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Scorpions in Arkansas: Species, Stings & Lookalikes

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. Which scorpions can hurt you
  2. The one scorpion
  3. If you are bitten or stung
  4. What official sources say
  5. About this list
  6. Sources

University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum: The only scorpion known to occur in Arkansas is the common striped bark scorpion

This page lists 1 scorpion: all from University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum's Striped bark scorpion; FSA7018. 1 is venomous by official accounts.

Not every species: no complete official list of Arkansas scorpions exists, so this page covers the ones state and Extension sources name. How lists are built.

Which scorpions can hurt you

Official sources single out these scorpions in Arkansas, in their own words:

The one scorpion on the list

Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.

Striped Bark Scorpion
Photo: Meghan Cassidy · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized

Striped Bark Scorpion

Centruroides vittatus

Venomous per University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum

Danger to people
“Scorpions found in Arkansas, while capable of delivering a painful sting, are not life-threatening.” University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service
Size
Usually about 2.5 inches. Sources range from 1 to 1.5 inches on average (Missouri Department of Conservation) to up to 3.5 inches (Oklahoma State).
How to recognize it
  • Slender pincers and a long, slender tail. The tail is longer on males than females.
  • Tail ends in a stinger, usually carried up and over the body.
  • Glows under ultraviolet light.
Where in Arkansas
Throughout Arkansas; most abundant in the more western counties University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum
What the sources say

Venom: “The scorpion has venom glands in the bulbous structure at its posterior end.” (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum)

Habitat: Woodpiles and crumbling foundations around homes; deserts, forests and grasslands in general (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum)

Full Striped Bark Scorpion guide

If you are bitten or stung

Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.

What official sources say

Are there scorpions in Arkansas?

Yes. The striped bark scorpion occurs throughout Arkansas and is most abundant in the more western counties. University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum

“The only scorpion known to occur in Arkansas is the common striped bark scorpion”

About this list

The species list comes from Striped bark scorpion (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum); FSA7018 (Extension) (University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology), WordPress modified 2017-07-05).

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

Sources

  1. Nuisance Wildlife. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Striped bark scorpion (Arkansas Arthropods). University of Arkansas Arthropod Museum (Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology). WordPress modified 2017-07-05; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (4)
    “The only scorpion known to occur in Arkansas is the common striped bark scorpion”
    “The scorpion has venom glands in the bulbous structure at its posterior end.”
    “…glow phosphorescent yellow under ultraviolet light”
    “Arkansas scorpions tend to roam considerably during April, May, and early June, and at that time they commonly enter houses.”
  3. Biology and Control of Spiders, Scorpions, Centipedes and Millipedes (FSA7018). University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. PDF created 2014-04-30, modified 2025-04-10; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Scorpions found in Arkansas, while capable of delivering a painful sting, are not life-threatening.”