Overview
Mingrelian scorpion in Georgia
The Mingrelian scorpion (Euscorpius mingrelicus) is a true scorpion and belongs to the arachnid class (Arachnida). It is neither an insect nor a spider. This page uses Euscorpius mingrelicus as the main scientific name. According to the 2015 revision, Euscorpius mingrelicus sensu stricto is linked to Georgia and Turkey. Later, a 2019 paper treated Alpiscorpius as a separate genus, so the same taxon also appears in some modern databases as Alpiscorpius mingrelicus. For Georgia, the reliable conclusion is that the species occurs in western Georgia. The map marks Adjara, Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti, Guria, and Imereti. The Mingrelian scorpion is small and dark. According to the Scorpion Files, adults reach about 38 mm. It has venom, but available data do not treat it as a species of high medical risk to people.
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Gallery
Mingrelian scorpion in photos
Photo: Fabian A. Boetzl
Georgia field photo
Photo: Armen Seropian
Batumi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Frederic Griesbaum
Georgia field photo
Photo: Andrii Rusnak
Georgia field photo
Photo: Armen Seropian
Batumi ·
Georgia field photo
Identification
How to identify Mingrelian scorpion
A small, dark scorpion with two pincers and a segmented tail ending in a sting. Separating Euscorpius/Alpiscorpius group species is often difficult and may require specialist assessment and close-up details.
A scorpion has two pincers and an upcurved, segmented tail. The sting is at the end of the tail. This trait makes it easy to separate from a pseudoscorpion, which has pincers but no tail or sting.
The Scorpion Files describes the Mingrelian scorpion as a dark-coloured species reaching about 38 mm in length. Body colour alone is not enough for exact identification.
Euscorpius/Alpiscorpius group scorpions are often difficult to separate. In older sources, Euscorpius mingrelicus was also used in a broader sense, so not every old record should automatically be assigned to the modern, narrow concept of the Mingrelian scorpion.
The mottled scorpion (Mesobuthus eupeus) belongs to Buthidae and is linked more with dry, open environments. The Mingrelian scorpion is a member of Euscorpiidae and is linked in the sources more with humid, forested and mountainous habitats.
Biology
Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation
Habitat and range
Existing sources mainly link the Mingrelian scorpion with humid, mountainous and forested environments. By day, the scorpion may hide under stones, logs, dead bark, or other natural cover. This differs from the drier and more open places more typical of the mottled scorpion. If you see a scorpion in a humid forested valley of western Georgia, Euscorpius mingrelicus is one possible candidate, although habitat alone cannot identify it exactly.
Diet
The diet of the Mingrelian scorpion in Georgia has not been fully studied separately. Like other scorpions, it is predatory and hunts small arthropods. It uses its pincers to catch prey, and its sting and venom to subdue it. This is general scorpion biology, not the result of a separate diet study in Georgia.
Behavior
The Mingrelian scorpion has a secretive way of life. It is most likely to be found when stones, logs, bark, or other natural cover are lifted, especially in humid and forested environments. Do not pick it up by hand. If moving it from a house or yard is necessary, use a container and stiff card instead of direct contact, or ask a specialist. For exact identification, sharp photos from above and the side, plus the exact discovery location, are especially useful.
Conservation
The sources used on this page do not confirm a global IUCN assessment or separate Georgian Red List species status for the Mingrelian scorpion. Therefore, this page must not invent population status, threat category, or special protection status. At this stage, precisely confirmed localities from western Georgia, good-quality photos, and specialist-checked records are especially important.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Mingrelian scorpion.
Yes. The 2015 revision includes Euscorpius mingrelicus sensu stricto in Georgia, and the Scorpion Files summary links it specifically with western Georgia. The map marks Adjara, Samegrelo — Zemo Svaneti, Guria, and Imereti.
The Mingrelian scorpion is a scorpion. Scorpions and spiders both belong to the arachnid class (Arachnida), but a scorpion is not a spider. Insects belong to a completely different group.
It is a small, dark scorpion with pincers and a sting-bearing tail. Identifying the species exactly by colour or size alone is often impossible. For more reliable identification, a sharp close-up photo and exact discovery location are needed.
The Mingrelian scorpion is not considered a species of high medical risk. It has venom, but available data indicate that the expected sting effect is mainly local. Do not pick it up by hand. If pain is strong, a child is affected, allergic or other systemic symptoms develop, call 112 and seek medical care.
Sources link the Mingrelian scorpion with western Georgia and more humid, forested or mountainous environments. Hiding under stones, logs and bark is expected, although the detailed picture of its habitat within Georgia still needs additional data.
A 2019 taxonomic paper treated Alpiscorpius as a separate genus, and some modern databases use the name Alpiscorpius mingrelicus for this species. This page keeps Euscorpius mingrelicus as the main name, while Alpiscorpius mingrelicus may be listed as an alternative modern combination.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tropea, Yagmur & Fet 2015 — revision of the Anatolian-Caucasian Euscorpius mingrelicus complex
- Kovařík et al. 2019 — Alpiscorpius genus status and mingrelicus complex
- GBIF — Alpiscorpius mingrelicus taxon record
- The Scorpion Files — Euscorpius mingrelicus species account
- The Scorpion Files Newsblog — 2015 revision summary
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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