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Entomology (Study of Bugs)/some weird bug
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Question
ok i found some crazy looking bug it was about 5:00 p.m in ellis county in texas it has 4 black wings with yellow strips and a tail that resembles a scorpion's tail but at the end it has a pincer. it has 6 legs, its red, and about the size of a wasp. it has a small head with a long mouth part thats similar to a weevil's. so if u know what it is please tell me ive never seen anything like it
Drakor:
You give quite an excellent description of a male scorpion fly (order Mecoptera), specifically Panorpa nuptialis. Females have unmodified "tails," meaning the tip of the abdomen in this case. The "pincers" are actually the claspers, part of the male's genitalia.
Scorpionflies are not true flies. They are harmless, and either predatory or scavengers on other small insects. Some species even feed on insects trapped in spider webs.
You can learn more about scorpionflies at:
http://www.bugguide.net
and in my new book, the "Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America." Thanks for your question.
Eric Eaton
http://community.webtv.net/bugeric/BugEric
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Answers by Expert:
Eric R. Eaton
Expertise
I can answer most questions related to wasps, solitary bees, grasshoppers and katydids, beetles, cicadas, and spiders, and identification of "mystery bugs" in North America. No "what bit me?" or "what do I feed this bug in captivity?" questions please.
Experience
Principal author, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Professional entomologist employed previously at University of Massachusetts, Chase Studio, Inc., and Cincinnati Zoo; contract work for West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Smithsonian Institution, and Portland (Oregon) State University.
Organizations
Entomological Society of America, National Association of Science Writers
Publications
Author, Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Missouri Conservationist magazine, Ranger Rick, Timeline (journal of the Ohio Historical Society). I have contributed to several books as well.
Education/Credentials
Oregon State University, undergraduate major in entomology, did not receive degree.
Past/Present Clients
Principal author of the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, Smithsonian Institution (contract), Cincinnati Zoo (employer), Portland State University (contract), Chase Studio, Inc (employer), Arkansas Museum of Discovery (guest speaker). Currently seeking employment in a highly creative work environment with a media corporation or non-profit.
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