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Scorpion Fly


Scorpion Fly
Photo Information
Copyright: Iulian Gherghel (IulianGherghel) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 155 W: 1 N: 349] (1282)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-03
Categories: Insects
Camera: Konica Minolta Dimage Z10, 2 GB, SD card
Exposure: f/3.2, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Final Version, Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-07-22 12:05
Viewed: 480
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Classification:
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Superclass Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Subclass Pterygota (Winged Insects)
Order Mecoptera (Scorpionflies, Hangingflies and Allies)
Family Panorpidae (Common Scorpionflies)

Explanation of Names
SCORPIONFLIES: refers to the appearance of the male's 3-segmented terminal appendage, which is held in an upward recurved position, and the last segment is bulbous at the base and sharply pointed at the tip, like a scorpion's stinger [scorpionflies do not sting]
PANORPIDAE: from the Greek "pan" (all) + "horpo" (a sickle); refers to the sickle-shaped curve in the terminal appendage of all males

Size
body 9-25 mm

Identification
Adult: head with elongated rostrum ("beak"); body typically yellowish-brown; 2 pair of wings, usually spotted or banded, and held in swept-back position at rest, giving V-shaped profile viewed from above
male abdominal appendage is described above; female abdomen tapers to slender tip, bearing two small finger-like cerci

Larva: resembles a caterpillar - head sclerotized (hardened); body nearly membranous, with setae (hairs) projecting from dorsal and lateral surfaces of abdominal segments; 3 pairs of conical thoracic legs; 8 pairs of smaller prolegs on first 8 abdominal segments

Range
eastern North America
the genus Panorpa also occurs throughout Eurasia and in Mexico

Habitat
variable: low shrubs and ground cover in densely-vegetated woodlands, often near water or wet seeps; grasslands; cultivated fields; forest borders
adults are usually seen resting on leaves less than a metre from the ground

Season
May to September

Food
adults feed mostly on dead or dying insects, rarely on fruit or nectar
larvae are scavengers, feeding on soft-bodied dead insects

Life Cycle
eggs are laid in the soil; newly-hatched larvae feed for a month or more, passing through 4 instars, then prepare a cavity in the soil to enter a resting stage which lasts for about 5 weeks; larvae then enter the pupa stage, which lasts 2 or 3 weeks in species that become adults in late summer, or several months in species that overwinter and emerge as adults in the spring

Remarks
Mating behavior begins with the male offering some kind of food, such as a dead insect or, often, a short column of a brown salivary secretion that becomes gelatinous as it dries in the air. The male also emits a pheromone (an air-borne chemical signal) from vesicles within the enlarged ninth abdominal segment. A female is attracted to the pheromone or the food, whereupon the male grasps the end of her abdomen with the claw-like appendages on his genital segment (dististyles). He also clamps the costal (front) edge of one of the female's forewings in a structure on the mid-dorsal part of his abdominal segments 3 and 4 (the notal organ). Mating then takes place as the female feeds.

by http://bugguide.net/node/view/9216
jaycee, nglen, jonathan_hart, Silvio2006, gracious, ppmiranda, Proframe, JORAPAVI, mikou has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

what a strange insect that is the scorpion fly !
you captured it from a good POV
nicely composed, good shot ;)
regards
jo

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2079 W: 6 N: 2088] (13475)
  • [2007-07-22 12:25]

Hola amigo,
extraño insecto,
perfecta nitidez y compo,
saludos

Hello Julian,
I was very interested to find out about this insect! I had never heard of one before! However, the photograph is so beautifully detailed that I am sure I would know one if I saw it! It's nice to see something of its habitat. Good dof.
Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Muito interessante o animal e muito boa a sua foto.

Helo Julian,
Love this excelent composition in wich you gave the scorpion fly lots of space and did show him in his natural envoirement.
Exposure is spot on and colors and details are wonderful.
Personally I would have added a little more sharpnes by using the smart unsharp mask option in photoshop.
Did try it out overhere on my compu and you will see that clarity and details pop up even more and do get more beautiful than they already are.
Thanks for sharing.
Kindest regards,
Harry

Hello Iulian,
My first encounter with this sort of fly!
good pov with sharpness, real colour and details in it!
thank you for the useful note for knowing the insect more!
thanks for sharing
Tony

Hola Iulian,
Preciosa macro de bella composición y gran nitidez, saludos
José Ramón

Hi Iulian, splendid scorpion fly with wonderful colors, excellent sharpness and lovely details, interesting complete note, bravo! very well done, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1859 W: 8 N: 4820] (15621)
  • [2007-07-23 7:17]

Hi Iulian,

We have lots of scorpions here but I have never heard of a scorpion fly. I thank you for both the wonderful picture and notes. Fine details on this interesting looking insect. I like the position on the leaf showing all the legs. Lovely setting and a pretty picture.


Jane

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2085 W: 9 N: 5843] (22132)
  • [2007-07-23 10:31]

Hi Iulian. A very good shot of the unusal insect. very good detail and colour.it has good wing markings which you have captured well. a nive POV. well done TFs. very good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 863 W: 73 N: 1348] (5265)
  • [2007-07-23 12:04]

Hi Iulian.
Well composed capture with excellent point of view.I like primarily his pose,he looks really like scorpion-well captured!Colors and details are beautiful.Very well done.
TFS,with greeting Milos.

Realmente preciosa esta toma por su delicadeza con un enfoque muy cuidado La especie nunca la había visto y tiene unas características curiosas. Buena pose del insecto y una justa y correcta iluminación. Saludos Iulian.

Dear Dr. Julian Gherghel,

Wonderful macro work !
Great job !

Alex

selam julian, wow an excellent shot and very good composition of this lovely s.fly nice pov and bg with splendid colours.really interesting insect Well done ! Regards ridvan

bonjour iulian
tres bonne photo,je n'ai pas encore vu de ces mouches scorpion cette année.
peut etre auriez vous pû la recadrer un peu?
laurent

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