The Varsity Scorpion Glossary

Scorpions are one of the most common insects that can be found in Arizona. They can be so small that they could access and infest any room or space in your home that is not sealed. Their biggest characteristic is the venomous stinger they have on their back; which stings are painful but usually are harmless to humans. We at Varsity Termite and Pest Control can help you in controlling any kind of pest whenever you need one, you just need to contact us and we will set you up with our scorpion home sealing which will make scorpions not bother you or your family ever again. Here is a small glossary about scorpions and some things you should watch out for:

Book Lung: Respiration organ used for atmospheric gas exchange that is found in many arachnids like spiders and scorpions. Each one of these are found inside an open abdominal, air-filled cavity connecting the surroundings through a small opening for the purpose of respiration. It is named like this for their appearance that looks like a lot of pages inside a book.

Carapace: It is an upper section of the exoskeleton (or shell) that appears in some animals, such as crustaceans and arachnids. It’s hard and functions as protection against natural predators. In some cases, you need a strong, solid object in order to damage it. You can find different kinds of insects with carapaces in Arizona. If you find remains of carapaces in your property, don’t hesitate to contact us and we will thoroughly inspect your home and eliminate any pest we can find.

Cephalotorax: Which is also known as prosoma, is the region composed by the head and the thorax. This fusion is mostly seen in crustaceans and insects, such as scorpions. In some cases, mostly in crustacean, this is covered by a hard carapace.

Chela: A pincerlike claw of a crustacean or arachnid, such as a lobster, crab, or scorpion. They have enough force to pinch and hurt you. You can contact Varsity Termite and Pest Control to receive an inspection and check if you need a scorpion home sealing.

Chelicerae: This is another term for the mouthparts; their shape varies from each kind of arthropod such as arachnids, crabs, scorpions and sea spiders. Some species also use it to inject venom.

Ecdysis: This is the process when insects, like scorpions, shed their exoskeleton, typically during growth, leaving behind empty, old ones that are called exuviae. If you ever see any amount of empty shells in your home, we suggest you to contact us for assistance as you may need some kind of scorpion control in Chandler.

Eurypterid: An extinct group of arthropods informally called “sea scorpions”. It is proved that the earliest ones were marine, but not true scorpions. Their spiked tail, also known as telson, may have been used to inject venom, although there is no evidence that they were venomous in the first place. It´s kind of scary to know you can find these kind of creatures in deep water.

Exoskeleton: Is the external skeleton that supports and protects an animal’s body. This is different in contrast to the internal skeleton called endoskeleton, for example, of a human. Some of the larger and solid kinds of exoskeletons are the ones called “Shells” or carapaces. Entomology is a very interesting field to study. There are some animals, like turtles, that have both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton.

Exuvia: As mentioned before, these are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures left after an ecdysis. It’s important mainly to biologists for identifying the species of the animals, and sometimes even its sex.

Forceps: Usually made out of disposable plastic. These are handheld, hinged instruments used for holding small objects that fingers are too large to grasp, in our case, such as small insect specimens. This term is used almost exclusively within the medical field. Outside of it, we can refer to them as tweezers, clips, or even clams.

Gravid: This terminology is used when insects are carrying eggs to hatch more little insects! This is of course used in females. If you have a nest of scorpions inside your house, it will probably already have some gravid females, so we recommend it some control on it. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and treatment about it.

Instar: This is the development stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each ecdysis, until their sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed their exoskeleton to grow or take a new form. There are differences between instars that can often be seen in altered body proportions, patterns, colors, body segments and even their head width.

Lateral Eyes: As the name explains, this is the name of the eyes that are on the front edge of the insect’s carapace. Scorpions can have up to 5 eyes but they usually come in pairs. This type of eyes can also be called lateral compound eyes, which are used to detect edges and are capable of forming images.

Medial Eyes: This is the pair of eyes found on the dorsal part of the carapace, also called smaller medial ocelli, which are simple eyes. These are used to detect lower level lights, and have a faster response time.

Mesosoma: It’s the middle part of the body which is composed of six segments in scorpions, and contains all major organs forming the first part of their abdomen. You can find their sexual organs and a pair of appendages, forming a structure called the genital operculum, in the first segment. The second segment have a pair of sensory organs called the pectines; the last four segments contains one book lung each, making a total of four.

Metasoma: As the posterior part of the body, it contains the digestive tract, respiratory system, and a circulatory system. In scorpions, this is their tail, which they use for their powerful sting. Some species are poisonous to the human, so we suggest you to seek treatment as soon as you feel a bad symptom after a scorpion encounter.

Obligate Burrower: This refers to the scorpion species that prefer to dig its own burrow. They require a deep space underground and will tunnel vertically for a long distance until they have a comfortable space to live in. These are the kind of species you can find outside your home, for example, in your garden. If you ever find scorpions in your garden, you can contact us, Varsity Termite and Pest Control, to do and inspection and evaluate what kind of scorpion control in Chandler you need.

Opportunistic Burrower: This type of scorpions doesn’t like to do their own work, so they just use another started burrow and expand their territory on it.

Opisthosoma: This is the posterior part of the body in some insects, right behind their cephalothorax. It’s mostly a distinctive feature on arachnids, horseshoe crabs and other animals.

Parthenogenesis: It´s another way of saying asexual reproduction, which means that growth and development of embryos can be made without fertilization. Believe or not, scorpions are capable of reproducing like this, and it’s why that whenever you find them inside your hose, you might already be dealing with a pest. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need assistance or want to know more information about our scorpion home sealing service.

Pectine: It’s a comb-like structure, shaped like a “V” and found on the underside of the scorpions, used for sensory adaptations as it’s the most sensitive part that they have.

Stridulation: Mostly associated with insects, this is the act of making sound by rubbing together certain body parts. Also, other animals are capable of this, like fishes, snakes, and spiders. In insects it is also referred to as stridulatory organs, particularly known in crickets and grasshoppers.

If you need assistance with your Arizona scorpion problem or other Chandler pest control problem, please contact us, Varsity Termite and Pest Control, to inspect and get rid of unwanted pests. We will keep your property pest free!

Published By:

Varsity Termite and Pest Control – Tony Kaufman

West Valley Location:

Office: 602-560-6021

East Valley Location:

Office: 602-757-8252