American Pelecinid Wasps are relatively common from Argentina through Canada, in woodlands, grasslands and gardens, from mid-summer to early fall. Two other species occur exclusively south of the border. Pelecinids have short wings for their length and are slow flyers.
The Scorpionfly belongs in the small order Mecoptera, and not with the true flies. They have two pairs of wings but are weak flyers. Despite their startling appearance, scorpionflies do not sting or bite, and, in fact, they are seldom seen. They feed on ripe fruit, nectar and dead and dying insects, and they serve as food for a variety of flying and creeping invertebrates.