A close friend came back from Hong Kong yesterday and brought me 3 scorplings of unknown origin. 2 of them look very likely to be emps


They resemble pictures of Emps scorplings that I've seen on the net. Here's a close-up of one them for more precise identification.


This one was bigger than the other two rest and I isolated it to avoid the untoward.
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The coloration is an uncompromising solid black.

Here's a close-up to hopefully make the job easier.

It could well be just an older emp, But I was told that this one was purchased at a different store from the other two and its got me stumped. So hope you guys could help me out here.

Cheers.

I don't think those ones at the top are p. Imperator, palps are too small...

That bigger one looks like heterometrus sp...

Wild caught or did he buy them? If they are wild caught you wont have p. Imperator

Those are Heterometrus spp. An ID won't be possible until they are adult. Then you need to take sharp and clear pictures of the carapace.

Initial guess, H. Laoticus.

They're some type of Heterometrus

There weren't any records of their origins at the pet stores in HK. They didn't use scientific names and were most likely labeled as "black scorpion, giant e.t.c ". Can't tell if they are local or foreign to the region they turned up.

Are there any species-specific morphological features apparent at this stage for Hets? Going through the Euscoprius journal is starting to cause blindness.

Again with no emps; there's absolutely no granulation on their chela -- emps' are heavily granulated even when young, and would have white or cream telsons.

Do H. petersi scorplings have a dark or creamy white telson?

If your buddy Eric can pass some info, i.e. the name of the pet store where he got them from. I may be able to help trace its origin. No promises on that, but I can try Alex.

Are these guys as defensive as the Longimanus scorplings?

P/s: I still think it's a Heterometrus laoticus, looking from the granulation (or the lack of it rather) on the carapace. It may still be too young to be certain as species specific characteristics of granulation only develop into prominent textures in the Heterometrus genus at later instars.

heterometrus sp

i think they are spinifer... but thats just a random guess, as my spinifers always have black telsons.

And the winner goes to H. laoticus, just been confirmed by the source and comparison with a pair of adults I newly acquired will post updates on those and much more very shortly.

rafiqos takes the grand prize
A free scorp.....just kidding.