Mecoptera
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 Bittacidae species from Australia
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Mecoptera (from the Greek: meco- = "long", ptera- = "wings") are an order of insects with about 600 species worldwide. Mecoptera are sometimes called scorpionflies after their largest non-flea family, Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stinger of a scorpion. The Bittacidae, or hangingflies, are a prominent family of elongate insects known for their elaborate mating rituals, in which females choose mates based on the quality of gift prey offered by various males.
Recent DNA evidence[citation needed] indicates that fleas, which are traditionally considered to be also of order level as the order Siphonaptera, are instead highly specialized Mecoptera. Grouped together with the fleas, Mecoptera would have about 3000 species.
 Panorpa communis female with prey |
 Panorpa communis male |
 Detail of head |
[edit] References
- Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-82149-5.
- Whiting, M. F. (2002). "Mecoptera is paraphyletic: multiple genes and phylogeny of Mecoptera and Siphonaptera". Zoologica Scripta 31 (1): 93. [1]
