Bittacidae

Definition

A family of scorpionflies (order Mecoptera) characterized by elongated, slender bodies and raptorial hind legs adapted for seizing prey while hanging from vegetation. Adults are predatory, typically capturing small arthropods in flight or from substrates. The family comprises the hangingflies, distinguished from other Mecoptera by their obligate hanging posture during feeding and rest, and from the related Panorpidae (true scorpionflies) by the absence of an enlarged, recurved male abdomen.

Etymology

From Latin *bittacus* (a variant of *byrrhus*, a type of insect) + *-idae* (family suffix)

Example

Male Bittacidae offer captured prey as nuptial gifts to females during courtship, a behavior that has made species such as *Bittacus italicus* important models for studying sexual selection and foraging economics in predatory insects.

Synonyms

• Hangingflies
• hanging scorpionflies

Related Terms

• Mecoptera
• Panorpidae
• scorpionfly
• raptorial leg
• Nuptial gift

Usage Notes

The common name 'hangingfly' refers specifically to this family and reflects their distinctive behavior of hanging by their forelegs; do not apply to other Mecoptera. Distinguish from the superficially similar crane flies (Diptera: Tipulidae) by the presence of two pairs of similar-sized wings and the raptorial hind legs. The family is cosmopolitan but most diverse in tropical and temperate regions.