Download Howdy, BugFans, Caution – This episode may set a record for

Howdy, BugFans,
Caution – This episode may set a record for unrequited Spell Check alerts (it also contains a chaste
scientific word referring to reproductive structures).
When BOTW was in its infancy, its 14th episode featured Scorpionflies, a weird and wonderful group
belonging in the small Order Mecoptera (about 500 species, world-wide). Today the BugLady is revisiting
Scorpionflies (family Panorpidae) because they have been revisiting her. The young lady in these portraits
(Panorpa helenae (probably)) flew into the BugLady’s family room on a recent June night and
cooperatively strutted her stuff on a piece of paper and on the BugLady’s finger. For some dynamite
pictures of Scorpionflies (and of the astonishing Snow Scorpionfly) go to bugguide.net and type scorpionfly
into the search box. Then do the same with Hangingflies. At any rate, the BugLady did not do them
justice the first time around. Insufficient scholarship.
So. Scorpionflies and their relatives the Hangingflies (crane fly look-alikes that eat crane flies and are the
only insects known to catch their prey with their hind legs), and the Snow Scorpionflies (which resemble
hi-gloss springtails), and Earwigflies (which have earwig-like claspers on their abdomen) (Mother Nature
does, indeed, have a sense of humor) all belong to the Order Mecoptera. The Order is so varied that
some entomologists are itching to carve it up into multiple Orders. “Mecoptera” means “long wings,” and
except for some wingless species, Mecopterans have four of them, but are weak flyers. Crane flies and
other true flies (Diptera) have two wings followed by two short-stalked knobs (haltares) which are
vestigial wings used as balance organs.
Scorpionflies get their name from the males of one family,
which have on their abdomen an up-turned tip (a.k.a.
enlarged, bulbous genitalia) that resembles a scorpion’s tail
(but they neither sting nor bite and are “medically
harmless”). Both genders sport long antennae, compound
eyes, and a trunk-like snout that has chewing mouthparts at
its end.
Secretive scorpionflies are most often seen ducking under
leaves in dense, shady, cool vegetation or near wetlands.
Adults feed on ripe fruit, fruit juice, nectar, pollen, and on
dead and dying insects, and they can snitch insects out of spider webs without getting stuck. The larvae
are omnivores. Both stages are saprophagous (“feeding on dead, decaying organic material” - remember
the carrion beetles).
When a young scorpionfly’s thoughts turn to romance, he will exude a scent called a pheromone and
quiver his wings at the girl of his dreams. He also presents her with a “nuptial meal” – in the case of the
Panorpids, it is a dense wad of saliva which she eats during mating (hangingflies present their sweeties
with dead insects, and female hangingflies judge their suitors by the quality of their gifts. There are
accounts of males pretending to be females so they can get a meal). Gift-givers have higher success
rates with the gals, and gift recipients lay more eggs. The BugLady is simply presenting scientific facts,
here.
Scorpionflies practice complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid in the soil; the caterpillar-like larvae (which
are unique in sporting compound eyes) live on the surface of the soil or under leaf litter; and they burrow
back into the soil to pupate.
Mecopterans have long been considered to be closely related to fleas, which are in their own Order, but
fleas are now believed by some scientists to be highly specialized Mecopterans! Entomologists believe,
based on fossil evidence, that extinct Scorpionfly ancestors - the Order was larger and more diverse in the
olden days, 250 million years ago - are common ancestors of fleas, caddisflies, flies, and
butterflies/moths. Quite a lineage for this odd and unassuming little insect.
The Bug Lady
P.S. Speaking of old episodes, more than 80 episodes of BOTW, plus some reruns, have “aired” since it’s
humble beginnings. Old episodes are now being archived in random order by the UWM Field Station
(http://www4.uwm.edu/fieldstation) (look in the “Natural History of the Bog” section and by Riveredge
Nature Center (riveredgenaturecenter.org) (the link is usually easy to spot). Both are informative
websites, so browse a bit while you’re there. The Riveredge archives may occasionally be “gently
censored” in order to protect innocent maidens and kiddies. As always, the BugLady owns the typos.