Harpobittacus australis
Hangingfly at Sth Tablelands Ecosystem Park
Identify this sighting
| Harpobittacus australis | MichaelMulvaney | 4 Dec 2023 | |
| Harpobittacus australis | AndyRussell | 3 Dec 2023 |
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1 comment
4 Dec 2023
I looked up information on this species. Fascinating for sure.
From ALA: 'Scorpion Fly males hang on to vegetation by their front legs and use their hindlegs to catch passing insects. The male presents the female with an insect offering before they mate. The female drops cube-shaped eggs on the ground and when the caterpillars (larvae) hatch, they feed on dead insects. They are not true flies. '
Thanks for posting image.
From ALA: 'Scorpion Fly males hang on to vegetation by their front legs and use their hindlegs to catch passing insects. The male presents the female with an insect offering before they mate. The female drops cube-shaped eggs on the ground and when the caterpillars (larvae) hatch, they feed on dead insects. They are not true flies. '
Thanks for posting image.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.066766-35.285900
- Maps Sth Tablelands Ecosystem Park
- Places Molonglo Valley, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 1 Dec 2023 03:37 PM Recorded on
- AndyRussell Recorded by
- Leptospermum obovatum Associated plant
- 25mm to 50mm Animal size
- Unknown Gender
- Alive / healthy Animal health
- Waiting for prey to capture Insect behaviour on flower
Collections
- AndyRussell Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Harpobittacus australis Scorpionflies and Hangingflies (Mecoptera) Other insects Insects
Species information
- Harpobittacus australis Scientific name
- Hangingfly Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1652m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
Quality score
4 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description