Mating Ambush Bugs

is it some sort of mantis?
I was out shooting fall color and some insects when I came across this very small insect feeding on another insect. I didn’t really give it much thought until I was editing photos and noticed the mantis like front legs.
Jerry
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Mating Ambush Bugs
Mating Ambush Bugs

Hi Jerry,
While we have heard of many foods as being described as being “better than sex” in the case of your photograph, it seems the male Ambush Bug would rather procreate than eat. Ambush Bugs in the genus Phymata are typically found on blossoms where they wait to ambush insects attracted to the nectar and pollen.

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