In article ,
says...

In article ,
amandah writes:
|
| I am hoping that someone will recognise this strange insect and put my
| mind at rest.
| Black, shiney, 3 segment, legs(?how many), 1/2-2inches long, curled
| pointed/pincer tail.
| Seen running at a fair pace across our tarmac drive towards the lawn.
| Could it be a scorpian? That is the only thing I've ever seen that I
| can liken it to.

There are several other arachnids that look very similar - none, as
far as I know, live in the UK. A scorpion is very different from a
beetle once you have seen one. Forget the pincers and number of legs
and look at the tail. A scorpion's is THIN, as long as its body,
with a very distinct bulge at the end for the poison sac.

And don't worry, even if it is - most scorpions aren't dangerous
to humans (or no more than wasps are).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The mederterrainian scorpion is naturlised in the uk and has been for the
last 200 years but is only found in the docklands area of London and is
not considered dangerous
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea