Emperor scorpion  (Pandinus imperator)

The largest of scorpions, but not the longest, the emperor scorpion has a dark body ranging from dark blue/green through brown to black. The large pinchers are reddish and have a granular texture. The thorax is made up of four sections, each with a pair of legs. Behind the fourth pair of legs are comb-like structures known as pectines – these are longer in males and are used by man to distinguish the sexes. The tail, known as the metasoma, is long and curves back over the body. It ends in the large recepticle containing the venom glands and tipped with the sharp, curved sting. Sensory hairs cover the pinchers and tail, enabling the scorpion to detect prey through air and ground vibrations (3). When pregnant, the body of a female expands to expose the whitish membranes connecting the segments. The emperor scorpion fluoresces greenish-blue under ultraviolet lights (4).