''Centruroides alayoni'' is a species of

scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...

in the family

Buthidae The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1339 species as of 2022. A few very large genera (''Ananteris'', '' Centruroides'', '' Compsobuthus'', or '' Tityus'') are known, but a high number of species-poor ...

Description

Centruroides alayoni is a moderate-sized scorpion, with a typical length of . Its sandy dull brown colour matches the surrounding environment, giving it

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

protection. Its

pedipalp Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") an ...

s are small relative to its size, indicating that it instead uses its stinger to subdue its prey. It has a potent venom, capable of killing a dog in a single sting, if not a human.

References

alayoni Animals described in 1999 Arthropods of the Caribbean Arthropods of the Dominican Republic {{Scorpion-stub