Nuptial scorpionfly
The nuptial scorpionfly has orange wings with bold black bands. The male's tail curls up over its back like a scorpion's tail. But it is not a scorpion at all, and it cannot sting.
How big is it?
How long is it?
How big is Nuptial scorpionfly compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
It can grow to about 2.5 centimetres long, about as long as a thumb.
The male uses its curly tail when it mates with a female, not for fighting.
It likes shady woods and ravines full of plants.
Most asked questions about Nuptial scorpionfly
?Can a scorpionfly sting?
No. Its tail looks like a scorpion's, but it cannot sting.
?How big is the nuptial scorpionfly?
It grows up to about 2.5 centimetres long.
Myth buster
Myth: The scorpionfly's curled tail is a stinger, like a scorpion's.
Truth: No. The curled tail cannot sting. The male uses it only for mating.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Panorpa nuptialis
- Group
- Other insects
- Family
- Panorpidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Mecoptera > Panorpidae
- Lives on
- North America
Where the facts come from
- Panorpa nuptialis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by xpda. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip
Common earwig
Silverfish
Chigoe flea
Giant earwig
Grannom
Firebrat
Cleopatra butterfly
Southern birdwing
White-legged snake millipede
Tomentose burying beetle
Forest scorpion
Red poplar leaf beetle