Mantid Fly

Description:

Tiny little mantis nymph. This one measures about 3/8" long! Located near a street lamp and spotted at night

Habitat:

Tropical dry forest in NW Costa Rica 4 months into the 6 month rainy season.

Notes:

About 5–47 millimetres (0.2–1.9 in) long and with a wingspan of 5–30 mm (0.2–1.2 in), some mantidflies (e.,g. Climaciella brunnea, Euclimacia nodosa) are wasp mimics, but most are brownish with green, yellow and sometimes red hues. They get their name from their mantis-like appearance, as their spiny "raptorial" front legs are modified to catch small insect prey and are very similar to the front legs of mantids. The adults are predatory insects that are often nocturnal, and are sometimes attracted by porch lights or blacklights. They are usually green, brown, yellow, and sometimes pink, and have four membranous wings which may sometimes be patterned (especially in wasp mimicking species) but are usually clear. Adult mantidflies are predators of suitably sized insects, which they catch as mantids do. Mantidflies are active hunters, but as with other Neuroptera, they are cumbersome fliers.