Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Scorpionfly: Panorpa germanica?

Posted by nick upton on 03-01-2011 12:55
#14

Many thanks Janet for describing your scorpionfly stalking exploits! I think I'll try to spend more time watching them this year as well, and will be more alert to which species I may be seeing (and when - thanks Juergen) and maybe where. I'd be very interested to see their weird courtship behaviour, involving pheromones, spitball gifts for females and courtship gifts too (see http://www.evolution.uni-bonn.de/PDF_Dateien/Engqvist%20&%20Sauer%20Ethology%202003.pdf). I was involved in filming the related hanging fly Hylobittacus (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) many years ago in the US, in which the male grabs small insect prey with grasping back feet, then emits pheromones and offers the gift to approaching females. I did have some good success photographing somewhat similar behaviour in Empids (Empis opaca)last year http://www.diptera.info/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=30071, with dense clusters of males busy catching aerial prey (mostly bibionids) and then pairing up with females in flight before hanging on grass stems to mate. I'm more of a behaviourist than a taxonomist so get more interested and spend more time watching when stuff is happening!