The sting hurts a great deal — burning pain and numbness for several hours — but it is not medically significant for a healthy adult. It is the scorpion most people in Texas and the central states actually meet.
We identify, we don't diagnose. If you've been bitten or stung and symptoms develop, or you're worried, seek medical attention.
Size40–70 mm including the tail
MarkingsTwo dark lengthwise stripes down the back · Yellowish-tan base colour, dark triangle on the head
WhereUnder rocks, logs and debris across the central and southern US. Comes indoors.
What it is not
A striped bark scorpion is most often confused with a species that is medically significant. If you are trying to rule those out, check these:
Yellowish-tan base colour, dark triangle on the head
Slender pincers
Under 70 mm — noticeably smaller than a desert hairy scorpion
Where you’ll find it
The central and southern United States — Texas and Oklahoma through to Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana, and west into New Mexico. It is by far the scorpion most people in that region actually meet.
Under rocks, logs and debris across the central and southern US. Comes indoors.
How it behaves
It shelters under rocks, bark and debris in the day and hunts at night. It climbs reasonably well and comes indoors in hot dry weather, turning up in shoes, towels and beds. Like all scorpions it fluoresces blue-green under ultraviolet, which makes a UV torch the quickest way to find out how many you have around a property.
What a bite looks like
Often little to see: mild redness and slight swelling at the sting site, sometimes nothing at all.
Immediate sharp burning pain with numbness or tingling around the site, typically easing over several hours. Widespread symptoms are uncommon in healthy adults.
We identify, we don't diagnose. Seek medical attention for a sting to a small child, for any allergic reaction, or if symptoms go beyond local pain.
A skin mark cannot confirm which animal caused it. Read the bug bite and sting guide for the limits and the symptoms that should end an online search.
You’ve found one indoors
Shake out shoes, towels and bedding in scorpion country, and use a torch if you are walking around outside at night. Sealing door gaps and keeping firewood away from the house does more than spraying.
Common questions
How bad is a striped bark scorpion sting?
Painful, but not medically significant for a healthy adult. Burning and numbness for a few hours is typical. It is not the Arizona bark scorpion, which is the one US species that can be genuinely dangerous.
How do I tell it from an Arizona bark scorpion?
The two dark stripes down the back are the giveaway; the Arizona bark scorpion is plain tan. Range helps too — Texas and the central states for the striped, Arizona and its neighbours for the other.
Why do I keep finding them indoors?
They come in looking for cooler, damper conditions in hot weather, and they can pass through very small gaps. Door sweeps and sealing around pipes are the practical fixes.
Chris Stahl · CC-BY