The meadow scorpionfly (Panorpa vulgaris) gets its name from the male’s curled, bulbous tail, which bears a striking resemblance to a scorpion’s stinger. Despite this fearsome appearance, it is completely harmless to humans and cannot sting or bite, spending its time scavenging for dead insects and rotting fruit instead. To avoid being attacked or even eaten by the female, a male will present her with a nuptial gift—either a dead insect or a processed drop of his own saliva—to placate her during mating. In fact, females will aggressively reject any suitor who arrives empty-handed! Because they are among the swift arrivals to locate and feed on decaying organic matter, these insects are occasionally studied in forensic entomology to help determine post-mortem intervals. I met this fascinating scorpionfly on several occasions in Poland and Sweden.