Know Your Enemy
Accurate identification of pests is as important as choosing the best preventive pest management available on the market today. Preventive Pest Control has compiled a list of most common pests to help you identify the problem.
Superstitioniidae
Characteristics
The name “Superstitionia” was taken from the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix, where this family was first discovered. The family Superstitioniidae has four genera and nine species. They are very large scorpions with the size of 2 3/4 inch long. Their body lacks pigmentation and eyes.
Habitat
Most of the species of the Superstitioniidae are troglobites or cave dwellers. They can be found dwelling in the subtropical parts of Mexico and Southwestern USA, and can live to up to 800 meters below the ground.
Behavior
Like all scorpions, this family has good survival skills. They can live in a harsh underground environment and flourish.
Food
The family Superstitioniidae eats insects, mealworms, and almost anything else that they can capture. When food is scarce, this family can slow down their metabolism, allowing them to just use as little oxygen for themselves. They can even survive for months without food. but, once they find a prey, they can quickly hunt and stun their prey with their venom with full energy.
Life Cycle
The mating process of the family Superstitioniidae is also complex, and follow the tradition of dance. For a male to find a female scorpion, he will use pheromones and vibrations to locate a mate. Once he finds a scorpion of the same species, the male will hold the pedipalps of his partner and leads her to a dance. This dance will allow the male to deposit his spermataphore while the female will place it in her genital opercula. Once the process is done, the male will have to leave in a hurry so that he will not be eaten by the female.
Gestation period for a female scorpion takes a few months with the female carrying her embryos. The young scorpions are born oneby one. After that the scorplings will climb on their mother’s back so that they will stay protected from predators while receiving food from their mother. Young scorpions can molt 5 to 7 times, then they will become adults and find their mates on their own. Since the family Superstitioniidae lives underground, they can live from two to ten years. They are not bred in captivity so it is unlikely that they can reach 25 years of life.
Other Information and Tips
There is no record found for the venom of the Superstitioniidae family, but it is likely that their venom is not dangerous and do not pose a threat to humans.