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Common Scorpionfly - Panorpa communis
Topic Started: May 27 2014, 05:46 AM (885 Views)
linnaeus1758
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Common Scorpionfly - Panorpa communis

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mecoptera
Family: Panorpidae
Genus: Panorpa
Species: Panorpa communis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Description
Scorpionflies are members of a primitive order named Mecoptera, which means “long wing.”
Wingspan approx 35 mm. The stinger is actually the genitalia of the male, and it is harmless and cannot sting. Females lack the conspicuous genitalia. The wings are marked distinctly with dark brown or black bars across a clear amber background. Although the wings are rather large, flight in most species is of short duration, and the insect lands within a few feet of its previous position. The head also has a strange appearance because it is elongated into a beak, or rostrum, with the mouth located at the tip.

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Biology
Most species of scorpionflies are omnivores, so they feed on some plant materials (such as pollen and nectar) and also on dead or weakened insects. Males may court females through body posture and displays of the wings, but sometimes they offer a meal to attract a mate. The meal offered to a possible mate may be prey items or secretions from salivary glands, and females tend to prefer to mate with males that offer such a meal. Mating occurs while the female feeds on the “nuptial” meal, and those females that receive a meal usually produce more eggs. Males are believed to sometimes pose as females so they can take the nuptial meal away from a competitor, and by that get an advantage against their competitors for a mate. The eggs are laid in cracks in the soil.

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Distribution and habitat
Widespread in Europe. Hedgerows, nettle beds and well wooded areas.

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Edited by Taipan, May 29 2014, 02:50 PM.
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