Organisms

Scorpions

Arthropods of the order Scorpiones, of which 1500 to 2000 species have been described. The most common live in tropical or subtropical areas. They are nocturnal and feed principally on insects and other arthropods. They are large arachnids but do not attack man spontaneously. They have a venomous sting. Their medical significance varies considerably and is dependent on their habits and venom potency rather than on their size. At most, the sting is equivalent to that of a hornet but certain species possess a highly toxic venom potentially fatal to humans. (From Dorland, 27th ed; Smith, Insects and Other Arthropods of Medical Importance, 1973, p417; Barnes, Invertebrate Zoology, 5th ed, p503)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Arthropods of the order Scorpiones, of which 1500 to 2000 species have been described. The most common live in tropical or subtropical areas. They are nocturnal and feed principally on insects and other arthropods. They are large arachnids but do not attack man spontaneously. They have a venomous sting. Their medical significance varies considerably and is dependent on their habits and venom potency rather than on their size. At most, the sting is equivalent to that of a hornet but certain species possess a highly toxic venom potentially fatal to humans. (From Dorland, 27th ed; Smith, Insects and Other Arthropods of Medical Importance, 1973, p417; Barnes, Invertebrate Zoology, 5th ed, p503)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

1 entry terms
  • Scorpion

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

18 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings anatomy & histology, chemistry, classification, cytology, drug effects, embryology, enzymology, genetics, growth & development, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, parasitology, pathogenicity, physiology, radiation effects, ultrastructure, virology.

MeSH Record

Indexing Annotation

includes the genera Androctonus, Buthus, Centruoides, Leiurus, Nebo, Tityus; SCORPION STINGS is available

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. B01w.050w.500w.131w.166w.661w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Scorpions. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D012605. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D012605
  2. Scorpions. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion
  3. Scorpions. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19125