Scorpionflies Are A Thing, But They're Not As Terrifying As They Look

Aug 01, 2019 by apost team

Many people are frightened of bugs and run when they see a wasp headed their direction. If you’re one of those people, then you probably want to shut your eyes and look away from this picture, because it turns out that there is something called a “scorpionfly” and it looks horrific!

With long wings and a tail that curls over their back, the scorpionfly could easily fit into a sci-fi movie. Surprisingly enough, these frightening creatures of the air are nothing more than flies with genitalia that looks like a stinger. That’s right – it’s their, uh, private parts that give off the look of a long tail and a stinger.

As weird as it sounds, scorpionflies are not known to hurt humans and do little more than awkwardly fly around in a slow manner. If it’s not weird enough for a bug to have genitals that look like a scorpion’s tail, it gets even stranger when you hear about their mating process.

apost.com

To be chosen by a female, the male scorpionfly has to find her a food gift to present. If the female accepts the gift, she then eats it while they are mating. The male often adds to the meal with a little extra of his saliva. If eating a spit-covered snack while mating isn’t strange enough, these bugs take it a step farther – their favorite place to do the deed is on deceased human bodies.

According to a study conducted by the Entomological Society of America, the bugs are attracted to fresh dead bodies, which means they can possibly be used to help forensic scientists in the future. After mating, the scorpionflies continue to live in pairs; however, they aren’t very social. Generally, the male and female just like to hang out together.

These guys might look like something straight out of a Sci-Fi film, but they're pretty harmless towards humans - nothing to lose sleep over tonight! 

Have you ever seen a scorpionfly? Leave your thoughts in the comment section, then ask your friends to read the article and tell what they think of these nasty but amazing creatures.