Panorpa species may look like dangerous scorpions, but the tail is actually the genital organ of the males and the insects are quite harmless. These scorpionflies are members of a prehistoric order of insects, the Mecoptera (meaning ‘long-wing’); it is thought that the order contained some of the first pollinating insects which, over time, have evolved both into true flies, butterflies and moths. One of the most numerous of the present day scorpionflies in the UK is Panorpa communis, which may be found throughout the summer on stinging nettles and bramble present in hedgerows and along woodland edges.
These fearsome-looking insects are mostly scavengers on decaying vegetation and the soft bodies of dead invertebrates, sometimes raiding spider webs to feed with their beak-like mouthparts on trapped insects and even taking the spiders themselves. The insect food collected will prove beneficial to the male during mating. After attracting a female by the emission of a wind-borne pheromone, the male will present her with this ‘nuptial gift’ to placate her and avoid being eaten by the female during mating.
Eggs are laid in a moist environment, and the emerging larvae will also feed on dead and decaying organic matter or scavenge for dead insects.
This is a focus stacked composite image.
