Scorpionfly from Australia – Accomplished Hunters
Sat, Mar 21, 2009 at 6:38 PM
Hi again,
I took these shots of our local scorpionfly. Unlike other versions ours is an accomplished hunter of live prey. Check out those talon like hind legs. The assassin and related bugs such as the pod sucking bug (Riptortus serripes) seem to be a favoured target.
aussietrev
Queensland, Australia
Scorpionfly or Hanging Fly
Hi Trevor,
Thanks so much for sending and identifying this unusual looking Scorpionfly and its prey. According to the Brisbane Insect Website, there is only one species of Scorpionfly from the order Mecoptera in Australia. It is Harpobittacus tillyardi in the family Bittacidae, and it is sometimes called a Hanging Fly.
Scorpionfly captures Pod Sucking Bug
The detail photo of the Pod Sucking Bug is a nice addition. According to the Brisbane Insect Website, the Pod Sucking Bug, Riptortus serripes, is a Broad Headed Bug in the family Alydidae. Immature Pod Sucking Bugs are ant mimics. Now that spring has arrived in the northern hemisphere, and our weather is warming, our southern readers in the U.S. are starting to send letters our way. Mail volume is increasing and we had to go back a few days to post your wonderful submission. More and more mail will go unanswered as the volume continues to increase.
Pod Sucking Bug captured by Scorpionfly
Please help !
Hi there.
I have been looking at picture of bugs and flies all over the internet for hours and I can’t seem to find anything that looks like the one I found, (see attached) I found it on my living room window in Munster Germany (Mid August). it was about 15 mm in length, with a red-ish colour. I was wondering if you could help identify it for me as I have small children and am worried that they might bite. Thank you.
Mrs Dwyer, Munster, Germany
Hi Mrs Dwyer,
Despite its name and appearance, the Scorpionfly is perfectly harmless.
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Posted 20 August 2008
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scorpion fly?
found in my garden today not flying very far at a time,on a very hot sunny day in north Norfolk england 27/7/2008 , i had never see anything like it before, then i came across your web site. so thats what it is? keep up the good work .add it to your picture list thanks
colin
hi Colin,
Your identification of a Scorpionfly is correct. Our only correction is in your spelling of the name. If the components scorpion and fly are separate, it implies a true fly in the order Diptera as opposed to the joining of the two words, similar to dragonfly or butterfly. Scorpionflies are in the order Mecoptera.
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Posted 27 July 2008
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Whats this Bug?
Mr. Bugman,
Could you please identify this insect for me. I have been told it is a scorpian wasp but that is too obvious and I cannot find one on the internet. Also, I have several insect pictures posted at danesdigital.zenfolio.com listed under Danes Garage. I am posting pictures of all the little critters we find in and around our house here in East Texas. I noticed you also teach photography. Any feedback on my pictures would be appreciated as well. Thanks,
Dane Clark
Troup TX
Hi Dane,
This is a Scorpionfly, not a Scorpion Wasp. That might help you locate additional information. A Scorpionfly is neither a scorpion, nor a fly, but a member of the order Mecoptera (Scorpionflies, Hangingflies and Allies) and family Panorpidae. Adults feed on dead and dying insects, and occasionaly fruit. Check out BugGuide for more information. Your photo of the Scorpionfly is well exposed, in focus and reveals important anatomical features of the specimen. It would make a fine addition to our site as well as a fine illustration in a guide book. We would suggest higher resolution if you want to reproduce your images in print form.
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Posted 04 May 2008
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Request of information
Hello,
could you help me: what kind of bug is it? I took this shot in the south of Italy, where I actualy live. Thanks for your help.
Ciao
Francesco
Hi Francesco,
This is a Scorpionfly in the order Mecoptera. We are very happy to post your letter since we get very few requests from Italy.
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Posted 11 September 2007
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Unknown must see sharp photo of unknown
I found this sitting on my bird feeder. I could not find him on your site. Can you help? Thanks,
JoLynn Self
Choctaw County, Oklahoma
Hi Jolynn,
This fascinating looking insect is a Scorpionfly. Scorpionflies are in the order Mecoptera and we have a page devoted to them. Adults feed on ripe fruit, dead insects and even bird droppings.
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Posted 16 September 2006
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green winged flyer
Hi Bugman,
Hope your internet troubles are over! I’m trying to identify this green winged flyer found on the edge of the forest in New Hampshire. Any ideas? Thanks for the wonderful website!
Jennifer Carson
Hi Jennifer,
Your green winged flier is a Scorpionfly in the order Mecoptera.
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Posted 11 July 2006
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whats this bug/insect?
Need help identifying this insect/bug? Have never seen it before. we live in North Central Texas.
thanks in advance.
Susie
Cedar Hill, TX
(ps…that is a Zennia leaf it is attracted to)
Hi Susie,
What marvelous images of a Scorpionfly, genus Panorpa. These harmless insects feed on nectar, fruits and dying insects.
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Posted 04 November 2005
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scorpionfly
Hi,
I sent you a picture of a scorpionfly a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I think this is a better photo esthetically, and since I know that bandwidth is not a problem for you, I thought I’d send it along for your pleasure. When I can get a good closeup like this, I rather enjoy not cropping out the natural surroundings. This is one of my wallpaper photos at the moment. No need to post it unless you just choose to. I have another one coming your way that I’m curious about. Thanks for all you do to bring so many people a lot of fun.
David in Kentucky
Hi David,
We agree that your new photo is much nicer. We had to crop it though since it would be too small on our site to identify the Scorpionfly.
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Posted 09 August 2005
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Pretty thing
Hi, These flies were briefly common in my little woodland in central Kentucky. I couldn’t find them in my book, though. I didn’t see them on your fly page, but I obviously need to narrow my search. Any thoughts?
David
Hi David,
We have one previous photo of a Scorpionfly on our site, but you couldn’t locate it because Scorpionflies, Family Panorphidae, are not true flies. Adults feed on dead and dying insects, nectar and rotting fruit. The shape of the male genitalia, which is large, pear-shaped, and held forward above the abdomen like a scorpion’s stinger, gives this group their common name. Your female does not make this common name evident.
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Posted 22 July 2005
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What is this bug?
Bugman,
I’ve been searching for hours to find out what this bug is, but can’t seem to find a similar picture anywhere. Any ideas what it might be?
Thanks,
Rob
Hi Rob,
We are very excited to get your letter since we are able to start a brand new page with your photo of a Scorpion-Fly. This is the first we have received. Scorpion-Flies belong to the order Mecoptera. Despite their fierce name, they are harmless, unless you are an injured insect. Adults are usually found on foliage near shaded streams in damp woods. Thanks for the photo. Sadly, the site is currently down and will not return until October.
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Posted 10 September 2004
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