Overview
Mottled scorpion in Georgia
The mottled scorpion (Mesobuthus eupeus) is a buthid scorpion. This page treats the species in the modern, narrow taxonomic sense. According to the 2022 revision, Mesobuthus eupeus sensu stricto is linked to the Caucasus region, and older subspecies are no longer recognized separately. The species is confirmed for Georgia by material linked to Tbilisi. MCZbase lists a specimen as Georgia, Caucasus, Tiflis (= Tbilisi), and older checklist literature also names Tbilisi. This is enough to confirm presence in Georgia, but it does not mean the species is confirmed in every region of the country. It uses venom to subdue prey. A sting can be painful and may sometimes cause systemic symptoms, so handling a scorpion is not safe.
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Gallery
Mottled scorpion in photos
Photo: Armen Seropian
Tbilisi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Armen Seropian
Dighomi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Dmitry Ivanov
Georgia field photo
Photo: jannic_justen
Georgia field photo
Photo: Ioane Rostiashvili
Tbilisi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Nika Melikishvili
Rustavi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Denis Hlaváč
Georgia field photo
Photo: Kirill Kotov
Georgia field photo
Photo: Barnabás Bancsik
Georgia field photo
Photo: Lasha Gogodze
Tbilisi ·
Georgia field photo
Photo: Giorgi Iankoshvili
Shulaveri ·
Georgia field photo
Identification
How to identify Mottled scorpion
A small or medium-sized, yellowish-brown scorpion. It has two pincers and a segmented tail ending in a venomous sting. Exact species identification from a photo alone is not always reliable and often needs specialist assessment.
A scorpion has two pincers and an upcurved segmented tail. The tail ends in a sting. This is one of the key signs separating scorpions from pseudoscorpions, which have pincers but no tail or sting.
The body of Mesobuthus eupeus is often yellowish or yellowish brown. Dark spots or stripes may also be visible on the back. Colour alone is not enough for exact species identification.
Many scorpions in the family Buthidae have relatively slender pincers and a well-developed tail. These general signs are not enough to determine the exact species. A good close-up photo or specialist assessment is more reliable.
Older literature may use the names Buthus eupeus or Mesobuthus eupeus in a broader taxonomic sense. After the 2022 revision, such older records should not automatically be equated with Mesobuthus eupeus as defined in the modern narrow sense.
Biology
Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation
Habitat and range
This page does not have detailed local habitat data for Georgia. In the Caucasus and neighbouring parts of its range, Mesobuthus eupeus is associated mostly with warm, dry, rocky or open grassy environments. During the day it often hides in shelter. Tbilisi-linked material confirms the species' presence in Georgia, but these data cannot support a full countrywide regional distribution map. Regions should be marked only from specific confirmed records.
Diet
The diet of the mottled scorpion in Georgia has not been fully studied separately. Like other scorpions, it is predatory and mainly hunts small arthropods, including various insects and other small invertebrates. It uses its pincers to catch prey, then the sting and venom to subdue it.
Behavior
Scorpions mostly have a secretive way of life. During the day they often hide under stones, in cracks, or in other shelters, while activity increases in the evening and at night. Do not catch or move a scorpion by hand. If it must be moved safely from a house or yard, avoid direct contact and use a suitable container and a stiff card, or ask a specialist.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Mottled scorpion.
Yes. Mesobuthus eupeus is confirmed in Georgia by specimens and old checklist records linked to Tbilisi/Tiflis.
The mottled scorpion is a scorpion and belongs to the arachnid class (Arachnida). Spiders are also arachnids, but scorpions are not spiders. Insects belong to a completely different group.
A sting from the mottled scorpion can be painful and may sometimes cause systemic symptoms. Do not pick it up. If pain is strong, the affected person is a child, an allergic reaction or other systemic symptoms develop, or the situation is unclear, call 112 and seek medical care.
No. This page presents evidence specifically linked to Tbilisi for Georgia. That does not confirm the species' presence in every region of the country, so other regions should not be marked without an additional source.
Buthus eupeus is an older taxonomic name. This modern page uses Mesobuthus eupeus and the narrower species concept accepted in the 2022 revision.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Kovařík et al. 2022 — A revision of the genus Mesobuthus
- MCZbase — Mesobuthus eupeus specimen MCZ:IZ:17313
- Mirshamsi et al. 2011 — history/checklist of scorpion fauna
- Özkan & Kat 2005 — Mesobuthus eupeus scorpionism in Şanlıurfa
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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