southern United States, Central America, the Antilles and northern South America...
from Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Its specific name "limbatus" is from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
meaning "black-edged" and refers to the colored markings of this species.
Range
This species can be found in HondurasHonduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
and Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
but is most common in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. In at least one case, this species is responsible for an emergency room visit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(see below) but whether the scorpion in question was a lone individual introduced accidentally, a pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
kept in captivity, or an indication that this has becomes an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
is not indicated.
Habitat
Within its range, C. limbatus is a common predator in the vegetation of the forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
, where it can be found among the vegetation. It is also known to frequent houses and other building where shelter and food are abundant. C. limbatus is a diurnal species that spends night hiding in cracks and crevices. It has been recorded from sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
to 1400 meters.
Description
C. limbatus is a relatively large scorpion and grows up to 110 mm in length. It is a polymorphicPolymorphism (biology)
Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph...
species that comes in a wide range of colors. Typically they have yellowish bodies with a contrasting blackish color on chelicera, the fingers of the pedipalp
Pedipalp
Pedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s, the fifth segment of the tail, and the cephalothorax
Cephalothorax
The cephalothorax is a tagma of various arthropods, comprising the head and the thorax fused together, as distinct from the abdomen behind. The word cephalothorax is derived from the Greek words for head and thorax...
. Some individuals are paler over all, and some other individual are darker overall and display a bluish-black color. Numerous chromatic variations can be found between these two extremes.
Venom
A researcher associated with the Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
assures that "this species is not considered dangerous to humans" but warns that nonetheless that they "are venomous and being stung by one is no picnic." According to another researcher's firsthand account of being stung while trying to capture a subadult specimen near Tortuguero, Costa Rica:
There was immediate pain, as if being penetrated by a thornThorns, spines, and pricklesIn botanical morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles are hard structures with sharp, or at least pointed, ends. In spite of this common feature, they differ in their growth and development on the plant; they are modified versions of different plant organs, stems, stipules, leaf veins, or hairs...
much larger than the actual sting. The site of the sting felt tight and as if it was burning, although there was little visible inflimationInflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
. After approximately an hour, the pain had subsided to the point where I was more aware of a sensation of tingling like when you stick your tongue on a 9V battery. After an additional half hour, the pain and tingling had subsided to the point where my thumb felt like it had a sealed paper cut on it -- where moving my thumb felt odd but keeping it still was without much sensation. Several hours later, this too had subsided and I felt nothing. At no point did I experience any systemic effects, nor did the symptomSymptomA symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality...
s extend beyond the initial sting site -- not even as far as my first joint on my thumb.
In an unusual case reported by the Loma Linda University School of Medicine, a 67-year-old woman presented to a community emergency department in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
after being envenomed by a scorpion identified as a member of this species. Her reaction seems more serious than that implied in the above assessments and may be due to anaphylactic shock. According to a report:
She developed local pain and systemic symptoms, including parasthesias, flushingFlushing (physiology)For a person to flush is to become markedly red in the face and often other areas of the skin, from various physiological conditions. Flushing is generally distinguished, despite a close physiological relation between them, from blushing, which is milder, generally restricted to the face, cheeks or...
, hypertensionHypertensionHypertension or high blood pressure is a cardiac chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. What that means is that the heart is having to work harder than it should to pump the blood around the body. Blood pressure involves two measurements, systolic and...
, and wheezing...Severe systemic signs of envenomation by CentruroidesCentruroidesCentruroides is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Buthidae. Several North American species are known by the common vernacular name bark scorpion. Numerous species are extensively found throughout the southern United States, Central America, the Antilles and northern South America...
sp.SpeciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
may include respiratory difficulty, somaticSomaticThe term somatic means 'of the body',, relating to the body. In medicine, somatic illness is bodily, not mental, illness. The term is often used in biology to refer to the cells of the body in contrast to the germ line cells which usually give rise to the gametes...
neuromuscular dysfunctionSeizureAn epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
, and cranial nerve dysfunctionNervous systemThe nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
. Patients stung by dangerous scorpions may require airway support, extended observation, antiveninAntiveninAntivenom is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. Antivenom is created by milking venom from the desired snake, spider or insect. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep or goat...
, and avoidance of respiratory depressive medications.
The report also notes "Scorpions have been reported to be accidentally transported to areas where they are not indigenous
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
, and patients may present anywhere with envenomation by dangerous scorpion species."
Similar species
C. limbatus belongs to the Gracilis species groupSpecies group
A species group is an informal taxonomic rank into which an assemblage of closely related species within a genus are grouped because of their morphological similarities and their identity as a biological unit with a single monophyletic origin.-Use:...
. All of the species in this group are characterized by their long, narrow pedipalps and overall relatively large size. C. bicolor
Centruroides bicolor
Centruroides bicolor is a species of bark scorpion from Central America. Its specific name "bicolor" is from the Latin meaning "two colored" and refers to the markings of this species.-Range:...
closely resembles C. limbatus but these two species can be discerned from each other by the color of the pincers as well as more subtle characteristics.
Captivity
Although a source at the Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology , commonly known as NTNU, is located in Trondheim. NTNU is the second largest of the eight universities in Norway, and, as its name suggests, has the main national responsibility for higher education in engineering and technology...
guesses that "this species is probably not kept in captivity by hobbyists" this species is indeed bred in captivity.