Texas cave scorpion

Most people in Central Texas are well aware of striped bark scorpions as they can be found in the landscape and sometimes will venture indoors.  We have another scorpion that can be found in the area, the Texas cave scorpion.

Scorpions are arachnids with eight legs and two body regions.   Scorpions have two pincers or claws, called pedipalps, which help them hold their prey as they eat.  They also have a long tail with a stinger on the tip that can be used for defense or to paralyze their prey.  Cave scorpions are dark in color and have thicker pedipalps than the striped bark scorpions.

Texas cave scorpions do not live in the same locations as striped bark scorpions.  They live in....you guessed it!....CAVES!  They can also be found in grottos or other limestone features, so these will be in rockier areas of Central Texas.

So why am I rattling on about cave scorpions?  My cave scorpion had babies yesterday!!  They are so incredibly cute!  I was unaware that my scorpion was even pregnant.  Scorpions are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young.  The gestation period can last for 2-18 months. Considering that I did not have a male, this female had to be pregnant when I got her.  Female scorpions exhibit maternal care and will carry the babies around on their bodies until the undergo the first molt.

I have included an image that I took of the momma and babies under a black light so you can see that the babies don't fluoresce or glow like the adults will.

Glowing Scorpions

Tuesday evening, I had the opportunity to attend KLRU's Next Nights.  Since it's October, they wanted some "spooky" things, so I headed over with the menagerie of arthropods.  Unknown to me until about half way through the event, the night was to showcase Strange Town, KLRU's show on paranormal adventures.  Apparently, the location of the event is haunted!  To fit in with the paranormal/ haunting theme, the event was
lighted appropriately, but fortunately we had flashlights to highlight things that were a bit difficult to see with the lights dimmed.  The lighting did help to highlight one of the specimens in a most excellent manner- my Emperor scorpion.  I had brought a black light with me to set over the tank and it was glowing beautifully!

When scorpions have the capability (as not all scorpions will glow) to fluoresce, both live and dead specimens glow under ultraviolet (black) light. The glow comes from chemicals that are found within the cuticle which is part of the exoskeleton. Fluorescence occurs as a result of sclerotization (hardening of the exoskeleton) and becomes more pronounced with each successive molt.  Scientists are unsure why scorpions glow.

Many scorpion collectors take advantage of this fact by utilizing a UV light at night to locate and find scorpions. Are you brave enough to shine a black light in your backyard to see what's lurking there?

Striped bark scorpion

With  the weather getting cooler, many pests may try to come inside to stay cozy through the colder months.  One of the common culprits we see in Central Texas is the striped bark scorpion.   If you discover them outside I would leave them alone. They are predators and can help cut down on some of the insects that you have in the yard. When I find them in the house, I scoop them up on a piece of paper and shuffle them back outside. If you don't quite have my love for critters with more than four legs, then you can use exclusion techniques to keep them outside where they belong.

Some ideas to keep scorpions outside include:

Striped bark scorpion.

• Remove harborage areas around the structure.  I know it's really convenient to have your firewood stacked up next to the house and back door, but that is a perfect hiding place for scorpions. They then are not only really close to the door to get in that way, but they can be carried in with the fire wood.  You also should move any piles of rocks, bricks, landscape timbers or other debris away from the house.
• Keep vegetation trimmed away from the house and the lawn mowed.
• Do not store firewood inside or if you choose to do so (like me) don't be surprised to find some critters in there on occasion.
• Make sure that weather stripping around doors and windows provides a good seal.  This will not only keep out unwanted pests, but can help reduce energy bills.
• If you have a brick or stone facade on your home, use copper mesh to block weep holes.  You don't want to seal them completely as they help air to move through wall void areas.
• Seal any cracks, crevices or pipe penetrations around the outside of the structure with sealant that will expand and contract with Texas weather conditions.
• Trim back any trees that touch or overhang the house.  Scorpions and other pests (including furry ones) can use these as a bridge to get onto the roof and from there into the attic.

If you've done all of that and are still having problems, try a pesticide residual spray around the foundation of the home.