Common ScorpionflyPanorpa communis
Quick facts
- Rarity
- Common
- Active during
- Morning
- Found in
- Strawbend Fields
- Length
- 1 in
- Wingspan
- 0.6 in
From the field notes
Diet
These scorpionflies are scavengers. They mostly eat dead insects they find in the bushes. They also use their non-stick feet to stroll on spider webs and steal dead insects right out from under the spider's nose.
The "Stinger"
The curly, scorpion-like tail on the males isn't a stinger at all, and it's completely harmless to humans. It’s actually just a special set of claspers used to hold onto the female during mating.
Nuptial Gift
To win over a mate—and to keep her happy so she doesn't try to eat him—a male scorpionfly will present the female with a "nuptial gift." He will offer her a freshly scavenged dead insect or a hardened blob of his nutritious saliva to keep her snacking while they mate.
Living Fossils
Scorpionflies belong to an ancient lineage of insects that actually predates the very first dinosaurs. They are 250-million-year-old living fossils that have survived multiple mass extinctions.
Field Marks
Both males and females have a long, funny-looking snout (a rostrum) that points straight down, making them look like miniature horses. At the tip of this snout is a set of chewing jaws perfectly adapted for picking apart food.