Panorpodidae


The Panorpodidae are a small family of scorpionflies. Of the two genera, Brachypanorpa occurs only in the United States, and Panorpodes occurs in East Asia, with a single species in California. Unlike their sister group Panorpidae, the family generally has short jaws, amongst the shortest of all mecopterans. Brachypanorpa is thought to be phytophagous, consuming the epidermis of soft leaves, and a similar diet is suggested for Panorpodes.

Genera

The family contains extant 13 species in two genera:Brachypanorpa Carpenter, 1931 Panorpodes MacLachlan, 1875 Fossil species known from Eocene aged Baltic amber
In addition, the following fossil genus is also known:

Characteristics

Panorpode larvae differ significantly from those of other scorpionflies in that they have smooth, glabrous mandibles without molar grinding surfaces or filtering spines, indicating that they do not feed on solid carrion like adjacent families.  Instead, their shape indicates an adaptability to absorb degraded organic material or plant juices from soil or leaf litter.