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Photo: G. Bradley
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UK
Safari Tip:
A great way to see all the details on these insects and other small
creatures is with a special magnifier box - click
here
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Latin name: Panorpa communis
Size: They have a wingspan of approximately 35mms
Distribution: Found throughout the UK.
Months seen: Seen between May and September.
Habitat: Scorpion flies are normally found in hedgerows and nettle beds.
Food: Their diet consists mostly of dead insects, which they frequently steal from the webs of spiders.
Special features: Scorpion flies belong to an ancient group of insects known as
'mecopterans' which can be traced back more than 250 million years. It is believed that butterflies and many other species of insect evolved from their ancestors.
Their heads are extended into a beak-like shape, and their tiny jaws are situated at the end.
The name scorpionfly comes from the shape of the males tail, resembling that of a scorpion. Despite the appearance, they are perfectly harmless, and don't sting. The tip of the tail has a pair of claspers which he uses when mating with the female.
Mating can be a dangerous time for the male, if he is not careful the female might decide to kill him! To avoid this he presents her with a gift of a drop of saliva, which in the world of scorpion flies, is the equivalent of a bunch of roses or a box of
chocolates.
UK Safari Creepy-Crawlies Section
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