Explanation of Names
Author of genus is
Latreille, 1805.
Appears to be from Greek
Bittakos/
Byttakos (βιττακος/βυττακος), early spelling of Greek
Psittakos, meaning parrot. (Arnott,
Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z, Routledge, 2007--via Googlebooks).
Bittacus is also listed by Forror as Greek, meaning parrot
(1). Named for the long "beak", resembling (vaguely) that of a parrot?
Numbers
Arnett, p. 833, lists 8 spp.
(2), 7 listed by
ITIS:
Bittacus chlorostigma MacLachlan, 1881
Bittacus occidentis Walker, 1853
Bittacus pilicornis Westwood, 1846
Bittacus punctiger Westwood, 1846
Bittacus stigmaterus Say, 1823
Bittacus strigosus Hagen, 1861
Bittacus texanus Banks, 1908
Identification
Bittacus are typical members of family, wings unmarked, rest with wings folded. B. chlorostigma has green patch (stigma) on front margin of wing, found in southern California.
Range
North America. Several species in east.
Season
May-October (various species, North Carolina)
Food
Predatory on smaller insects, esp. diptera.
Life Cycle
Eggs often laid on clumps of moss. Larvae resemble caterpillars, hunt for prey (and consume decaying matter?) there. See family account.
Print References
Borror, entry for
Bittac -o, =us (1)
Arnett,p. 833--describes one species
(2)
Brimley, p. 250, lists several species of
Bittacus for North Carolina.
(3)
Swan and Papp, p. 189, figs. 197--
Bittacus (4)
Powell and Hogue, pp. 134-135, fig. 153--
Bittacus chlorostigma (5)
Milne, p. 628, fig. 405--
Bittacus chlorostigma (6)
Salsbury, pp. 375-376, photos of B. occidentis, stigmaterus, strigosus
(7)
Webb, D. W., N. D. Penny, and J. C. Martin. 1975. The Mecoptera, or Scorpionflies, of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 31(7):250-316 (contains key).
