Tityus stigmurus

Tityus stigmurus is a species of scorpion from the family Buthidae that can be found in Brazil. The species are 4.5–6 centimetres (1.8–2.4 in) in length and are either golden-tan or yellowish-brown coloured. It takes them a year to mature into an adult, which makes them a fast-growing species. They also have a dark stripe over the mesosoma with either yellowish or orange pedipalps.[2]

Tityus stigmurus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Arachnida
Order:
Scorpiones
Family:
Buthidae
Genus:
Tityus
Species:
T. stigmurus
Binomial name
Tityus stigmurus
(Thorell, 1876)[1]

Diet

In captivity this species is fed on cockroaches and crickets. It is suggested that Shelfordella lateralis is a good species of cockroaches, that are abundant worldwide. Aside from being abundant they also are the easiest prey, since they don't hide, and the scorpion can easily eat them.[3]

As a pet

The species could be housed as pets, and they can live with each other communally once into their 2nd instar. Mothers tend to eat the young on case-by-case basis. Another thing to consider if owning such species is that they need something to climb on. A cork bark is a nice climbing tool for such species if the owner will lean it against the side of the enclosure or layer it to provide ample climbing space. Artificial limbs can be used too, since the same tool is used for reptiles and aquariums alike. The container in which they need to live, is supposed to be of 3.8–5 centimetres (1.5–2.0 in) deep and moistured. Peat moss must be provided, even though the species are not burrowers. The owner is responsible for keeping the moss clean every two weeks. The species don't require water, since they acquire moisture from their prey. The temperature in the container must be at 75–90 °F or 24–32 °C for the species to survive and reproduce.[3]

Reproduction

The species are parthenogenetic, and they consist only of females.[4] The females give birth in 3 months, with the period being as long as 4–5 months. Various gestation periods are different, and can take maximum from 9–12 months. The gestation can be shortened if the temperature is warm enough. The brood size is from 2–16, with an average of 8.[3]

Emergency sting procedures

The species is venomous, and therefore shouldn't be disturbed. T. stigmurus has a recorded LD50 of 0.575 mg/ kg in mice, which is significant.[5] Study (published 8 August 2013) of the effects of T. stigmurus venom on children in its native Brazil has shed light on the venom's effects.[6]Out of a recorded 1,618 envonomations, 20% of cases were asymptomatic (presumably dry stings, with no venom injected); 66.1% involved only local manifestations; 13.6% had moderate signs of envenoming, and 0.4% were severe. Out of the 1,618 cases, three children, all aged less than five years of age, died, for a mortality rate of 0.2%. Tityus stigmurus is thus significantly toxic, but not to be equated with scorpions of higher toxicity. On the popular 1 - 5 sting-rating scale used for scorpions, T. stigmurus ranks somewhere between levels 3 and 4.

However, if the person does get stung by them the person needs to:

  • Use an ice pack to cool the burn
  • Go to the hospital
  • Make sure to be assessed for common severe complications related to scorpion stings, such as acute kidney injury and pancreatitis.[7]
  • Venom extraction kits were tested and proven to be ineffective in mitigating or preventing envenomation and causes more tissue trauma on the wound area due to the suction of the apparatus.
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References
  1. Binomial authority
  2. Description
  3. Diet and pet housing
  4. Photos of only female species
  5. Menezes, Yamara Arruda Silva de (2018-09-14). "Caracterização proteômica e biológica da peçonha de escorpiões do gênero Tityus" (in Portuguese). Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Albuquerque, Cleide Maria Ribeiro de; Santana Neto, Pedro de Lima; Amorim, Maria Lucineide Porto; Pires, Sofia Campos Vidal (8 August 2013). "Pediatric epidemiological aspects of scorpionism and report on fatal cases from Tityus stigmurus stings (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in State of Pernambuco, Brazil". Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 46 (4): 484–489. doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0089-2013. PMID 23970312.
  7. Albuquerque, Polianna Lemos Moura Moreira; Magalhaes, Karla do Nascimento; Sales, Tamiris de Castro; Paiva, José Hícaro Hellano Gonçalves Lima; Daher, Elizabeth de Francesco; da Silva, Geraldo Bezerra (28 June 2018). "Acute kidney injury and pancreatitis due to scorpion sting: case report and literature review". Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo. 60: e30. doi:10.1590/S1678-9946201860030. PMC 6029862. PMID 29972468.
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