Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis

Called just the Scorpion Fly in the UK but the Common Scorpion Fly to distinguish from a few hundred worldwide species, they are named after the anal claspers of the male (above left), which do not sting but are used to hold the female during mating. The female (above right) has a curled up red end to the abdomen, which also is not a stinger but an ovipositor.

Not True Flies (Diptera), they are slightly more related to flightless fleas. There are 3 species in the UK: P. communis, P. germanica and P. cognata, the small visible difference being in the tail end. All have black and lime green striped bodies, attractive black and white wings with dark veins, lime yellow collars and an extremely long proboscis.

The Scorpion Fly is not aggressive, but one of Nature's recyclers, eating mainly dead insect carcases (sometimes stolen from spiders' webs) and some live small insects such as aphids. The male gives the female a gift of a dead insect for her to eat while mating. Their larvae look like caterpillars.