the Scorpion-fly, in zoology, a genus of insects belonging to the order of neuroptera. The rostrum is horny and cylindrical; there are two pappi, and three stemonata; the feelers are longer than the thorax. The body of this insect is of a black brown colour, yellow on the sides, with a few spots of the same on the top. Its tail, formed by the three last segments of the abdomen, is of a maroon-colour; of those three segments, the last is larger, almost round, and terminates in two hooks, which constitutes a tail like that of the scorpion. The wings as long as the body, are diaphanous, reticulated, with fibres and stripes of spots of a brown colour. Sometimes we meet with different varieties of this insect, consisting in the colour of Pantalaria of the wings. Some, instead of several stripes of spots upon their wings, have only a single black stripe, transverse and irregular, situated on the middle of the wing, the extremity whereof is also black; others have their wings entirely white, excepting the extremity, which is black. The kind of forceps that is seen at the hinder part of this insect is used by the males to lay hold of their females in their amorous embraces: the threatening tail of the male does no mischief. This insect is found in meadows, by the side of ditches. There are four species, distinguished by the colour and shape of their wings.