Is it a mite?

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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)
Bodybody:
the idiosoma of mites.
tagmata: prosomaprosoma:
(= cephalothorax) the anterior body region in arachnids; usually not distinct in mites.
, mesosoma (preabdomen), metasoma (postabdomen), sting
Eyes: lateral ocelliocellus:
(pl. ocelli) a simple eye.  Mites with eyes usually have one or two pairs of lateral ocelli, but some Opilioacarida have three pairs.  Additionally, some acariform mites have one or two median ocelli on the underside of the naso.
, median ocular tubercle with 2 ocelliocellus:
(pl. ocelli) a simple eye.  Mites with eyes usually have one or two pairs of lateral ocelli, but some Opilioacarida have three pairs.  Additionally, some acariform mites have one or two median ocelli on the underside of the naso.

Antennae: absent
Mouthparts: 3-segmented pincer-like chelicerae; robust, raptorialraptorial:
(Latin raptor = robber) modified for capturing prey; predatory.  The pedipalps (e.g., many Cunaxidae) or legs I may be raptorial in mites.
5-segmented palps with distaldistal:
towards the free end of an appendage.
pincers
Legs: 4 pairs
Distinguishing features: 'tail' of ring-like metasomal segments ending in sting; pincer-like claws (pedipalps).

Diversity

 >1,100 spp.

References

• Fet et al. 2000Fet et al. 2000:
  Fet V, Sissom WD, Lowe G, Braunwalder ME. 2000. Catalogue of the Scorpions of the World (1758–1998). New York Entomological Society, New York.
• Stockwell (Tree of Life Web Project) 1996Stockwell (Tree of Life Web Project) 1996:
  Stockwell SA. 1996. Scorpionida. Scorpions and their extinct relatives. Version 01 January 1996 (under construction). The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/