Deathstalker
The deathstalker (Leiurus quinquestriatus) is a small, pale yellow scorpion of North Africa and the Middle East with one of the most potent venoms of any scorpion. A compound from its venom is used to help surgeons see brain tumors.
The deathstalker (Leiurus quinquestriatus) is a small, pale yellow scorpion of North Africa and the Middle East with one of the most potent venoms of any scorpion. A compound from its venom is used to help surgeons see brain tumors.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Deathstalker in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
A Cocktail of Neurotoxins
The venom contains many small peptides that act on sodium and potassium channels in nerves, causing intense pain and in severe cases heart and respiratory failure, mostly in children and the elderly. Antivenom is available.
Chlorotoxin and Tumor Paint
A venom peptide called chlorotoxin binds to cells of glioma, a deadly brain cancer. A fluorescent version of the peptide, called tumor paint, has been tested to make tumors glow during surgery. See Cancer.
Desert Dweller
The scorpion lives in deserts and scrub and glows under ultraviolet light. See Arizona Bark Scorpion.
Deathstalker at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Leiurus quinquestriatus |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Arachnida |
| Order | Scorpiones |
| Family | Buthidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Arachnida (Spiders, Scorpions & Allies) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Slender straw-yellow desert arachnid with thin pincers and a thick tail; one of the most venomous of its order. |
| Order | Scorpiones |
| Venom peptide | Chlorotoxin |
See Also
- Arizona Bark Scorpion — a New World dangerous scorpion
- Cancer — tumor imaging