scorpionfly

American  

[skawr-pee-uhn-flahy] / ˈskɔr pi ənˌflaɪ /

Or scorpion fly

noun

• scorpionflies
  plural

1. any of several harmless insects of the order Mecoptera, the male of certain species having a reproductive structure that resembles the sting of a scorpion.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• scorpionflies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scorpionfly

First recorded in 1660–70; scorpion + fly ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scorpionfly scorpionflies

For the female scorpionfly: an extremely large, glittering, nutrient-laced ball of spit, equivalent to 5 percent to 10 percent of a male fly’s body mass.

From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2013

It’s also been suggested that they could be used for fighting between male rivals, which has been observed their male relatives from the Panorpa genus of scorpionflies.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 26, 2013