The scorpion native to the southwestern United States and Mexico whose venom causes severe but rarely fatal pain is the Arizona bark scorpion. Its scientific name is Centruroides sculpturatus, and it is the most venomous scorpion species in North America.
A sting can produce intense pain, numbness, tingling, vomiting, muscle dysfunction, and sensations sometimes described as electrical jolts. Symptoms commonly last between 24 and 72 hours. Despite the severity of the venom, deaths are unusual; two recorded fatalities occurred in Arizona between 1968 and the time documented by the cited account.
The Arizona bark scorpion is small, slender, and often climbs walls, ceilings, and trees, unlike the bulky emperor scorpion. Deathstalkers are also medically significant, but they are associated primarily with North Africa and the Middle East. The species has an unusual ecological relationship with grasshopper mice, which can tolerate its venom and experience it more like an analgesic than a pain stimulant.