Crazy Mantis-Wasp Mix?
Location:  Weiser, Idaho
September 3, 2010 11:39 pm
Hi Bugman! Hope you can help us. This strange wasp-thing was brought to me as the local wildlife rehabilitator in the hope I could identify it. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was aggressive and attempted to use its claw/mandibles to attack anything that came near. When not in use, the claws were folded by the head of the wasp. Ever seen one of these?
Signature:  Gator in Idaho

Wasp Mantidfly

Hi Gator,
Most of the images of a Wasp Mantidfly, Climaciella brunnea, that we have received in the past as well as the ones that are posted to BugGuide are darker, but we did find an image of a lighter one with markings similar to your specimen posted to BugGuide.  A revealing dialog is posted there.  First Paul Lenhart who posted the photo wrote:  “If this is Climaciella brunnea this species has some amazing intraspecific variation taylored for the local paperwasp species. The individuals at our research station are great mimics of one locally common paper wasp species, Polistes comanchus.“ Then Virgiliu Marius Aurelian responded:  “Yes, your specimen is indeed Climaciella brunnea. They have a huge range of variation and it seems this variation is highly dependent on the Polistes spp. they mimic in that particular region.”  The information page on BugGuide indicates:  “Large mantidfly, Batesian mimic of Polistes wasp.“  Finally, we decided to research the most common Paper Wasps in Idaho, and according to a University of Idaho Extension publication online, it is “the Golden Paper Wasp, Polistes fuscatus aurifer, a yellow-reddish-brown wasp with yellow banding.” A photo on BugGuide of Polistes aurifer looks remarkably like your Wasp Mantidfly.

Wasp Mantidfly

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Moth? Dragonfly?
Location:  West Texas
August 31, 2010 1:38 am
I have seen a few of these guys this summer. It has long antenna with small bulbs (?) on the end. It is fuzzy like a moth, but has 2 sets of clear wings like a dragonfly. I have seen it in the month of August only so far. What in the world is it?
Keisha

Owlfly

Hi Keisha,
This unusual insect is an Owlfly, one of the Neuropterans in the same insect order as the Lacewings, Antlions and Mantisflies.

Thank you so very much for the rapid response. I spent hours on google and got nowhere.. Thanks again.

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The Hermit
Location:  Austin, TX
August 2, 2010 12:59 pm
Not sure what this bug is but I’ve seen them a couple of times. They’re tiny and the stuff on it’s back is carcasses/carapaces of dead bugs. It’s like a hobo carrying around it’s home. These shots were taken at almost 5x magnification with a 35mm Canon 5D.
The bug’s head is out and visible in both shots. It’s hard to make out which parts are the bugs and which parts are detritus being carried along.
Steve

Lacewing Larva

Hi Steve,
You excellent photos of a Lacewing Larva should help our readership to identify this formidable predatory that camouflages itself with the carcasses of its prey.

Lacewing Larva

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Mantispid
Location:  East Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey
July 26, 2010 8:21 am
Hi guys…hope all is well. I thought you might enjoy this mantispid I had at my mercury vapor light in East Brunswick New Jersey (June 23, 2010). It is Climaciella brunnea. really an awesome insect. It is about 3\4” long and flies very well (discovered after it escaped in my office and immediately flew to the ceiling out of reach). If ever there was an insect that could be used for a sci-fi flick this wasp mantisfly is it! Enjoy, Dave
Dave Moskowitz
www.bugaddiction.com

Mantispid

Hi Dave,
Nice to hear from you again.  Also, many thanks for identifying your Mantispid to the species level.

Mantispid

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