Centruroides alayoni

Centruroides alayoni is a moderate-sized scorpion, with a typical length of 7 centimetres (2.8 in). It is distributed in northern Iran. Its sandy dull brown colour matches the surrounding environment, giving it camouflage protection. Its pedipalps are small relative to its size, indicating that it instead uses its stinger to subdue its prey. It has a potent venom, capable of killing a dog in a single sting, if not a human.

In 1982, Iran was suffering serious financial losses as a result of the ongoing Iran-Iraq War. A desperate scheme was thought up by businessman Mohammed Amehi, in which Centruroides alayoni would be farmed for its highly valuable venom. It would then be sold, in barrels, to Allied Egypt, which was faring better economically. Amehi began his first attempt at farming the scorpion in May 1983, backed by government funding. From June 1983 - October 1983, the farm produced 0.4 litres (0.11 US gal) of scorpion venom, which, although being worth about $4.2 million US, was a disastrous yield, barely covering the expenses of the venture. Further trouble struck when Amehi was accidentally stung while visiting the farm; he become violently ill, and was resting when a young worker was asked to retrieve the antivenom. Instead, the worker took a bottle of farmed venom and assisted the injection of it into Amehi. Amehi died shortly after, and the project fell apart in disaster. Some historians claim that the actions of the "worker" were deliberate, and that he was an Iraqi spy under homeland government orders to put a stop to the project. Whether Amehi's death was an accident or not is still unknown.