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Relative toxicity of scorpions


I'm going to quote figures straight from articles (some require some calculations to give the same LD50 reference) so draw your own conclusions. Please read the section on 'other points to note' to help you interpret the results. From this table alone, much can be learnt.

The animals listed for comparative study are

This list of scorpion LD50 is ,by far, the longest I know on the net.

A= route of Administration

Scorpion name Reference/Credits A Family LD50 (mg/kg) mice Locality
Androctonus australis,Fat tail scorpion Simard & Watt, 1984
Stockwell's page
sc
sc/iv
Buthidae 0.32
0.32-5.69
N.Africa
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.35  
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   6.00  
Androctonus crassicauda Simard & Watt, 1984 sc Buthidae 0.40 SW Asia
  Stockwell's page sc/iv   0.08-0.5  
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.40  
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   0.40  
Androctonus amoreuxi Simard & Watt, 1984 sc Buthidae 0.75 N.Africa
  Stockwell's page sc   0.75  
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.75  
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   0.75  
Androctonus mauretanicus Simard & Watt, 1984 sc Buthidae 0.31 N.Africa
A.mauetanicus mauretanicus Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.315  
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   0.32  
Androctonus bicolor, black fat tail Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 1.21 N.Africa
Androctonus aeneas aeneas Zlotkin 1971 sc Buthidae 0.31 ?
A oeneas oeneas G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   0.31  
Buthus occitanus tunetanus Simard & Watt, 1984 sc Buthidae 0.90 N.Africa
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.895  
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   0.99  
Buthus occitanus paris Zlotkin 1971 sc   4.15 S. France
  G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc   4.15  
Buthus occitanus Hassan 1984, Zlotkin 1976 sc/iv   0.9-1.44 Mediterranean
Buthiscus bicalcaratus Zlotkin 1971 sc Buthidae 0.60 ?
Buthacus leptochelys Zlotkin 1971

Hassan 1984

sc

iv

Buthidae 0.765

5.62

N.Africa&

SW Asia

Buthacus arenicola G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc Buthidae 3.5 N.Africa
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.99  
  Hassan 1984 iv   3.25 ?
Buthotux minax G.G. Habermehl ,1981 sc Buthidae 4.25 ?
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   4.25  
Centruroides exilicauda, bark scorpion Watt,1984, Stahnke 1963, Johnson 1966 sc

ip

Buthidae 1.12-1.46

1.1-1.90

Arizona, USA,

Sonora, Mexico

  Simard & Watt, 1984 sc   1.12  
Centruroides limpidus Hassan 1984, Zlotkin et al 1976

G.G.Habermehl 1981

sc/iv

sc

Buthidae 0.69-1.56

5.00

W.Mexico
Centruroides limpidus tecomanus Simard & Watt, 1984 sc   0.69  
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.69  
Centruroides noxius Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 0.31 Nayarit, Mexico
Centruroides suffusus Whittemore et al 1963 ip Buthidae 0.43 Durango, Mexico
Centruroides santa maria Zlotkin 1971 sc Buthidae 0.385 Central America
Compsobuthus acuticarinatus Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 0.75 Egypt
Centruroides margaritatus Marinkelle et al.1965 sc Buthidae 59.9 Central America
Compsobuthus matheisseni Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 4.94 Iran
Hadogenes spp, Flat rock scorpion G.G.Habermehl 1981 sc Ischnuridae 1800 S Africa
  Bucherl 1971 sc   2000-2667  
Hadrurus arisonensis, Giant desert hairy scorpion Zlotkin et al 1978 sc Iuridae 198 S.W.USA,NW Mexico
  Johnson et al 1966 ip   168  
Hottentotta saulcyi Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 1.01 Iran
Hottentotta judaicus Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 7.94 Egypt, Israel
Hemiscorpius lepturus Hassan 1984 iv Ischnuridae 5.81 Iran
Leiurus quinquestriatus, Deathstalker Simard and Watt 1984 sc Buthidae 0.25 N.Africa, SW Asia
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.255  
  G.G Habermehl 1981 sc   0.33  
  Hassan 1984, Zlotkin et al 1976 sc/iv   0.16-0.50  
Mesobuthus eupeus Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 1.45 Iran
Opistopthalmus sp. Hassan 1984

G.G. Habermehl 1981

iv

sc

Scorpionidae 625

600

S.Africa
Odontobuthus doriae Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 0.19 Iran
Parabuthus transvaalicus Zlotkin et al 1976, 1971 sc Buthidae 4.25 S.Africa
  Simard and Watt 1984 sc   4.25  
  G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc   4.25  
Parabuthus spp G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc Buthidae 35-100 depends on species
Pandinus exitialis Tu, 1977 sc Scorpionidae 40 E. Africa
  Ismail et al, 1974 sc   40  
Scorpio maurus, Israel golden Hassan 1984 iv Scorpionidae 9.37-inactive N.Africa, SW Asia
  G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc   >141.6-inactive  
Tityus serrulatus, yellow scorpion Zlotkin et al 1976, Hassan 1984 sc/iv Buthidae 0.43-1.00 Brazil
  Watt and Simard 1984 sc   0.43  
  Zlotkin 1971 sc   0.43  
  G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc   1.45  
Tityus bahiensis Hassan 1984 iv Buthidae 1.38 Brazil
  G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc   9.35  
Tityus trinitatis G.G. Habermehl 1981 sc Buthidae 2.00 Brazil
           
---Space for new findings---          
Spiders ------------------------------ --- ----------- ------------- ----------------
Latrodectus mactans tredecimgluttatus (black widow spider ssp) Bettini and Maroli sc Latrodectus 0.90 Europe, N.America
Insects --------------------------------- -- ----------- ------------- ---------------
Common bee sting G.G. Habermehl 1981 iv Apidae 6.00 Wide distribution
Wasp G.G. Habermehl 1981 iv Vesperidae 2.5(purified toxin) Wide distribution
Centipedes ----------------------------------- -- ----------- --------------- ---------------
Scolopendra viridicornis Bettini im

iv

Scolopendra 12.5

1.5

Tropics
Scolopendra subspinipes Bettini im

iv

Scolopendra 60

2.35

Tropics
Otostigmus scabricauda Bettini im

iv

? 3.5

0.6

?
Cyptops iheringi Bettini im

iv

? 17

7.5

?
Scolopocryptos ferrugineus Bettini im

iv

? 19.5

8

?
Fish --------------------------------- -- ------------ --------------- --------------
Pterois spp(Lionfish) G.G. Habermehl 1981 iv

sc

Scorpaenidae 1.1

est. 4.4

Tropics
Synanceja spp (stonefish) G.G Habermehl 1981 iv

sc

Scorpaenidae 0.2

0.8

Tropics
Puffer fish G.G. Habermehl, 1981 oral Tetraodontidae 0.008 wide distribution
Snakes ----------------------------------- -- ------------- ---------------- ----------------
Agkistrodon contortrix ,copperhead Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 10.5 N.America
Crotalus scutulatus, Mojave rattler Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 0.23 N.America
Crotalus atrox ,W.diamondback Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 4.2 N.America
Crotalus adamanterus, E.diamondback Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 1.89 N.America
Crotalus cerastes, sidewinder Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 4.0 N.America
Crotalus viridis viridis, Praire rattler Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 2.25 N.America
Crotalus horridus horridus, Timber rattler Habermehl 1981 iv Crotalidae 2.91 N.America
Naja naja ssp, cobra Anders Edstrom iv

sc

Elapidae 0.13

0.29

Asia
Ophiophagus hannah, King cobra   iv Elapidae 0.35 Asia

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