Centuroides vittatus is probably the most encountered scorpion in the United States. The striped scorpions range radiates outward from Texas, where it is most heavily concentrated, and is also found in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. It is also found in the States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Chihahua, and Durango in Mexico. The tail of the scorpion is longer in males than in females.
Body color varies from yellowish to tan for adults.
Younger scorpions may be overall lighter in color, and the last segment of the body and the bases of the pedipalps are dark brown to black. Two distinguishing characteristics are two broad blackish stripes on the upper surface of the abdomen, and a dark triangular mark on the front portion of the head region in the area over the median and lateral eyes. This species has slender pedipalps and a long slender tail. The striped scorpion is primarily insectivorous, consuming mostly spiders, centipedes, crickets, flies, beetles, and other small insects. The scorpion stalks its prey mostly at night and depends on its senses of touch and smell.