Adult Antlion
February 3, 2010
I photographed this adult antlion a little past midnight on Dec 22, 2009 on Necker Island, BVI. I was wondering what particular species it was.
Donald Gudehus
Necker Island, British Virgin Islands

Antlion

Hi Donald,
The exact species identification of this lovely Antlion would be a job for a specialist in Neuropterans, or even more specifically, a specialist in Myrmeleontids.  Alas, we here at What’s That Bug? do not fit that bill, but perhaps a Myrmeleontidist will write in with a response.

unknown dragonfly-type insect
May 28, 2009
Hello
I found this insect in my home entrance.
Four similarly sized wings, folding back.
Large eyes with a small “ball” on each antenna tip.
Abdomen and rear held straight up. Six legs.
Size compared to pen in picture.
Rotem Ziser
Zichron Yaakov, Israel

Owlfly

Dear Rotem,
It was a very slow day here at What’s That Bug? and we posted a few new letters and decided to dig way back into the unanswered mail for a few more.  Your letter was selected at random.  This is an Owlfly, a relative of Lacewings and Antlions.

mantid mantis? whats with the wings?
December 3, 2009
I recently sent you a photo of a unusual bug that entered my home and I caught on the wall.I realy had no idea what it was. looked like a damsel fly /praying Mantis.Well I think it might be a Mantis/mantid baby.I decided to feed it a small amount of cat food on the end of a stick or pencil and it attacked it.I learned that baby mantids or mantisis would eat that so I figured if it ate it I might find out what the heck this bug is…well what do you think?I have great photos/videos of it eating/attacking it also. It’s funny this bug came in my home I have always been facinated by THE PRAYING MANTIS/MANTID .I am going to raise it and see what I get.
Mantislover
northeast/new york/Long Island

Mantidfly

Dear Mantislover,
We hope you can find it in you to love more than one family of insects, because this is not a Mantis.  Despite appearances, your Mantidfly in the family Mantispidae is not remotely related to a Preying Mantis.  It is a Neuropteran and is related to Lacewings and Antlions.  Thanks for the awesome images.  BugGuide has many examples of Mantidflies pictured.

Mantidfly

New Species?
August 16, 2009
I was on the back of a pickup when a friend of mine noticed a yellow jacket on the bed, so I stepped on it. It wasn’t dead, and my friend noted that it was an extremely weird yellow jacket. I took a closer look at it and noticed that it was not a yellow jacket, it was a praying mantis. They’ve been discovered around where I and my friends discovered this one before, and I could not find any information on this species on the internet. When I stepped on this insect, its claws came off, but I recovered them off of the bed of the pickup. Also, there was some damage done to the abdomen where a possible stinger may have been, if this is a crossbreed, but I cannot tell.
SZW
Idaho

Wasp Mantifly: Unnecessary Carnage

Dear SZW,
We hope that had your realized that this was not a Yellow Jacket, you would have refrained from stepping on it. It is a harmless Wasp Mantidfly, Climaciella brunnea, or perhaps a related species.  It is related to neither wasps nor mantids, but is in the same insect order as lacewings and antlions.  It is a beneficial predator and it cannot sting or otherwise hurt you.

Yes, had I known I would not have stepped on it. Since I realized that I made a mistake, I am attempting to preserve this insect. It died in the container en route home. That pin is not in the insect, it is keeping it standing strait so it does not curl when it dries, so I can put it in with my collection. Well, thanks for letting me know what it is. I’m off to type a label.
SZW

ID request
August 7, 2009
Hi there! I’m a huge fan of the website!
We’ve had these hanging around for about 2 months here, and I can’t figure out what they are. They are nocturnal and seem to like my lights at night. They’re about 2″ long. They hold their wings either up like in this photo or folded along their sides like a damselfly.
Mike
Edgewood, NM at about 7000′ in the pinion forest

Antlion

Hi Mike,
We have been getting in trouble lately for making assumptions, but we will tempt fate again and go that route.  This is definitely an Antlion in the family Myrmeleontidae and your photo is stunning.  We are assuming that since you said they were nocturnal, that this photo was taken at night with an electronic flash, which would explain the way the eyes have been reproduced.  We found a similar portrait on BugGuide that generated much internet chatter, but the wing pattern on your specimen is very different.  We suspect you may have an individual in the genus Brachynemurus which is described on BugGuide as:  “Apparently a commonly encountered genus. Large. Abdomen soft, slender, long, usually (or always?) extends beyond wingtips. Wings long, venation fine and net-like. Wings not strongly marked in most species for which photos available. Antennae clubbed.” Your individual definitely has the long abdomen.  BugGuide also indicates:  “Food  Adults reported to feed on small insects. Larvae predaceous.  Life Cycle  Adults mostly nocturnal. Larvae reported to be pit formers.“  The larvae of Antlions that live in pits are called Doodlebugs.  They are found in sandy soil and they wait buried in the sand at the bottom of the pit with only their jaws exposed, feeding on the hapless ants and insects that fall into the pit.

Thank you!  Yes, the photo was taken at night with a flash.  If they eat insects, that would explain why they hang around the lights.
Mike

Possible Dragonfly?
July 21, 2009
Seen on my front door casing today. I took the photo without disturbing the bug. I assume it is a dragonfly, but was not sure due to the position of the wings. I would love to know the specific type of insect.
EmHem
Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex

Owlfly

Dear EmHem,
This is an Owlfly, a Neuropteran in the family Ascalaphidae.  According to BugGuide they are:  “Bizarre creatures that look like a cross between a dragonfly and a butterfly. The body resembles that of other neuropterans, more-or-less, but the prominent antennae are clubbed like those of butterflies. Key characters:
Medium to large size
Clubbed antennae
Eyes large and bulge out from head
may rest in cryptic posture with abdomen projecting from perch, resembling a twig.” BugGuide also indicates “The two North American genera can be keyed easily based on structure of the eyes. Genus Ululodes has divided eyes.”  Based on that information, it appears your Owlfly is in the genus Ululodes.  Of the three species represented in the genus on BugGuide, your specimen most closely resembles Ululodes macleayanus.