Panorpa communis, the common scorpionfly, is a species of scorpionfly native to Western Europe. The picture has been made in our own garden while the fly was busy doing its own business, with magnification factor 8 and f/8 using a Canon 7D, a Canon MP-E 65 mm/f2.8 and a Canon 2x teleconverter.
The common scorpionfly has a black and yellow body, with a reddish head and tail. The male has a pair of claspers at the end of its tail (for holding the female during mating), giving it a scorpion-like appearance, although it is not a stinger. The adult insect has a wingspan of about 35 millimetres (1.4 in), with wings that are mostly clear, but have many dark spots or patches. Its head, mounted with large eyes, is drawn into a prominent, downward pointing beak, which opens at the tip of its head.
