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Mecoptera
SCORPIONFLIES; HANGING FLIES
Life   Insecta

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B. californicuus
© Baldo Villegas · 1
B. californicuus
Neopanorpa
© E.S. Ross · 1
Neopanorpa

Panorpidae
© Baldo Villegas · 1
Panorpidae
Scorpion Fly
© Gordon Ramel · 1
Scorpion Fly
IDnature guides
Kinds

Overview Mecoptera, also known as Scorpionflies and Hanging Flies, consists of five families: Panorpidae, Bittacidae, Boreidae, Panorpodidae, and Meropeidae. The name "Scorpionfly" comes from the resemblance of the "tail" of the male Panorpa sp., which resembles that of a scorpion. The term "Hanging fly" comes from the Panorpidae and Bittacidae families, which hang on the undersides of leaves to catch prey and during copulation. Most of the Mecoptera are known only as fossils. The present-day 32 genera are found all over the world, from North America to South America, from Asia to Australia. The similarites between distant species in morphological features suggests a common lineage. Mecoptera are found in damp areas in dense forests. They feed on insects, decaying matter, mosses and other plants. Mating rituals vary among each family. Species are distinguished by morphological features and unique variation in the wings.

Mecoptera are referred to as "scorpionflies" due to the morphology of the genus Panorpa. The genitalia of the male Panorpa sometimes turns up, giving the tail an appearance similar to that of a scorpion. The tail is harmless. (Ross, 1982) The family Bittacidae is often referred to as "hanging flies". This is due to the nature of hanging from the undersidesof leaves to catch prey. Both Bittacidae and Panorpidae have been observed hanging from leaves while mating. (Webb, 1975)

"The name Mecoptera, derived from the Greek words "meco" meaning long and "ptera" meaning wings, refers to the shape of both the front and hind wings."-- ( N.C. State Entomology Dept.)

Identification Adults are small to medium size. Mandible and maxillae are slender, elongate, and serrate. The labium is elongated. Biting parts are found on the head, which extends to an elongate hypognathus rostrum. The eyes are large and separated. Antennae are long and multi-segmented. The fore and hind wings are of the same size, shape, and veination. Sometimes the wings are reduced or absent. The abdomen is made up of 11 segments. The cerci is made up of 1 to 2 segments.

Larvae are mandibulate polypods (caterpillarlike). They have fused tibia and tarsus. There are three pairs of true legs and 8 to 10 pairs of prolegs. The larva has a large sclerotized head with compound eyes. The antennae are short. Some species have spines which extend down the length of the body and are stronger toward the posterior end. Pupae are exarate adectious, which means their appendages are not closely appressed to the body (exarate) and they have non-articulate mandibles (adectious). (Gullan and Cranston, 2000)

Phylogeny
Taxonomic Category Scientific Name Common Name
Phylum Arthropoda Arthropods
Class Insecta Insects
Order Mecoptera Scorpionflies


Geographic distribution There are 500 species of Mecoptera, 68 of which are found in North America (N.A.). Modern Mecoptera include 5 familes, 12 genera. Fossil Mecoptera include 34 families, 87 genera. In N.A., there are 40 species of Panorpa, but most are found in east Asia and parts of Eurasia. Bittacidae include 9 species in N.A., but also have mebers in the Neotropics, the Ethiopian region, Europe, India, the Far East, and Australia. Boreidae incluse 11 species in N.A. They are also found in the Palearctic. Panorpodidae include 4 species in N.A. and are also found in Japan and Korea. Meropeidae include one speices in N.A. and one species in Australia.(Byers, 1988) Look at the chart below to see a general breakdown of numbers of Mecoptera found worldwide -- ( N.C. State Entomology Dept.).

North America Worldwide
Number of Families 5 9
Number of Species 68 ~500


Natural history