brown wasp mantidfly

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.

Total length: ⅞″ to 13 ⁄16″ (23 to 30 mm)

Fields and savannas

Late May through October

Adults come to lights.

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.

Wolf spider (Family Lycosidae) eggs

Small insects

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

Widespread but considered scarce

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.

saw one today near Eden Valley. Real docile just hanging out

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.

Brown Mantidfly (Mantispidae: Climaciella) on Leaf
Carl Barrentine

Climaciella brunnea = WASP MANTISFLY
Rob Curtis

Climaciella brunnea
Nathaniel Long

Wasp Mantidfly or Mantispid - Climaceiella brunnea
Colette Micallef

Kitt G.
6/10/2024

Location: Sauk Rapids, Minnesota

1 found in an in-town garden

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.

Location: Barnes Prairie Remnant, Racine Co., WI

I was fortunate to see this insect July 11, 2021 on Barnes Prairie Remnant, Racine Co., WI. On common yarrow, Achillia millefolium.

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

Location: Eden Valley / Stearns County

Saw one today near Eden Valley. Real docile just hanging out

Location: Pennington Co., MN

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.