iNat·119058FamilyArachnida93,965 field observationsThe Nature Library · Open stacks

Plate 1 of 9. (c) Julien Tchilinguirian, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Julien Tchilinguirian · via iNaturalist

Arrowbreasted Scorpions

Buthidae

The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 100 genera and 1300 species as of 2025. A few very large genera (Ananteris, Centruroides, Compsobuthus, or Tityus) are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. They have a cosmopolitan distribution throughout tropical and subtropical environments worldwide. Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.

Around 20 species of medically important (meaning potentially lethal to humans) scorpions are known, and all but one of these (Hemiscorpius lepturus) are members of the Buthidae. In dead specimens, the spine beneath the stinger, characteristic for this family, can be observed.

Continue reading on Wikipedia

60 branches of this family, most-observed first

Bark Scorpions

genusCentruroides

Thick-tailed scorpions

genusTityus

Buthus

genusButhus

Tree Scorpions

genusUroplectes

Stridulating Thicktail Scorpions and Allies

genusParabuthus

Forest Thicktail Scorpions

genusLychas

Nomad Scorpions

genusHottentotta

Fattail Scorpions

genusAndroctonus

Aegaeobuthus

genusAegaeobuthus

Mesobuthus

genusMesobuthus

Isometrus

genusIsometrus

Deathstalkers

genusLeiurus

Compsobuthus

genusCompsobuthus

Olivierus

genusOlivierus

Jaguajir

genusJaguajir

Pillar Tailed Scorpions

genusOrthochirus

Ananteris

genusAnanteris

Pygmy-Thicktail Scorpions

genusPseudolychas

Janalychas

genusJanalychas

Reddyanus

genusReddyanus

Buthacus

genusButhacus

Babycurus

genusBabycurus

Afrolychas

genusAfrolychas

Grosphus

genusGrosphus

Shield Tailed Scorpions

genusApistobuthus

Heteroctenus

genusHeteroctenus

Teruelius

genusTeruelius

Spider-hunting Scorpions

genusIsometroides

Tooth-tailed Scorpions

genusOdontobuthus

Rhopalurus

genusRhopalurus

Buthoscorpio

genusButhoscorpio

Zabius

genusZabius

Karasberg Scorpions

genusKarasbergia

Vachoniolus

genusVachoniolus

Charmus

genusCharmus

Physoctonus

genusPhysoctonus

Birulatus

genusBirulatus

Tityobuthus

genusTityobuthus

Razianus

genusRazianus

Odonturus

genusOdonturus

Kraepelinia

genusKraepelinia

Microtityus

genusMicrotityus

Neobuthus

genusNeobuthus

Microbuthus

genusMicrobuthus

Butheoloides

genusButheoloides

Spelaeolychas

genusSpelaeolychas

Sassanidotus

genusSassanidotus

Neogrosphus

genusNeogrosphus

Australobuthus

genusAustralobuthus

Troglorhopalurus

genusTroglorhopalurus

Thaicharmus

genusThaicharmus

Trypanothacus

genusTrypanothacus

Anomalobuthus

genusAnomalobuthus

Chaneke

genusChaneke

Wolf Scorpion

genusLangxie

Cicileus

genusCicileus

Butheolus

genusButheolus

Barbaracurus

genusBarbaracurus

Ischnotelson

genusIschnotelson

Iranobuthus

genusIranobuthus

See this branch on the Wheel of Life →

§·

Where it lives

Recorded sightings

—

geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.

Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.

§·

In the stacks

Searching the stacks…

Every page naming Buthidae in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →

This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 119058.