Scorpionflies, Hangingflies, and Allies

Hangingfly (Mecoptera: Bittacidae: likely Bittacus sp.) from Iowa. These predatory insects get their name from their habit of hanging from vegetation with their front pair of legs, and seizing prey with the bottom two pairs.

Scorpionfly (Mecoptera: Panorpidae: Panorpa sp.) They are thought to be a relatively recently diverged order, closely related to fleas and the true flies, only about 130 million years old (compared to the earliest insects, thought to be over 400 million years old).