AKT. 9 SCORPIONS OP WESTERIT UNITED STATES EWING 5 



DIPLOCENTRUS WHITEI (Gerarais) 



B. whitei is a very dark reddish brown scorpion, from 5 to J cm. 

 in length, with large stout chelae and short fingers. The sting is 

 scarcely half as long as the vesicle that bears it and is strongly 

 curved. The subaculear tooth is large and shaped like a tubercle. 

 The caudal vesicle bears several long setae distally. 



Although the type specimen of this species came from Mexico, ac- 

 cording to Pocock (1902) : " No exact locality in Mexico has ever been 

 assigned to specimens of this species." Pocock further states that 

 the " example in the British Museum is the type of the species, which 

 is dried and too imperfect to be available for description." In the 

 United States National Museum there are only two specimens. They 

 were taken on the Mohave Desert, Calif. The description and figures 

 given by Pocock (1902) were from an adult male and female taken at 

 San Diego, Tex. In the Baerg collection there is a single adult 

 specimen taken at Tlahualilo, Mexico. 



The writer has been inclined to associate serious scorpion stingmg 

 with this species. The descriptions of scorpions given by a number 

 of people living near tl^e Mexican boundary, involved in serious 

 stinging cases, apply best to this species, although all descriptions 

 given have been devoid of that exactness demanded in scientific 

 taxonomy as being necessary for identification. Most individuals 

 interviewed insisted upon the scorpions with the "deadly" sting 

 being "black" ones, and that they were not the big light-colored 

 specfes and were not the smaller striped ones. Speculation, however, 

 upon hearsay evidence is a hazardous procedure. What is needed is 

 experimental demonstration. Unfortunately this scorpion is seldom 

 taken alive. I have seen none in a wild state. 



DIPLOCENTRUS KEYSERLINGI Karsch 



This scorpion is very similar to D. whitei but is smaller and of a 

 lighter color and has not more than 11 teeth in the pectinal comb, 

 while D. whitei has 14. Also the carapace is more granulate than in 



D. ivhitei. 



Comparatively little is known concerning the distribution of this 

 species. Pocock gave but two records for it, both from Mexico. 

 •Banks (1910) reports it from California, stating that there are speci- 

 mens in the Marx collection labeled " California." The specimens 

 referred to, which are said to be " nearly black " are probably those 

 marked '' Diplocentrus venustusr These large very dark speci- 

 mens have from 10 to 12 teeth in the pectines, and may prove to be 

 either a new species or a variant of D. whitei. Specimens in the 

 National Museum from Paisano,Tex., determined as D. whitei should 

 be considered as D. keyserlingi. In the Baerg collection there are 



