Skorpionnitsa: lifestyle and body structure of unusual insects

Among the amazing creatures of nature, the scorpion girl occupies a worthy place. The arthropod insect has several characteristic features. The first is the coracoid outgrowth on the head, the second is the male genitalia, bent up like a scorpion sting. According to recent research, one of the oldest groups has more in common with fleas than with dipterans. Small and medium scorpion women prefer moist places, they can be seen in the forest litter.

Who are scorpions?

The structure of the head is characteristic of the detachment - the front part has turned into a rostrum. This beak-like outgrowth is formed from a chitin capsule covering the forehead (clypeus) and subgenes. The value of rostrum in various species of scorpion fish ranges from 2-3 mm to complete absence. The mouth apparatus is gnawing, its longest element is maxilla. A pair of jaws is designed to tear prey.

The structure of the lower jaw (mandibles) depends on the diet of the insect. In predatory species, the mandibles resemble scissors - they are flat, long, obliquely cut. The jaws of the herbivores are short and thick with two teeth.
Scavengers have an intermediate form of mandibles. Large facet eyes are located on the sides of the head. Between them are three simple eyes and antennas. Scorpion's antennae are olfactory receptors; the organ picks up various odors, directing the insect to a food source or mating partner. The bases of the antennas are yellow, and the main color is brown.

Information. About 800 species of living and 370 fossil scorpion found in the world.

Features of the structure of the wings

Does the scorpion have any wings? Most species have two pairs of long wings with developed venation. At rest, they are laid horizontally, spreading the edges to the sides. The color is spotty or transparent. The membrane is covered with thin hairs. Insects fly poorly, can only cover a short distance. In almost a fifth of known species, wings are reduced, and in some they are completely absent. During the flight, the narrow wings of the insect move alternately. To an outside observer, such a movement looks jagged. Scorpion fly as if falls into the air hole for a moment.

View description

Common Scorpion (Panorpacommunis) - a representative of the squad of scorpion. The group to which the insect belongs is called Panorpa. Its representatives feed on insects. They have an elongated, thin yellow body with black spots on the back and lower abdomen. The length of the insect is 13-15 mm. Legs of a running type, yellowish-brown color. Consist of 5 segments, 2 claws on tarsus. Transparent wings are covered with an intricate pattern of black spots. The wingspan is 35 mm. The abdomen is cylindrical in shape, consists of 10 segments.

Interesting fact. Panorpa adults attack spider webs and select immobilized flies. The hapless owner of the web may himself be a dessert for a predator.

Sexual dimorphism

The male and female of the Scorpion vulgaris are easily distinguished by the structure of the end of the abdomen. In females, it is pointed, and in males, three segments are colored red and bent up.The extreme is greatly inflated, and at the end there is a claw-like organ of copulation. The threatening appearance of the process is associated with a poisonous sting of a scorpion. But this is a protective mimicry from enemies, in fact it is harmless. Whom can the scorpion resemble? It acts on highly organized animals, such as birds.

Spread

The common scorpion is found throughout Europe and Russia. The main habitats are moist broad-leaved forests, meadows and caves. Some species of scorpion fish live in semi-deserts. One of the families - glaciers are found in the Northern Hemisphere. These are small wingless insects that move in leaps. They feel great in the snow, but do not tolerate heat.

Information. Autumn and German scorpionesses are listed in the Red Book of the Leningrad Region.

Lifestyle & Reproduction

Insects are active during the day and evening. You will not meet them, sitting in the sun. Skorpionnitsy prefer to hide in the grass, dense shrubs and leaf litter. Adults fly from May to October. The predatory species that Panorpacommunis belongs to attack any prey of the right size. It can be a caterpillar, butterfly, night moth. In addition to animal food, adults use flower nectar.

Scorpion women are insects with a complete transformation. During mating, males attract partners through the distribution of pheromones. In insects, there is a kind of ritual of courtship. The male offers the female a dead insect or a drop of his saliva as a gift. The partner eats refreshments during mating. The larger the food, the longer the process.

After mating, the female lays eggs on moss and leafy litter. For a favorable development, they need a moist environment. The offspring appears after 7-8 days. Larvae are omnivores, they feed on rotting plant debris, dead and wounded insects, which are found in foliage. The head of the caterpillar is rigid, short antennas and two eyes are noticeable on it. The oral apparatus is well developed. A body 20 mm long consists of convex segments. The thoracic legs are located on the first three segments.

On the abdomen there are 8 fleshy outgrowths - abdominal legs. The body of the larvae is covered with warts. For pupation, the caterpillar burrows into the ground. The pupa is of a free type; under adverse conditions, it falls into diapause. Usually, the process of becoming an adult takes about two weeks.

Scorpion flies are completely harmless creatures and do not harm humans. Small scavengers rid sites of dead insects.