Environment
Yellow Scorpions Are Invading Brazilian Cities
Hotter conditions and urbanization trends have made cities like São Paulo prime habitat for the deadly stinging creatures.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil—The dim lights of a gas station along the Avenida 11 de Junho in central São Paulo at first glance seem to illuminate an unremarkable intersection in the huge Brazilian metropolis. But experts say this collection of apartment blocks, grocery stores, and late-night pizzerias is the epicenter of a creature infestation worthy of science fiction: the rise of Tityus serrulatus, the deadly yellow scorpion.
Just about every shop and home in the nearby vicinity has seen one recently. At night, the predatory arthropods lurk at the entrance of supermarkets, crawl up kitchen sinks, and skitter into second-story bedrooms. Some residents have been victims of their venomous stings.