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The
Diversity of The World of Life
True
Insects (Insecta)
Scorpionflies etc.
(Mecoptera)
Representatives
Scorpionflies
Hangingflies
Earwigflies
Biology
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF KNOWN SPECIES WORLDWIDE
400
DESCRIPTION
Scorpionflies are small- to medium-sized, usually slender
and soft-bodied. The antennae are threadlike, about
1/2 as long as the entire body. The
chewing mouthparts are at the end of a long, characteristic long snout. The legs are usually long and slender.
The two pairs of wings, usually present, are similar in size and
shape (long and narrow), membranous with many cross veins, and often
marked with dark spots or bands. Although
the sex organs at the tail-end of some of the males look like the stinger
of a scorpion, scorpionflies do not sting (or even bite us human beings).
METAMORPHOSIS
The larvae usually look like caterpillars
or grubs. A pupa forms before the
adult.
HABITATS
The larvae live in or on the soil or in moss, and the
adults usually live in areas thick with vegetation.
FOODS
The larvae feed on such organic matter as dead insects; and
the adults scavenge wastes, eat a wide variety of foods, or prey on other
insects.
DAMAGES/BENEFITS
Scorpionflies have little economic impact.
True
Insects (Insecta)
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