Arachnids of North Carolina
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Scientific Name: Common Name: Family (Alpha):
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View Buthidae Members: NC Records

Centruroides hentzi - Hentz Striped Scorpion

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Taxonomy
Order: SCORPIONESFamily: Buthidae                                                                                 
Comments: One of 47 species in this completely New World genus (Fet and Graeme, 2000; Valdez-Cruz et al., 2004). Four species occur in North America north of Mexico - three in the East -- and two have been recorded in North Carolina.
Identification
Online Description/Photos: Evans (2008) BugGuide Google, iNaturalist, Wikipedia, GBIFTechnical Description: Shelley (1994)
Comments: This is a relatively small species of scorpion. The dorsal surface is generally a dark, yellowish brown, with paler stripes on the abdomen. The cephalothorax is more lightly marked than in either C. vittatus or Vaejovis carolinianus and lacks the dark triangle at the anterior of the cephalothorax that is characteristic of C. vittatus (Shelley, 1994); the chelicerae of this species is also reticulated with brown, unlike those of vittatus.
Total Length: 3.2-4.4 cm (Shelley, 1994)Adult ID: identifiable by photo
Structural Features: This species and C. vittatus both possess a subaculear tubercle located on the telson below the stinger. This tubercle is missing in Vaejovis carolinianus (Shelley, 1994).
Distribution in North Carolina
Comments: Records come only from the eastern Piedmont and Coastal Plain but probably represent individuals that were accidentally imported and could show up anywhere in the state.
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Adult phenology:
 High Mountains (HM) ≥ 4,000 ft.
 Low Mountains (LM) < 4,000 ft.
 Piedmont (Pd)
 Coastal Plain (CP)

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Habitats and Life History
Habitats: Observations of this species are all from buildings or developed areas
Observation Methods: All North Carolina observations represent random encounters with accidentally introduced individuals. As in other scorpions, they are highly flourescent and can be easily detected at night using blacklights. As a poisonous species, it should be collected carefully. Although capable of producing a painful sting, it is apparently not dangerous to humans, at least those that do not have allergic reactions to the venom (Shelley, 1994).
Abundance/Frequency: All observations made in North Carolina have been of single individuals (Shelley, 1994)
Status in North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program Status:
Natural Heritage Program Ranks: [GNR] [SNA]
State Protection: Arachnids are not protected by state laws in North Carolina and as an introduced species, it is not of any conservation concern.
Comments: This species is a widespread, resident species in Florida and parts of adjoining Georgia and Alabama but observations further north all probably represent accidental introductions, perhaps from propagated palm trees from Florida (Shelley, 1994). With warming temperatures, there is a good chance that it could become established north of its current range, although as long as cold winters persist, populations out in the wild are unlikely to survive.