What do hanging-flies and scorpion-flies look like?

Hanging-flies and scorpion-flies belong to the insect Order Mecoptera.

Size:

• Wingspan up to 50 mm across.

Body:

• Column-like or widest at wing attachment ('wide shoulders') tapering past this point.
• Head with a beak-like extension.
• Appears soft and fragile.

Antennae:

• Thread-like, with many segments and longer than half their body length.

Eyes:

• Large, bulging and well separated.

Mouthparts:

• For chewing or munching.
• Located at the tip of beak-like extension of the head.
• Held downwards at rest.

Wings:

• Two pairs if present (though rarely absent).
• Both pairs are similar in size, membranous, clear, and have numerous cross-veins forming mainly rectangular cells.
• At rest most hold their wings tent-like above their body though some species overlap them.

Limbs:

• Six legs, very long and slender.
• Have large spines at joints.
• Often have large claws for grabbing onto prey and plants.

Abdomen tip:

• Cerci (tails) absent.
• Males have claspers, which are used to hold onto the female during mating.
• In some groups the abdomen is raised similar to the stinging tail of a scorpion hence the common name scorpion-fly.

Where are hanging-flies and scorpion-flies found?

• Usually around moist environments or adjacent to open water. Some however are found in drier habitats.
• On herbs and low shrubs that have many leaves. Occasionally amongst tall grasses or on flower heads.
• One wingless species can be found on snow (Tasmania only).

What do hanging-flies and scorpion-flies do?

• They are solitary.
• When disturbed they fly away, flying only in short bursts.
• They tend to be weak, slow, flapping fliers.
• Hanging-flies hang from plants by their forelegs waiting to catch prey with their hind legs.
• Both hanging-flies and scorpion-flies tend to be predators preying on flies, moths, bees, spiders and various larvae. Some are also scavengers taking nectar as they hunt.
• They are active during the day.

What looks similar?

• Lacewings can have a beak-like extension of the head but it is never as long as you would see in a hanging-fly or a scorpion-fly. Lacewings are distinguished by the forked veins along the margins of their wings.
• Alderflies/dobsonflies are easily distinguished as they lack a beak-like extension of head.
• Crane flies (order Diptera, family Tipulidae) are often confused with hanging-flies as they have long legs and have a habit of hanging on plants. Craneflies can be distinguished by only having one pair of fully functional wings.