Centruroides is a genus of scorpions of 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, Mexico, Central America, the Antilles and northern South America. Some are known for their interesting patterning or large size (among Buthidae); most if not all fluoresce strongly under ultraviolet illumination, except after moulting. They contain several highly venomous species, and fatalities are known to occur. The venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides limpidus limpidus contains the neurotoxins Cll1 and Cll2.
Taxonomy The number of species accepted as valid may vary, depending on the authority. The genus is highly speciose, containing at least 100 species:
Centruroides alayoni Armas, 1999 Centruroides altagraciae Teruel, de Armas & Kovarik, 2015 Centruroides anchorellus Armas, 1976 Centruroides arctimanus Armas, 1976 Centruroides baergi Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides balsasensis Ponce & Francke, 2004 Centruroides bani Armas & Marcano Fondeur, 1987 Centruroides baracoae Armas, 1976 Centruroides barbudensis (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides berstoni Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 Centruroides bertholdii (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides bicolor (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides bonito Quijano-Ravell, Teruel & Ponce-Saavedra, 2016 Centruroides caral Armas & Trujillo, 2013 Centruroides caribbeanus Teruel & Myers, 2017 Centruroides chamela Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2011 Centruroides chamulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides catemacoensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 Centruroides chanae Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 Centruroides chiapanensis Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides concordia Armas & Teruel, 2021 Centruroides cuauhmapan Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) Centruroides elegans (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides exilicauda (Wood, 1863) Centruroides exilimanus Teruel & Stockwell, 2002 Centruroides exsul (Meise, 1933) Centruroides fallassisimus Armas & Trujillo, 2010 Centruroides farri Armas, 1976 Centruroides flavopictus (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides franckei Santibanez-Lopez & Contreras-Felix, 2013 Centruroides fulvipes (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides galano Teruel, 2001 Centruroides gracilis (Latreille, 1804) Centruroides granosus (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides griseus (C. L. Koch, 1844) Centruroides guanensis Franganillo, 1930 Centruroides hamadryas Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021 Centruroides hentzi (Banks, 1900) Centruroides hirsuticauda Teruel, 2011 Centruroides hirsutipalpus Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2009 Centruroides hoffmanni Armas, 1996 Centruroides huichol Teruel, Ponce-Saavedra & Quijano-Ravell, 2015 Centruroides infamatus (C. L. Koch, 1844) Centruroides insulanus (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides ixil Trujillo & Armas, 2016 Centruroides jaragua Armas, 1999 Centruroides jorgeorum Santiago-Blay, 2009 Centruroides koesteri Kraepelin, 1912 Centruroides lauriadnae Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2019 Centruroides limbatus (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides limpidus (Karsch, 1879) Centruroides luceorum Armas, 1999 Centruroides lucidus Teruel, Armas & Kovarik, 2015 Centruroides marcanoi Armas, 1981 Centruroides margaritatus (Gervais, 1841) Centruroides mascota Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2011 Centruroides meisei Hoffmann, 1939 Centruroides melanodactylus Teruel, 2001 Centruroides navarroi Teruel, 2001 Centruroides nigrescens (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides nigrimanus (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides nigropunctatus Teruel, 2006 Centruroides nigrovariatus (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides nitidus (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides noxius Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides ochraceus (Pocock, 1898) Centruroides orizaba Armas & Martin-Frias, 2003 Centruroides ornatus Pocock, 1902 Centruroides pallidiceps Pocock, 1902 Centruroides panamensis Arias & Esposito, 2014 Centruroides platnicki Armas, 1981 Centruroides pococki Sissom & Francke, 1983 Centruroides polito Teruel, 2007 Centruroides poncei Teruel, Kovarik, Baldazo-Monsivais & Hoferek, 2015 Centruroides possanii Gonzalez-Santillan, Galan-Sanchez & Valdez-Velazquez, 2019 Centruroides rileyi Sissom, 1995 Centruroides robertoi Armas, 1976 Centruroides rodolfoi Santibanez-Lopez & Contreras-Felix, 2013 "Centruroides rommeli" Ponce-Saavedra, Linares-Guillen, Quijano-Ravell & Chassin-Noria, 2025 Centruroides romeroi Quijano-Ravell, De Armas, Francke & Ponce-Saavedra, 2019 Centruroides ruana Quijano-Ravell & Ponce-Saavedra, 2016 Centruroides sanandres Armas, Sarmiento & Florez, 2012 Centruroides sasae Santiago-Blay, 2009 Centruroides schmidti Sissom, 1995 Centruroides sculpturatus Ewing, 1928 Centruroides serrano Santibanez-Lopez & Ponce-Saavedra, 2009 Centruroides simplex (Thorell, 1876) Centruroides sissomi Armas, 1996 Centruroides spectatus Teruel, 2006 Centruroides stockwelli Teruel, 2001 Centruroides suffusus (Pocock, 1902) Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides tecomanus Hoffmann, 1932 Centruroides tenuis Thorell, 1876 Centruroides testaceus (DeGeer, 1778) Centruroides thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891) Centruroides tuxtla Armas, 1999 Centruroides underwoodi Armas, 1976 Centruroides villegasi Baldazo-Monsivaiz, Ponce-Saavedra & Flores-Moreno, 2013 Centruroides vittatus (Say, 1821) Centruroides yucatanensis Goodman, Prendini, Francke & Esposito, 2021
References