Mecoptera (from the
Greek:
meco- = "long",
-ptera = "wings") are an order of
insects with about 550 species in nine families worldwide. Mecoptera are sometimes called
scorpionflies after their largest family,
Panorpidae, in which the males have enlarged genitals that look similar to the stinger of a
scorpion. The
Bittacidae, or hangingflies, are a prominent family of elongate insects known for their elaborate mating rituals, in which females choose mates based on the quality of gift prey offered by various males.
