﻿Order 
  MECOPTERA. 
  

  

  The 
  "scorpion 
  flies" 
  are 
  a 
  curious 
  remnant 
  of 
  wliat 
  I 
  believe 
  was 
  the 
  

   ancestral 
  type 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  orders 
  Hymenoptera 
  and 
  Diptera 
  were 
  

   developed. 
  They 
  have 
  narrow, 
  net-veined 
  wings, 
  the 
  cross-veins 
  rather 
  

   few 
  in 
  number, 
  laid 
  flat 
  across 
  the 
  back 
  when 
  at 
  rest. 
  The 
  mouth 
  parts 
  

   are 
  mandibulate 
  and 
  set 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  a 
  proportionately 
  long 
  beak, 
  so 
  

   that 
  the 
  order 
  is 
  readily 
  recognizable. 
  In 
  

   the 
  males 
  of 
  "Panorpa" 
  the 
  abdomen 
  is 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  with 
  a 
  curiously 
  jointed 
  forceps, 
  

   curved 
  upward 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  somewhat 
  re- 
  

   sembles 
  the 
  tail 
  and 
  sting 
  of 
  a 
  scorpion, 
  and 
  

   that 
  gives 
  the 
  order 
  its 
  common 
  name. 
  The 
  

   flies 
  are 
  predatory, 
  and 
  feed 
  on 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  

   small 
  insects. 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  never 
  common 
  in 
  mj' 
  experience, 
  

   but 
  are 
  not 
  really 
  rare, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  locali- 
  

   ties 
  .are 
  freely 
  taken 
  by 
  collectors. 
  The 
  

   species 
  of 
  "Boreus" 
  occur 
  in 
  late 
  winter 
  

   and 
  very 
  early 
  spring, 
  often 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  snow 
  after 
  a 
  short 
  period 
  of 
  mild 
  weather. 
  

   The 
  larvae 
  are 
  caterpillar-like 
  in 
  shape, 
  

   have 
  8 
  pairs 
  of 
  fleshy 
  pro-legs, 
  live 
  in 
  damp 
  

   soil 
  and 
  are 
  predatory 
  in 
  habit. 
  Taken 
  as 
  

   a 
  whole, 
  the 
  order 
  is 
  of 
  no 
  economic 
  im- 
  

   portance, 
  and 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  are 
  at 
  any 
  time 
  injurious, 
  directly 
  or 
  

   indirectly. 
  

  

  I'lg. 
  20. 
  — 
  A 
  

  

  Panorpa 
  sp., 
  sor 
  

   enlarged. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  21. 
  

  

  —Larva 
  of 
  a 
  scorpion 
  

   fly 
  enlarged. 
  

  

  PANORPA 
  Linn. 
  

  

  P. 
  confusa 
  Westw. 
  Orange 
  Mts., 
  Lahaway, 
  Anglesea 
  VII, 
  20 
  (Coll). 
  

  

  P. 
  maculosus 
  Hagen. 
  Hopatcong 
  VII, 
  6, 
  Del. 
  Water 
  Gap 
  VII, 
  12, 
  Green- 
  

   wood 
  Lake 
  V, 
  30, 
  Lakehurst 
  VII, 
  7 
  (Coll); 
  Ft. 
  Lee 
  Dist. 
  IX, 
  9 
  (Bno). 
  

  

  P. 
  nebulosus 
  Westw. 
  Del. 
  Water 
  Gap 
  VII 
  (.Jn); 
  Passaic 
  VI, 
  8 
  (Coll); 
  

   Staten 
  Island 
  VI 
  (Ds). 
  

  

  P. 
  rufescens 
  Ramb. 
  (debilis 
  Westw.) 
  Del. 
  Water 
  Gap 
  VII 
  (Jn) 
  ; 
  Little 
  

   Falls 
  (Ds); 
  Woodbury 
  V, 
  28, 
  Pitman 
  Grove 
  VIII, 
  4 
  (Acad). 
  

  

  P. 
  venosa 
  Westw. 
  Sparta 
  VII 
  (Ds). 
  

  

  BOREUS 
  Latr. 
  

  

  B. 
  brumalis 
  Fitch. 
  Staten 
  Island 
  XII, 
  6 
  (Ds) 
  ; 
  on 
  snow, 
  New 
  York, 
  April. 
  

   B. 
  nivoriundus 
  Fitch. 
  New 
  York, 
  on 
  snow, 
  in 
  early 
  spring. 
  

  

  (65) 
  

  

  