It's time to show off a random insect I love! Press space, right arrow, or click to see pictures! Meet the Brown Mantidfly, Climaciella brunnea. Found in the order Neuroptera, it's neither a praying mantis nor a wasp, despite looking like a perfect fusion between the two! In fact, it's not related to those orders at all. While not true mantids, mantidflies share the same habits. They use their specially-adapted forelegs to snatch up prey in the fraction of a second! The brown mantidfly in particular mimics a wasp for protection, so predators won't want to come close. They have a... unique life cycle, to say the least. The babies are somewhat raised by wolf spiders, but they're very parasitic, feeding on the spider's eggs, and eventually, the spider too. They live generally everywhere in the United States and Canada. In general, awesome insects! Thank you for reading!
Artwork is my own! Music is from Animal Crossing: New Horizons Image sources: iNaturalist Entomological Society of Canada projectnoah.org owlcation.com
