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| Hentz's Striped Scorpion, Centruroides hentzi |
This juvenile Centruroides hentzi (a.k.a. Hentz's striped scorpion, a.k.a. Florida striped scorpion) was found alive in a Raleigh basement last week. It would measure a little over an inch long with the tail extended. It presumably hitchhiked on luggage that had traveled to the scorpion's native range and back. This range includes Florida, southern Georgia, and the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Like most scorpions, the sting of this species is painful but not deadly, according to PDIC entomologist Dave Stephan, who made the identification and provided the information for this post. It is interesting to note that there is only one scorpion species native to North Carolina, but none to the Triangle area.
