Subject: What species of Mantis is this?
Geographic location of the bug: Charleston, WV
August 29, 2017 6:29 AM
I found this little guy trapped in a spider web while working on a rooftop air conditioner.
I’ve never seen a mantis like this on, very tiny (about the size of my thumbnail) was mostly black with yellow/green spots around. Had a bumpy abdomen and long slender neck.
How you want your letter signed: Jacob
Dear Jacob,
This is not a Mantis. It is an unrelated insect that has evolved to look similar to a Preying Mantis because it has a similar hunting style, using raptorial front legs to capture and hold prey while feeding. This is a Mantispid or Mantisfly, and we believe it is Leptomantispa pulchella.