Scorpion fly Panorpa communis on glass.
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!
Size: 5197px × 3230px
Location: Domestic Garden Croston Village Lancashire UK.
Photo credit: © gary tack / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: communis, dead, fly, harmless, hedge, insects, mecopterans, nettles, nettles., neuropteroid., panorpa, rows, scorpion, september
