Identify this bug.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

That is a beauty CJ. I love the silky fibres on the edge of the leaf (spider web?) Any idea what the insect is - some kind of hoverfly?

[CJ]

I have no idea who what this is. It does have 4 wings though which means it isn't a fly (look at the end of the right wing). I have a special crew of decorating spiders

[CJ]

Just sent details to Cal at RDF.

[Pappa]

That is a beauty CJ. I love the silky fibres on the edge of the leaf (spider web?) Any idea what the insect is - some kind of hoverfly?

It could be some kind of dragonfly... they don't all have elongated bodies.

Actually forget that, they don't have antennae.

[Psi Wavefunction]

Dragonflies can't fold their wings back IIRC

keying it out...seems to be in order Mecoptera (Scorpionflies and allies)

[Psi Wavefunction]

Do you have a mugshot of the head or anything?

[Pappa]

It's a stonefly... I think...



http://www.amentsoc.org/insects/fact-fi ... ptera.html

I used this to help:

http://www.amentsoc.org/insects/what-bu ... t-key.html

[Psi Wavefunction]

This?

(female scorpionfly; males have massive scorpion-like genitalia, apparently )

[Psi Wavefunction]

perhaps even like something discussed here: http://tristram.squarespace.com/home/20 ... n-fly.html

[AshtonBlack]

Kinda like bird watching....

[Psi Wavefunction]

Kinda like bird watching....

But better. Birds move around too much...

[Pappa]

This?

(female scorpionfly; males have massive scorpion-like genitalia, apparently )

I0 IKUs to Psi.

[Animavore]

I saw one of those scary bastards in the woods up the road once. Didn't know what it was. Bastard made me jump a mile when I saw it sitting there on the ground beside me. We all (me and my mates who were down there smoking the shit) thought it was some queen wasp or something.
I've never seen one before or since.

[Animavore]

They even have freaky sex.

"Food items such as caterpillars, bugs, and flies are offered to be eaten during copulation. The female is first attracted by a pheromone emitted by one or more vesicles or pouches at the end of the male's abdomen. When the female is near, the vesicles are retracted. The female examines the offering while the male searches for her genitalia with his own. If the gift is rejected, the female flies away. If the gift is accepted, the genitalia of the male couples with that of the female, who lowers herself until she is hanging upside down. She consumes the offering during copulation. The male supports the female by holding her legs or the prey. Field observations show that both sexes mate several times per day. Small or unacceptable offerings result in no or a very short copulation time. Duration depends on the size of the gift. It has been observed that prey 3 to 14 mm long will provide 1 to 17 minutes of copulation in Hylobittacus apicalis. Larger H. apicalis give prey the size of houseflies in return for 20 to 29 minutes of copulation. This results in a maximum sperm transfer, increased oviposition, and a refractory period."

[CJ]

This?

(female scorpionfly; males have massive scorpion-like genitalia, apparently )

That's the one! Thanks for that. It was the first time I had ever seen one of these, very spectacular as far as British bugs go!