They have a yellow body with two pairs of black and yellow striped wings
This wild insect is called a scorpionfly. These small to medium sized insects are visually distinct. They have a yellow body with two pairs of black and yellow striped wings. They have very long antennae and an elongated head. Scorpionflies get their name from the way males raise their genitals over their body in a manner similar to a scorpion raising its stinger. Scorpionflies are not dangerous to people. They cannot sting you with their tail. They do not bite humans. They are insects who prey upon other insects, as you can see in this photo.
Scorpionflies can be found throughout the United States, but prefer wet environments to dry environments. This photo was taken on a hot summer day in McConnells Mill State Park in Western Pennsylvania. We were hiking adjacent to a creek and I noticed this large yellow insect preying upon a fly. I was able to take a handful of photos before the scorpionfly grabbed the carcass and flew away. In the moment, I didn’t think much of it. Later on, when I was reviewing my photos I noticed how cool this insect really was. That is the beauty of macro photography, it is often closer and clearer than how your eye saw it.
McConnells Mill State Park is ~2,500 acres of Pennsylvania wilderness. There is a scenic gorge as well as a restored watermill and covered bridge. Check out other photos from McConnells Mill State Park.
Female scorpionflies are gold diggers. Male scorpionflies present the female scorpionflies with nuptial gifts (dead insects) to impress the females. The bigger the gift the better the chance the female chooses that male for mating.
The bigger the gift the better the chance the female chooses that male for mating
Did you know?
- Scorpionflies are arthropods. Other arthropods include ticks, spiders, and mites.
- The scorpionfly diet primarily consists of other insects.
- Scorpionflies are nocturnal!
- Scorpionflies are most closely related to fleas and flies
- Scorpionflies grow to 3 cm.
- The best time to see scorpionflies is from May to September.
- Scorpionflies steal trapped insects from spider webs.
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