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last updated 8.July.2007


Mecoptera and Siphonaptera Image Gallery

Mecoptera is an order of holometabolous insects containing a number of unusual taxa, including scorpionflies, hangingflies, and snow fleas.  Many species, such as the wingless hangingfly Apterobittacus and the green stigma hangingfly Bittacus pictured below, are predaceous.

Recent DNA sequence and morphological evidence strongly implies that fleas (Siphonaptera) evolved from within the Mecoptera.  Fleas may be thought of as Mecopterans that have become highly specialized as external parasites of vertebrates, so I have placed their images in the same gallery.


Click on thumbnails to enlarge. Images will open in a new browser window.

Bittacidae (Hangingflies):

Apterobittacus apterus

Apterobittacus apterus

Apterobittacus apterus

Apterobittacus apterus

Bittacus chlorostigma

Bittacus chlorostigma

Bittacus chlorostigma

Bittacus chlorostigma

Bittacus chlorostigma

Panorpidae (Scorpionflies):

Panorpa sp.

Panorpa sp.

Panorpa sp.

Siphonaptera (Fleas):

Deer flea (Pulicidae)

Deer flea (Pulicidae)


 

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