Sting in the tale: Scorpion hunting in an Abarth 600e

Acid Green Abarth was perfect for Page’s scorpion hunt – hard hat was his choice apparently

Scorpions have only ever sat on small, petrol sportsters, but now they’re crawling all over an electric crossover

Just like a bee sting, apparently; hardly anything to worry about. Just painful enough to make you swear under your breath, and you might get a bit of a swollen finger.
Sounds fine, but I’m still not keen on riling up one of these prehistoric-looking miniature predators. My guide’s description of their defence tactic sounds benign enough, but the subsequent revelation that neither she nor anyone she knows has ever actually experienced it is enough to convince me to back off when one raises its claws and arches its tail menacingly in the direction of my hand. It has unmistakably entered attack mode.
What I’m dealing with here, of course, are scorpions, of the European yellow-tailed variety, or Euscorpius flavicaudis to be exact. It’s one of the smallest scorpion species in t