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Common names: scorpions
Probability of encounter: medium
Quarantine importance: some species deadly poisonous.
Similarity to mites: none other than general arachnid features.
Morphology
Normal adult length:
> 15 mm (range 1.5 - 21 cm)
Body tagmata: prosoma, mesosoma (preabdomen), metasoma (postabdomen), sting
Eyes: lateral ocelli, median ocular tubercle with 2 ocelli
Antennae: absent
Mouthparts: 3-segmented pincer-like chelicerae; robust, raptorial 5-segmented
palps with distal pincers
Legs: 4 pairs
Distinguishing features: 'tail' of ring-like metasomal segments ending
in sting; pincer-like claws (pedipalps).
Diversity: >1,100 spp.
References
Tree of Life - http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Scorpionida&contgroup=Arachnida
Fet V, Sissom WD, Lowe G, and Braunwalder ME. 2000. Catalogue of the scorpions of the World (1758-1998). New York Entomological society: New York.