(Climaciella brunnea)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
Brown wasp mantidfly is a large wasp mimic. It occurs across the United States, in adjacent Canadian provinces, and in Mexico and Central America. It is widespread but considered scarce. With its mantid-like front legs wasp mantidfly looks similar to a praying mantis but it is not even closely related. This is an example of convergent evolution, where unrelated organisms, adapting to similar environments, independently evolve similar characteristics. It also looks similar to a paper wasp. This is an example of Batesian mimicry, making it look like another species that is unpalatable or dangerous to potential predators. The base of the abdomen is constricted and resembles the waist of a wasp. There are four transparent, membranous wings, all about the same size. The leading half of each wing is dark. Unlike other mantidflies, the wings of wasp mantidfly are held flat over the back when at rest. |
Size |
Total length: ⅞″ to 1 3 ⁄16″ (23 to 30 mm) |
Similar Species |
Habitat |
Fields and savannas |
Biology |
Season |
Late May through October |
Behavior |
Adults come to lights. |
Life Cycle |
Adults emerge in late May through October. Males live less than a week, females up to a month. They can be found on flowers where they wait on and ambush small insects. During her time the female lays up to several thousand eggs. The small white eggs have short stalks and are attached to the underside of plant leaves. After an egg hatches the larva waits for and then attaches itself to a passing wolf spider. When the female wolf spider begins making an egg sac, the mantid larva crawls off the spider and onto the sac. It then gets wrapped up as the egg sac is completed and feeds on the spider eggs inside. |
Larva Food |
Wolf spider (Family Lycosidae) eggs |
Adult Food |
Small insects |
Distribution |
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Sources |
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6/11/2024 | ||
Occurrence |
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Widespread but considered scarce |
Taxonomy |
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Order |
Neuroptera (antlions, lacewings, and allies) |
Suborder |
Hemerobiiformia (lacewings and allies) |
Superfamily |
Mantispoidea |
Family |
Mantispidae (mantidflies) |
Subfamily |
Mantispinae |
Genus |
Climaciella (wasp mantidflies) |
Subordinate Taxa |
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Synonyms |
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Climaciella rubescens Mantispa moesta |
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Common Names |
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brown mantidfly brown wasp mantidfly wasp mantidfly western mantispid |
Visitor Photos |
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Babette Kis |
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Climaciella brunnea, brown wasp mantidfly Out in the 85F, humid, breezy, and mosquito-infested weather, I spotted the subject critter, which appeared to be laying eggs. I took 136 photos, and got about 24 nice shots. June 29, 2024, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI. Brown wasp mantidfly on daisy fleabane, Erigeron strigosus. She appears to be laying eggs. |
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Brown wasp mantidfly Climaciella brunnea I was fortunate to see this insect July 11, 2021 on Barnes Prairie Remnant, Racine Co., WI. On common yarrow, Achillia millefolium. |
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Holly Clark |
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saw one today near Eden Valley. Real docile just hanging out |
Bill Reynolds |
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Mantidfly Here is a Mantis-fly hunting on the blossoms of the Gray Dogwood. Wasn't able to get a profile image of it. |
While taking the photos, it was more interest in it's reflection than the bug above. |
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
Brown Mantidfly (Mantispidae: Climaciella) on Leaf |
About
Published on Jul 4, 2009 Photographed at Grand Forks, North Dakota (01 July 2009). |
Climaciella brunnea = WASP MANTISFLY |
About
Published on Jul 6, 2017 Climaciella brunnea = WASP MANTISFLY. Very cooperative but had to deal with nearly constant wind that would move subject 4" or 5" out of the frame. Images in Neuroptera gallery at: http://theearlybirder.com/insects/neuroptera/index.htm |
Climaciella brunnea |
About
Published on Dec 4, 2016 |
Wasp Mantidfly or Mantispid - Climaceiella brunnea |
About
Published on Jan 20, 2015 Mantisfly or Mantispid - Climaceiella brunnea Liberty County Texas July 2, 2013 |
Visitor Sightings |
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Kitt G. |
Location: Sauk Rapids, Minnesota 1 found in an in-town garden |
Kathy Snow Stratton 7/29/2022 |
Location: Buffalo, Minnesota Our grandson spotted what looked like a praying manthis on the patio but we looked it up and it was Wasp mantidfly. |
Dustin Y 6/26/2021 |
Location: Wirt Minnesota Saw a bunch of them and had to figure out what I was seeing. Pictures are exactly what I was saw, wasp looking mantis thing called a mantidfly |
Holly Clark 6/19/2020 |
Location: Eden Valley / Stearns County Saw one today near Eden Valley. Real docile just hanging out |
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Created: 7/2/2019 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |