Mecoptera or Scorpion flies By Myles and Ayesha

Introduction This is a Power Point all about “Scorpion Flies” have a look through it and hope u like it and learn some new stuff!

Basic Anatomy This is a dissected snow scorpion fly which is a special breed of the scorpion fly found mostly in Tasmania. Scorpion flies have a long segmented body called the thorax. The abdomen of the male curls around like a scorpion tail. It has 6 legs, the back ones being longer than the front ones. It has two pairs of wings which are large and lacy, the wings are usually clear with dark veins. It has a fairly long proboscis and two antennae.

Life Cycle A life cycle of Scorpion flies is varied because there are different species but in most cases the male attracts the female with pheromones (a kind of hormone that scorpion flies and maybe some other insects have) and offers her an insect meal he has previously caught. It is thought this food is required by the female to assist with egg development. Eggs are usually deposited in the soil or moist leaf litter, while some species are aquatic and eggs are laid in the water. Babies develop through 3 stages lasting approximately one month each before going into a cocoon for up to several months within a chamber in the soil. Adults hatch in spring or autumn depending on the type of scorpion fly they are.

Habitat Scorpion flies would rather cool, moist environments and are common around mountain and coastal regions of the country, also some species are found in the more marshy areas of inland Australia. Adults can often be seen hanging from low vegetation waiting for a chance to capture passing prey with there 2 hind legs.