Applegater Spring 2011 9 Notes from a Rogue Entomologist: The Snakefly—an Oregon native BY richard j. hilton Our native insect fauna is nothing resemble a snake. I found a report stating short of remarkable, but it seems like the that snakefly larvae were one of only two insect invaders and exotic pests get all the insects that could move as fast backwards press. While it is certainly understand- as forwards but I do not know how much able that a new or re-emerging pest will actual research went into that determina- get a lot of ink, the media does have a tion. The larvae often inhabit bark and can tendency to go overboard. For live for as long as two to three instance, the resurgence of the years, which is unusual as few bed bug, while an important story insects live for over a year. On has, in my opinion, been blown more than one occasion I have out of proportion; “if it bleeds, it had large snakefly larvae brought leads” as the old press adage goes. into the office and the first ques- I do not mean to suggest that the tion is usually “What the heck sils date back to the Jurassic period over 100 good guys that eats other insects—what’s media should not be reporting on is this thing?” followed by “Is it million years ago and it seems that many not to like? blood sucking parasites, however, dangerous?” snakefly species went extinct as a result Richard J. Hilton I wish they would have spent at While snakeflies can look of the same asteroid impact that brought 541-772-5165 ext. 227 least half as much time exposing scary, they are essentially harm- about the demise of the dinosaurs. An Senior Research Assistant / Entomologist the Wall Street con artists as they less. The long ovipositor of the entomologist should probably not have a Oregon State University-- devoted to the bugs hiding under female can be mistaken for a favorite insect but I do have a soft spot for Southern Oregon Research and our mattresses. But I digress. The stinger (and the stinger in bees the snakefly. I was a little dismayed to see Extension Center bed bug will have to wait while and wasps was originally derived that the snakefly had won Arizona’s “ugly I introduce one of our native from an ovipositor) but snake- bug” contest in 2009. The snakefly may be PICTURE ABOVE: Snakefly adult--line drawing insects, the snakefly. flies do not sting. They do have odd looking, a little weird perhaps, but to http://www.flickr.com/photos/7519633@ First, the snakefly is not some substantial mandibles so my eye the snakefly’s unusual appearance is N08/4344599919/ a true fly. True flies are a large they might be able to deliver a one of its more endearing features. So the PICTURE LEFT: Snakefly larva--line drawing group of insects that only have bite if handled too roughly but snakefly does not live back east but is an http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_sdr4EyRWQ94/ two wings, like the mosquito or that has not happened to me, at Oregon native that thrives here, one of the TFzYdjTl61I/ house fly, while most other adult least not yet. Once when I was insects have four. Snakeflies are a sampling pear orchards with a rather small group of insects re- beating tray, which is a low tech lated to lacewings. The wings fold over the method consisting of beating a tree limb body like a tent when the insect is at rest and catching what falls off on a flat piece of and have a netlike venation. Some of our white cloth, I made an interesting discov- local snakefly species can get fairly large, ery regarding the snakefly. I was collecting with an overall body length of almost an all the beneficial insects in vials to take back inch and if you happen to see a female to the lab and determine the species but with her long slender ovipositor, the total when I found a snakefly that had fallen on It’s not too late to join length can approach one and a half inches. the tray all the vials were already occupied Voices of the Applegate! You may see a snakefly alighting on your so I put the snakefly in with a syrphid window or screen as things warm up in or hover fly that I had collected. Hover We are a 30-member choir lead by our the spring and early summer. They are not flies are true flies and their larvae are very talented director, Blake Weller. We sing uncommon, particularly if you live near good predators of aphids and other soft four-part harmony music with a great va- wooded areas. bodied insects. As you might guess, when riety of songs ranging from Zulu lullabies, They get the name ‘snakefly’ due to I returned to the lab, the vial which had to Billy Joel, to Bach Cantatas. the fact that their prothorax, the segment the snakefly and hover fly now contained right behind the head, is quite elongated only the snakefly and the two wings of the Rehearsals began on March 30 and will which allows them to raise their head well hover fly. Apparently snakeflies do not like take place through June 15 every Wednes- above their body giving them a decid- the taste of hover fly wings. day evening at the Applegate Library at 7 edly longneck or snakelike appearance. In the US, snakeflies are only found pm. A concert will be held on June 19 Snakeflies are voracious predators in west of the Rockies, but they are also at 3 pm in a location to be posted soon. both the adult and larval stages and are found in Europe and northern Asia and considered to be beneficial insects in our are considered to be relict species or living local orchards. The larvae also get quite fossils, as the species still alive appear to For more information call Kathy Escott at 541-846-6844. large and have a long slithering body be remnants of an earlier and more widely that with not too much imagination can distributed group. The oldest snakefly fos-