Sexing Scorpions
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First of all, it is usually only possible to determine the sex of adult scorpions.
Juveniles generally look the same for both sexes. Subadults of both sexes
usually look like females. Adult males and females can vary in a number of
characters. Sometimes the most obvious is the general difference in body
shape and size. Males tend to be smaller and thinner, with relatively longer
metasoma and pedipalps than females of the same species. Often there is some
allometric growth in the pedipalps of the males so that they are larger,
longer, or thicker than those of the female. You can see some of these differences
in the picture below.
- The PECTENS of males are usually longer than those
of the female and bear larger and more PECTINAL TEETH. In the example figures
below, you can see that the PECTEN of the male is longer than that of the
female. The tip of the PECTEN goes beyond the distal end of COXA IV (green
arrow). The tip of the female PECTEN, however, does not reach the distal
end of COXA IV. Furthermore, each PECTINAL TOOTH on the male PECTEN is larger
(relatively) than the PECTINAL TEETH on the female PECTEN.
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- Males of many species have a pair of genital papillae
that protrude from beneath the GENITAL OPERCULA. In some species there are
additional differences between the sexes in the GENITAL OPERCULUM and BASAL
PIECE.
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- Disclaimer: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not represent
the views of the Department of the Army or the Smithsonian Institution... or
anybody else for that matter. - Dr. Scott A. Stockwell
