Bug FAQScorpionfly
Panorpa cognata · Order: Mecoptera · Family: Panorpidae
Panorpa cognata has reddish occiput, black-marked wings and a striped abdomen with an orange tip. Its fore-wings measure about 10 to 15 mm and adults appear from May to July. It lives in hedges and woods across the British Isles (except Ireland), western Europe, Russia and northern Asia, feeding on dead insects and carrion.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The fore-wing length ranges from 10 to 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They usually inhabit hedges and woods.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Females in good condition receive sperm faster and more of it than poorer females, because their larval nutrition influences sperm transfer. Longer copulations cause females to wait longer before they will mate again.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are visible from May through July.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What does Panorpa cognata eat?
Both the larvae and adults feed mainly on dead insects and carrion.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does Panorpa cognata live?
It lives in hedges and woods across the British Isles (except Ireland), western Europe, Russia and northern Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Panorpidae)
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Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panorpa_cognata
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Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.