Mastodawn

It's been rainy here for the past few days, but yesterday the drizzle let up for a while and I went for a walk. I was chasing what I thought was a cranefly that was flitting from plant to plant across a field of wet knee-high vegetation. It turned out not to be a cranefly at all, but this hangingfly (Bittacus), a scorpionfly relative that hangs under leaves and catches prey with its hind feet.

#mecoptera #insects #Photography

Nap ízeltlábúja - Arthropod of May 5

A nap ízeltlábúja a csőrösrovarok skorpiólegyek családjába tartozó közönséges skorpiólégy - Panorpa communis https://www.izeltlabuak.hu/faj/kozonseges-skorpiolegy/talalatok #közönségesSkorpiólégy #PanorpaCommunis #skorpiólegyek #Panorpidae #csőrösrovarok #Mecoptera

Panorpa communis - közönséges skorpiólégy

A Panorpa communis - közönséges skorpiólégy fajhoz tartozó észlelések listája

Frank Jäger Apr 7

Gemeine Skorpionsfliege (Panorpa communis), Weibchen.
Die Männchen haben am Hinterende das namensgebende Organ, das aussieht wie der Stachel des Skorpions.
Mehr auf https://fotodrachen.de/makro/insecta/mecoptera/
#mft #darktable #mecoptera #Schnabelfliegen

Axel Steiner Sep 17, 2025

Skorpionsfliegen sehen mit ihrem "Pferdegesicht" schon sehr außergewöhnlich aus. Sie gehören weder zu den Skorpionen noch zu den Fliegen, sondern zu den Schnabelfliegen.

#artenvielfalt #natur #nature #insekten #InsectsOfTheFediverse #Schnabelfliegen #Mecoptera #Skorpionsfliegen #Panorpidae

Plazi Species Jun 27, 2025

#NewSpecies!
New scorpionfly from #china just flew in:

Dicerapanorpa dajinhuang

Treatment: https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0393DC77-5C21-4771-C821-D6CDFE60C96E
Publication: https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.997.2939
#ejtaxonomy #DicerapanorpaDajinhuang

#FAIRdata
#science #OA #openaccess #biology #taxonomy #ecology #biodiversity #nature #wildlife #conservation #animals #invertebrates #entomology #insects #mecoptera #scorpionfly

SzamCha Jun 27, 2025

Panorpe des prés mais presque sur terrasse tiède et apprenante #insecte #mecoptera #panorpavulgaris (notez la queue qui donne le nom de genre de mouche scorpion)

Enrique Gil Alcubilla Jun 18, 2025

Buenos días con esta foto de detalle de una mosca escorpión. En este caso una Panorpa meridionalis, que ni es mosca ni mucho menos escorpión. Pertenece al primitivo orden Mecoptera.
#insects #insectos #mecoptera #macro #photography #nature #naturaleza #fotografia

Maikel de Bakker May 18, 2025

Macro Marvel: The Intriguing Scorpionfly of Kampina

While exploring the Kampina nature reserve near Oisterwijk, I encountered the fascinating Common Scorpionfly (Panorpa communis), or "beenschorpioenvlieg" in Dutch. Drawn by its distinctive patterned wings and the male's curved, red-tipped abdomen—resembling a scorpion's tail—I was compelled to capture its unique features. Utilizing my Canon 5D Mark III with the Canon MP-E 65mm 5x macro lens, I managed to photograph this elusive insect, despite its tendency to fly off before I could get close.

Scorpionflies are harmless insects belonging to the ancient order Mecoptera, dating back over 250 million years. The male's "tail" is actually a pair of claspers used during mating, not a stinger. These insects are scavengers, feeding on dead insects and sometimes stealing prey from spider webs. Their mating rituals are particularly intriguing; males present females with nuptial gifts, such as dead insects or saliva masses, to increase mating success.

Capturing this image was a rewarding challenge, highlighting the intricate beauty of this often-overlooked insect.

#PanorpaCommunis #Scorpionfly #Beenschorpioenvlieg #MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #CanonMPE65mm #Kampina #Oisterwijk #NoordBrabant #NetherlandsNature #InsectPhotography #WildlifePhotography #Mecoptera #NatureLovers #Entomology #MacroWorld #InsectMacro #FieldPhotography #NatureExploration #Biodiversity