Fig Longhorn vs American Scorpionfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Fig Longhorn American Scorpionfly
Scientific Name Pelargoderus bipunctatus Panorpa nuptialis
Order Coleoptera Mecoptera
Family Cerambycidae Panorpidae
Size 25-40 mm 18-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions East Africa, Southern Africa Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Fig Longhorn

A large African cerambycid with a yellowish-brown body and two conspicuous dark spots on the pronotum. It breeds in fig trees and other Moraceae in savanna woodlands. Adults are nocturnal and powerful fliers.

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Did You Know?

Large emergence holes in fig tree trunks made by this beetle are later used as nesting cavities by small birds.

American Scorpionfly

A large scorpionfly found in the southeastern United States with prominent wing spots. Males engage in elaborate courtship rituals involving nuptial gifts.

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Did You Know?

This species was key to discovering that nuptial gift-giving in scorpionflies helps males avoid being eaten by females.