Mecoptera52 species

Family Common Scorpionflies (Panorpidae)

Panorpidae is a family in the order Mecoptera. Browse 52 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Panorpidae (52)

Panorpa acuta

Identification: wing ground color clear, crossveins margined; apical band broken up with small pale spots; pterostigmal band broken, indistinct; marginal spots absent

Panorpa americana

Identification: The only American species with complete wing bands having clean (non-ragged) edges on a hyaline (clear, not colored) background. (Joshua Jones, 9.i.2008)

Panorpa banksi

Identification: wing ground color usually clear (some specimens have faint yellow wing membranes), crossveins margined; apical band dark brown; pterostigmal band broken into small dark brown spots; marginal spots absent

Panorpa claripennis

Identification: wing ground color clear, crossveins lightly margined, apical band dark brown, broken posteriorly; pterostigmal band brown, continuous; basal band reduced to two large spots; marginal spots absent common; appears earlier in the year th

Panorpa debilis

Identification: wing ground color clear, crossveins margined; apical band dark brown, broad anteriorly, narrow posteriorly, sometimes interrupted with clear spots; pterostigmal band brown, continuous; marginal spots absent

Panorpa galerita

Identification: wings with clear background color, crossveins not margined; apical band dark brown, usually continuous but sometimes with clear spots on posterior part; pterostigmal band brown, continuous; marginal spots absent

Panorpa latipennis

Identification: wing ground color clear, crossveins margined; apical band broken, with pale brown and clear spots; pterostigmal band broad anteriorly, narrow posteriorly, interrupted by clear spots (such as large oval spot near costa); marginal spots

Mourning Scorpionfly

Panorpa lugubris

Identification: wings distinctive (black with white bands/spots) locally common

Panorpa mirabilis

Identification: wing background clear, crossveins not margined; apical band dark brown and continuous; pterostigmal band pale to dark brown, continuous; marginal spots absent

Panorpa nebulosa

Identification: wing background clear, crossveins lightly margined; apical band reduced to many small pale spots; pterostigmal band forked but not continuous, broken posteriorly with pale spots; first and second marginal spots absent

Panorpa neglecta

Identification: wing ground color pale yellow, crossveins not margined; apical band brown, usually continuous but sometimes with 1 or 2 clear spots; pterostigmal band brown, continuous, sometimes forked; marginal spots absent

Nuptial Scorpionfly

Panorpa nuptialis

Identification: Large for this genus. Wings distinctive, heavily marked with broad dark bands in ( 3 ) , the name of the author is misspelled and the range is erroneously described

Red Scorpionfly

Panorpa rufa

Identification: Relatively uncommon; closely related to P. nuptialis and P. lugubris . The Y-shaped subapical band distinguishes it from P. nuptialis . (Joshua Jones, pers. comm. 1/9/2008)

Panorpa subfurcata

Identification: wing background clear, crossveins not margined; apical band dark brown, broad anteriorly and narrowed posteriorly, sometimes interrupted with clear spots; pterostigmal band brown, continuous and usually forked; marginal spots variable

Panorpa submaculosa

Identification: forewing background clear, and crossveins margined; apical band brown to dark brown, broken up into spots; pterostigmal band dark brown, not continuous; first marginal spot and second marginal spot absent