Panorpa is a genus of scorpionflies that is widely dispersed, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. However, they do not occur in western North America. Thirteen species occur in eastern Canada.
About 260 species are described .
Larvae and adults feed on carrion.
The species P. vulgaris, has become a model insect for testing theories of sexual selection as its mating system has been noted to be similar to that of humans in some aspects. Studies show that both sexes of the species display mating preferences for direct (e.g. nuptial gifts) and indirect benefits (e.g. genetic benefits) to increase reproductive success. The production of nuptial gifts during copulation in males (e.g. salivary secretion) and high nutritional condition in females are indicators of "good foraging genes", an indirect benefit that individuals look for in their partners. These genetic benefits can increase fitness in offspring and improve their foraging ability.
The life-cycle of Panorpa nuptialis and its habits, have become of interest in the field of forensic entomology.
Species This list is basically adapted from the World Checklist of extant Mecoptera species: Panorpa and complete . Panorpa acanthophylla Zhou, 2006 (China: Guizhou) Panorpa accola Byers, 2011 (Mexico: Guerrero) Panorpa acicularis Byers, 2001 (Mexico: Oaxaca) Panorpa aculeata Byers, 2001 (Mexico: Oaxaca) Panorpa acuminata Byers, 1993 (USA: Georgia) Panorpa acuta Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) Panorpa akasakai Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa alata Zhou & Zhou, 2005 (USA: Georgia) Panorpa alpina Rambur, 1842 (Europe) Panorpa amamiensis Miyamoto & Makihara, 1984 (Japan) Panorpa americana Swederus, 1787 (USA: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia) Panorpa amurensis MacLachlan, 1872 (Korea, Russia: Far Eastern Province)
Panorpa anfracta Ju & Zhou, 2003 (China: Zhejiang) Panorpa angustistriata Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa annexa MacLachlan, 1869 (France, Germany, Sicily, Italy) Panorpa annexa latina Navás, 1928 (Italy) Panorpa annexa subalpina Navás, 1928 (Italy) Panorpa annexa etrusca Willmann, 1976 (Italy) Panorpa anomala Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Wisconsin) Panorpa anrenensis Chou & Wang, 1987 (China: Hunan) Panorpa antiporum Nagler, 1968 (Romania) Panorpa apiconebulosa Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa apiculata Byers, 2000 (Mexico: Michoacan) Panorpa appalachia Byers, 2002 (USA: North Carolina) Panorpa approximata Esben-Petersen, 1915 (Korea) Panorpa arcuata (Navás, 1912) (Russia: Far East) Panorpa aspoecki Willmann, 1973 (Turkey) Panorpa attenuata Byers, 1996 (Mexico: San Luis Potosí) Panorpa aurea Cheng, 1957 (China: Fujian, Zhejiang) Panorpa azteca Byers, 1958 (Mexico: D.F., Mexico) Panorpa babai Miyamoto, 1979(Japan: Echigo) Panorpa banksi Hine, 1901 (USA: Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, South Carolina) Panorpa banksiana Penny & Byers, 1979 (USA: North Carolina, New Jersey) Panorpa baohwashana Cheng, 1957 (China: Jiangsu) Panorpa bashanicola Hua, Tao & Hua, 2018 (China: Shaanxi) Panorpa bichai Byers, 1993 (USA: Indiana, Tennessee) Panorpa biclada Zhang & Hua, 2012 (China: Shaanxi, Hubei) Panorpa bicornuta MacLachlan, 1887 (Japan) Panorpa bifasciata Chou & Wang, 1981 (China: Shaanxi, Hubei) Panorpa bifida Carpenter, 1935 (USA: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) Panorpa bimacula Byers, 1996 (Mexico: Oaxaca) Panorpa bistriata Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa braueri Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Arkansas, Missouri) Panorpa brevititilana Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa bunun Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa capillata Byers, 