Panorpa communis | |
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P. communis male with prey | |
P. communis female | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Mecoptera |
Family: | Panorpidae |
Genus: | Panorpa |
Species: | P. communis
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Binomial name | |
Panorpa communis |
Panorpa communis, the common scorpionfly, [1] is a species of scorpionfly.
This species is native to Europe (Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, and European Russia) [2] and Northern Asia. [3] [4] [5]
These scorpionflies can be usually found in hedgerows and patches of nettle. [6]
Panorpa communis can reach a body length of about 30 millimetres (1.2 in). [6] The common scorpionfly has a black and yellow body, with a reddish head and tail. The male has a pair of claspers at the end of its tail (for holding the female during mating), [6] giving it a scorpion-like appearance, [6] although it is not a stinger.
The adult insect has a wingspan of about 35 millimetres (1.4 in), [6] with wings that are mostly clear, but have many dark spots or patches. Its head, mounted with large eyes, is drawn into a prominent, downward pointing beak, [6] which opens at the tip of its head. Females are longer, heavier, and have longer legs than males. [7]
In the female, the eighth abdominal segment is the shortest, almost twice shorter than the seventh; the sixth is narrowed towards the back. [8] The larva resembles a caterpillar and grows up to 20 millimetres (0.79 in) long. It has three pairs of thoracic legs and eight pairs of prolegs. [9]
The adult is seen between May and September. [6] They eat dead insects (although they sometimes eat live aphids), sometimes taking them from spider webs [6] and plant sap. [10]
Although fully winged, the adults rarely fly very far and spend much of their time crawling on vegetation in damp, shaded places near water and along hedgerows. Panorpa communis is a univoltine species. [6] Eggs are laid in soil annually and the larvae both scavenge and pupate there. [6]
Males release pheromones and offer nuptial gifts to females in the form of saliva secretions and nuptial prey (usually dead arthropods). [11] Before offering the nuptial gifts, the male and female, perform ritualized premating behavior, which includes slow wing movements, accompanied by brief sequences of rapid vibrations from their abdomen. [11] The mating success of females increases with the size of nuptial gifts offered by the male. [11]
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