Bug FAQSlender Brown Scorpion
Centruroides gracilis · Order: Scorpiones · Family: Buthidae
Also called: Florida Bark Scorpion, slenderbrown scorpion
Source: Wikipedia
The slender brown scorpion can grow up to 15 cm for males and 10 cm for females. It lives under rocks, bark, in house walls and yard rubbish piles. Its venom is neurotoxic and cardiotoxic, causing pain, swelling, heart rhythm changes, breathing trouble and can be fatal.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Color varies widely, from reddish to dark brown with red or yellow legs and chelae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females reach about 10 cm, males can exceed 15 cm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Will live in house walls and under yard rubbish piles when given the chance.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It hides under rocks and tree bark and will move into house walls or yard rubbish when possible.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Feeds on insects such as roaches; in captivity it accepts termites or crickets.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females give birth to 25-35 young (up to 91 recorded); juveniles ride on the mother’s back and molt first at eight days.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native to northern Middle America: Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 8 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Texas, Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, South Carolina.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How dangerous is a sting from this scorpion?
The sting can cause painful swelling and may lead to serious heart or breathing problems, and in rare cases can be fatal.
Source: Wikipedia
Where might I find this scorpion in my home?
It can hide under rocks or bark outside and move into house walls or under rubbish piles in yards.
Source: Wikipedia
What does it eat?
It preys on insects such as roaches and will eat termites or crickets when kept in captivity.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Buthidae)
Striped Bark ScorpionCentruroides vittatusCan sting
Arizona Bark ScorpionCentruroides sculpturatusVenomous
Hentz Striped ScorpionCentruroides hentziCan sting
Little Marbled ScorpionLychas marmoreus
Brazilian Yellow ScorpionTityus serrulatusCan sting
Striped Lesser-Thicktail ScorpionUroplectes lineatusCan stingSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centruroides_gracilis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.