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Project Noah Nature School
Climaciella brunnea
This species is a paper wasp mimic, so it looks like a strange combination of a wasp and a mantis. It is actually in the lacewing family.
marshland
Spotted on Jun 25, 2011
Submitted on Jan 1, 2013
6 Comments
Thanks martinl - you're right of course, and I corrected my info. That's what I get for not double checking with my husband or his book before posting the information.
This is a spectacular creature and fascinating to see it eating.
The 'fly' moniker is a misnomer as dragonflies, mayflies and butterflies are not true flies either. Order diptera (=flies) has one pair of wings and a close inspection shows that yours has four wings, as most insects do.
Mantisflies (Mantispidae) are a family of lacewings (Order = neuroptera).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87155171@N0...
Its wing vein pattern is not typical lacewing as it is courser, to mimic the wasp. The antennae are typical lacewing and differ from dipteran flies.
Very strange. I need to look this up I think. Thanks for an amazing shot!
What and unusual and beautiful creature !
Amazing shot of an amazing creature!
very beautiful