Striped Bark Scorpion

The striped bark scorpion is the most widely distributed scorpion in the United States, ranging across much of the south-central states from Texas and Louisiana north into Kansas and Missouri, and west into New Mexico. Its common name comes from the pair of broad, dark longitudinal stripes running down the length of its yellowish-tan back, a pattern that makes it relatively easy to identify compared to many other scorpion species.

This species has a slender build with long, thin pincers (pedipalps) and a narrow, whip-like tail (metasoma) tipped with a bulbous stinger. It is a nocturnal predator that spends daylight hours hidden beneath loose bark, rocks, logs, and leaf litter, emerging after dark to hunt for small invertebrate prey.

As with all scorpions, striped bark scorpions fluoresce a pale blue-green under ultraviolet light, a trait often used by naturalists to survey their presence at night using a UV flashlight.

• Slender, yellowish-tan to light brown body with two broad, dark brown to black stripes running down the back.
• A dark triangular marking is often present on the top of the head between the eyes.
• Long, narrow pedipalps (pincers) and a thin, elongated tail ending in a bulb-shaped telson and stinger.
• Adults typically measure 50-75 mm including the tail, making them a mid-sized scorpion.
• Distinguished from other bark scorpions by its stripes; lacks the uniform pale coloration of species like the Arizona bark scorpion.

Striped bark scorpions favor dry, rocky terrain, grasslands, and open woodlands throughout their range in the south-central United States. They are commonly found under rocks, loose tree bark, fallen logs, and accumulated leaf litter, and they readily shelter in and around human structures such as woodpiles, sheds, and building foundations. They are most active on warm nights from spring through fall and retreat underground or into deep cover during cold winter months.

This scorpion is a nocturnal ambush predator, feeding primarily on small insects, spiders, and other arthropods that it captures with its pincers before subduing them. It is a solitary and largely sedentary animal, remaining hidden during the day and venturing only short distances at night to forage near its shelter. Within its ecosystem, it functions as both predator and prey, being hunted in turn by owls, larger reptiles, and other opportunistic predators.

Striped bark scorpions, like other scorpions, are ovoviviparous, meaning the female carries developing embryos internally and gives live birth to fully formed miniature scorpions rather than laying eggs. The newborns climb onto their mother's back shortly after birth and remain there for protection until their first molt. Juveniles then disperse and undergo a series of molts over roughly one to two years before reaching sexual maturity, with adults capable of living for several years.