1996 (USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee) Panorpa carolinensis Banks, 1905 (USA: North Carolina, Tennessee) Panorpa carpenteri Cheng, 1957 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa caucasica MacLachlan, 1869 (Iran, Iraq) Panorpa changbaishana Hua, 2008 (China: Jilin, Liaoning) Panorpa chengi Chou, 1981 (China: Shaanxi) Panorpa cheni Cheng, 1957 (China: Zhejiang) Panorpa chiensis Cheng, 1953 (Korea) Panorpa choctaw Byers, 1993 (USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee) Panorpa choui Zhou & Wu, 1993 (China: Zhejiang) Panorpa cladocerca Navás, 1935 (China: Jiangxi) Panorpa claripennis Hine, 1901 (USA (Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia), Canada: Quebec) Panorpa clavigera Klapálek, 1902 (Hercegovina) Panorpa cognata Rambur, 1842 (England, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden) Panorpa cognata osellai Willmann, 1976 (Italy)
Panorpa communis Linnaeus, 1758 (Andorra, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, England, Spain) Panorpa communis raehlei Lauterbach, 1970 (Europe) Panorpa concolor Esben-Petersen, 1915 (Taiwan) Panorpa confinis Byers, 1993 (USA: Alabama, Mississippi) Panorpa connexa MacLachlan, 1869 (Caucasus Mountains, Turkey) Panorpa consuetudinis Snodgrass, 1927 (USA: Alabama, Connecticut, Washington, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia) Panorpa contorta Byers, 1996 (Mexico: Hidalgo, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas) Panorpa conversa Byers, 2001 (Mexico: Puebla) Panorpa coomani Cheng, 1957 (China: Jiangxi) Panorpa coreana Okamoto, 1925 (Korea) Panorpa cryptica Bicha, 2015 (USA: Georgia) Panorpa curva Carpenter, 1938 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa curvata Zhou, 2006 (China: Guizhou) Panorpa dashahensis Zhou & Zhou, 2005 (China: Guizhou) Panorpa davidi Navás, 1908 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa debilis Westwood, 1846 (USA (Washington, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia), Canada: Ontario, Quebec) Panorpa deceptor Esben-Petersen, 1913 (Taiwan) Panorpa decolorata Chou & Wang, 1981 (China: Shaanxi, Hubei) Panorpa dichotoma Miyamoto, 1977 (Japan) Panorpa dichotoma intermedia Miyamoto, 1977 (Japan) Panorpa difficilis Carpenter, 1938 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa dissimilis Carpenter, 1931 (USA: New Jersey, New York, Virginia) Panorpa dicidilacinia Bicha, 2016 (Mexico: Michoacan) Panorpa dubitans Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin) Panorpa emeishana Hua, Sun & Li, 2001 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa ensigera Bicha, 1983 (USA: North Carolina, South Carolina) Panorpa esakii Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa falsa Issiki & Cheng, 1947 (Taiwan) Panorpa ferruginea Byers, 1993 (USA: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi) Panorpa filina Chou & Wang, 1987 (China: Hunan) Panorpa flavicorporis Cheng, 1957 (China: Fukien) Panorpa flavipennis Carpenter, 1938 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa flexa Carpenter, 1935 (USA: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee) Panorpa floridana Byers, 1993 (USA: Florida) Panorpa fructa Cheng, 1949 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa fukiensis Tjeder, 1951 (China: Fujian) Panorpa fulvastra Chou, 1981 (China: Shaanxi) Panorpa furcata Zhou & Zhou, 2007 (China: Guizhou) Panorpa fusca Byers, 2001 (Mexico: Puebla) Panorpa galerita Byers, 1962 (USA (New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin), Canada: Quebec) Panorpa germanica Linnaeus, 1758 (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Norway) Panorpa germanica euboica Lauterbach, 1972 (Balkans of southern Europe) Panorpa germanica graeca Lauterbach, 1972 (Greece) Panorpa germanica