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Family: Hemiscorpiidae
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Genus: Liocheles
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Species: karschii
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Region
Australia + South Pacific
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Countries
Australia, Cameroon, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
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Taxonomy and Biology
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Adult Length ( mm ): 80 mm
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Description
Carapace is brown or dark brown. Tergites are usually paler and more yellowish brown to medium brown. Metasomal segments are yellowish brown to brown. Telson vesicle is pale yellowish brown. Pedipalps are dark brown with manus, femur and patella usually distinctly darker than tergites. Legs, ventral surface and sternites are distinctly paler yellowish brown. Chelicerae manus is pale yellowish brown with darker brown digits. Specimens from some populations are mainly blackish brown to almost black.
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Venom
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General: Venom Neurotoxins
Unknown
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General: Venom Myotoxins
Unknown
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General: Venom Procoagulants
Unknown
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General: Venom Anticoagulants
Unknown
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General: Venom Haemorrhagins
Unknown
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General: Venom Nephrotoxins
Unknown
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General: Venom Cardiotoxins
Unknown
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General: Venom Necrotoxins
Unknown
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General: Venom Other
Unknown
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Clinical Effects
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General: Dangerousness
Mild envenoming only, not likely to prove lethal
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General: Rate of Envenoming: Unknown
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General: Untreated Lethality Rate: Unlikely to prove lethal
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General: Local Effects
Insufficient clinical reports to know. Most likely will cause local pain of short duration, without sequelae.
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General: Local Necrosis
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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General: General Systemic Effects
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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General: Myotoxicity
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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General: Renal Damage
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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General: Cardiotoxicity
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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General: Other
Insufficient clinical reports to know, but unlikely to occur
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First Aid
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Description: First aid for scorpion stings (in areas where no potentially dangerous species may be found)
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Details
1. Reassure the victim. Despite sometimes intense local pain, usually lasting less than one hour, these scorpions are not able to cause major of lethal envenoming and most stings will settle rapidly.
2. Do not apply a bandage or tourniquet, or cut, suck or incise the wound or apply electric shock. Neither the application of local heat or cold are proven as effective.
3. If the victim develops general symptoms or the pain remains severe after one hour, seek medical advice.
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Treatment
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Treatment Summary
Stings by these scorpions are likely to cause only short lived local effects, such as pain, without systemic effects. Treatment is therefore reassurance and symptomatic, with analgesia only for severe and persistent pain, as short lived pain will likely resolve before analgesics can take effect. Update tetanus immune status. Be more cautious in young children, observing for several hours post-sting. No antivenom is available, or is required.
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Key Diagnostic Features
Not well defined. Most likely limited to local pain ± local swelling, without significant systemic effects. See detailed clinical summary for more specific detail, if known.
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General Approach to Management
Most cases will be minor & not require admission.
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Antivenom Therapy
No antivenom available
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