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Scorpion behavior: nocturnal habits and diet

How they hunt, what they eat, and how they sense the world

Last reviewed 2026-07-20 Sources 3 Read 4 min
The short version

Striped bark scorpions are nocturnal hunters. They hide by day, come out at night to catch soft-bodied prey like spiders and insects, and find that prey mostly by touch and vibration rather than sight.13

Nocturnal by habit

They shelter during the day in cool, tight spots and become active after dark.12 This day-hiding, night-hunting rhythm is why people so often meet one by surprise, when moving firewood or a board that a scorpion was resting under.

What they eat and how they hunt

Their diet is soft-bodied prey. The Missouri Department of Conservation lists spiders, cockroaches, ants, crickets, beetles, and butterflies, and notes that when hungry they will tackle larger prey such as small mice or lizards.1 They grab prey with their pincers and use the stinger to subdue it when needed.1

They hunt largely by feel. Fine sensitive hairs on the pincers and comb-like organs called pectines on the underside detect touch, vibration, and chemical cues, letting a nearly blind animal track prey in the dark.13 Larger scorpions will also prey on smaller, weaker ones, so cannibalism does occur.1

Their place in the ecosystem

By eating large numbers of insects and other small arthropods, striped bark scorpions help keep local pest populations in check.3 It is a useful reframe for a worried homeowner: the same animal that startled you is also quietly eating the roaches and crickets around your home.

Detailed, species-specific studies of what preys on the striped bark scorpion are limited, so we do not publish a predator list we cannot source to an authoritative reference.

Sources

  1. Missouri Department of Conservation. “Striped Bark Scorpion,” MDC Field Guide. mdc.mo.gov. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: nocturnal; prey list including spiders, cockroaches, ants, crickets, beetles, butterflies, and occasionally small mice or lizards; grabs prey with pincers and stings to subdue; sensory hairs and pectines; cannibalism.
  2. Texas A&M AgriLife, Field Guide to Common Texas Insects. “Striped Bark Scorpion.” texasinsects.tamu.edu. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: shelters by day and is active at night.
  3. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Centruroides vittatus.” animaldiversity.org. Accessed 2026-07-20.Backs: hunts by touch and chemical sense, grabbing and crushing prey with the pincers; helps control insect populations.
Every factual claim on this page is cited in the Sources above. This is a non-commercial reference.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.

The Scorpiologist is an independent, non-commercial reference. No products, no lead-gen, no fear-mongering.  ·  Every claim is cited on the page.  ·  Last reviewed 2026-07-20.