Scientists Have Discovered a Bizarre New Species of Scorpionflies

A newly discovered species of large scorpionfly from Nepal named Lulilan obscurus. Credit:
University of Göttingen/R Willmann

An entomologist has identified a new species of large insect from Nepal with odd genitalia.

Zoologist Professor Rainer Willmann, previously the head of the Zoological Museum at the University of Göttingen, has identified and classified a new genus of scorpionflies from Nepal, naming it “Lulilan.” His findings have been published in the journal Contributions to Entomology.

“The appearance of the newly discovered scorpionflies could hardly be more bizarre,” says Willmann. The males have a spindly, extremely elongated abdomen, at the end of which is a large organ – with long, grasping pincers – for mating. The insects have a body length of more than three centimeters, meaning they are particularly large. The insects were captured by the Mainz zoologist Professor Jochen Martens and his colleague from Stuttgart Dr. Wolfgang Schawaller. Until now, only one such species was known and that was discovered exactly 200 years ago.

In addition to the long head, characteristic of all scorpionflies, its very elongated abdomen is striking. It is described by Emeritus Professor Rainer Willmann, University of Göttingen, together with other species that make up a new genus of scorpionfly named Lulilan. Credit: University of Göttingen/R Willmann

“Despite their dangerous-sounding name, scorpionflies are completely harmless to humans,” says Willmann. Their name comes from their spherical genital segment, which looks like the sting of a scorpion. They also have a distinctive, elongated head. In Europe, there are only a few species of scorpionflies. “More species of Lulilan probably exist in Nepal and the surrounding regions,” Willmann says. So far, only the females of some types are known. Unlike the males, however, the females have none of these characteristic features, meaning that classification is more difficult.

From the scorpionflies that have already been described, only the genus Leptopanorpa, which is native to Sumatra, Java, and Bali, has developed such a distinctive abdomen. However, it is not closely related to Lulilan. “This is an amazing example where similar characteristics emerge independently, perhaps in response to similar evolutionary pressures,” says Willmann.

Reference: “Neue Skorpionsfliegen (Mecoptera, Panorpidae) aus Nepal” by Rainer Willmann, 5 December 2022, Contributions to Entomology.
DOI: 10.3897/contrib.entomol.72.e97277