riegeri Lauterbach, 1971 (Germany) Panorpa germanica rumelica Lauterbach, 1972 (Turkey) Panorpa gladiata Byers, 2000 (Mexico: Oaxaca) Panorpa globulifera Miyamoto, 1994 (Japan) Panorpa gracilis Carpenter, 1931 (USA: North Carolina, Virginia) Panorpa grahamana Cheng, 1957 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa gressitti Byers, 1970 (China: Guangdong) Panorpa guidongensis Chou & Li, 1987 (China: Hunan) Panorpa guttata Navás, 1908 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa hageniana Willmann, 1975 (Turkey) Panorpa hakusanensis Miyake, 1913 (Japan) Panorpa hamata Issiki & Cheng, 1947 (Taiwan) Panorpa helena Byers, 1962 (USA (Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia), Canada: Manitoba) Panorpa hispida Byers, 1993 (USA: Georgia, South Carolina) Panorpa hiurai Miyamoto, 1985 (Japan) Panorpa horiensis Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa horni Navás, 1928 (Russia) Panorpa hungerfordi Byers, 1973 (USA: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin) Panorpa hybrida MacLachlan, 1882 (Romania, Finland, Germany, Russia, Bulgaria) Panorpa immaculata Esben-Petersen, 1915 (Mexico: Guerrero, Mexico) Panorpa implicata Cheng, 1957 (China: Fujian) Panorpa indivisa Martynova, 1957 (Russia: Far East) Panorpa insigna Bicha, 2006 (Mexico: Jalisco) Panorpa insolens Carpenter, 1935 (USA: Kentucky, Ohio) Panorpa insularis Hua & Chou, 1998 (China: Hainan) Panorpa involuta Byers, 1996 (Mexico: Veracruz) Panorpa ishiharai Miyamoto, 1994 (Japan) Panorpa isolata Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Alabama, Washington, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee) Panorpa issikiana Byers, 1970 (China: Yunnan) Panorpa issikii Penny & Byers, 1979 (Taiwan) Panorpa japonica Thunberg, 1784 (Japan) Panorpa jilinensis Zhou, 2000 (China: Jilin) Panorpa jinchuana Hua, Sun & Li, 1994 (China: Sichuan) Panorpa jinhuaensis Wang, Gao & Hua, 2019 (China) Panorpa kagamontana Miyamoto, 1979 (Japan) Panorpa kellogi Cheng, 1957 (China: Fujian) Panorpa kiautai Zhou & WU, 1993 (China: Zhejiang) Panorpa kiusiuensis Issiki, 1929 (Japan) Panorpa klapperichi Tjeder, 1951 (China: Fujian) Panorpa kongosana Okamoto, 1925 (Korea) Panorpa kunmingensis Fu & Hua, 2009 (China: Yunnan) Panorpa lacedaemonia Lauterbach, 1972 (Greece) Panorpa lachlani Navás, 1930 (Taiwan) Panorpa latipennis Hine, 1901 (USA: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin) Panorpa leucoptera Uhler, 1858 (Japan) Panorpa lewisi MacLachlan, 1887 (Japan) Panorpa liaoi Zhou & Zhou, 2007 (China: Guizhou, Chongqing) Panorpa lintienshana Cheng, 1952 (Taiwan) Panorpa liui Hua, 1997 (China: Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia) Panorpa longicornis Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia) Panorpa longiramina Issiki & Cheng, 1947 (Taiwan) Panorpa longititilana Issiki, 1929 (Taiwan) Panorpa lugubris Swederus, 1787 (USA: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia) Panorpa lutea Carpenter, 1945 (China: Anhui, Zhejiang) Panorpa luteola Byers, 2001 (Mexico: Jalisco) Panorpa macrostyla Hua, 1998 (China: Jilin, Liaoning) Panorpa maculosa Hagen, 1861 (USA: Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia) Panorpa malaisei Byers, 1999 (Myanmar: Kachin) Panorpa mangshanensis Chou & Wang, 1987 (China: Hunan) Panorpa meridionalis Rambur, 1842 (Andorra, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania) Panorpa meridionalis fenestrata Navás, 1917 (Spain) Panorpa meridionalis germanizans Navás, 1917 (Spain) Panorpa meridionalis liberata Navás, 1917 (Spain) Panorpa mexicana Banks, 1913 (Mexico: Veracruz) Panorpa michoacana Byers, 2011 (Mexico: Michoacan) Panorpa mirabilis Carpenter, 1931 (USA: Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) Panorpa mixteca Bicha, 2006 (Mexico: Oaxaca)