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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings and Allies (Neuroptera) » Lacewings, Antlions, and Allies (Planipennia) » Mantidflies (Mantispidae)

Family Mantispidae - Mantidflies

Classification · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Mantispidae Mantispa - Dicromantispa sayi Mantidfly - Dicromantispa Unknown insect - Climaciella brunnea Mantidfly - Dicromantispa Mantidfly - Dicromantispa Such interesting creatures - Dicromantispa BG1586 E1384 Mantispidae - Mantidflies
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings and Allies)
Suborder Planipennia (Lacewings, Antlions, and Allies)
Family Mantispidae (Mantidflies)
Numbers
Nearctica.com lists six genera and 15 species, as does Arnett, p. 348. (1)
Size
20-47 mm
Identification
Bizarre creatures--some resemble lacewings with raptorial forelegs, like a mantis. Others are wasp mimics. Arnett, gives a key to subfamilies, p. 348 and to genera of Mantispinae, p. 349 (1). Recent taxonomic changes have restricted genus Mantispa to Old World species, see comments here.
Range
Mostly southern North America
Food
Predatory
Print References
Arnett, pp. 348-349, fig. 23.10 (1)
Castner, p. 108 (2)
Milne, p. 527, figs. 303-306, they illustrate Mantispa and Climaciella (3)
Penny, N.D. 1982. Review of the generic level classification of the New World Mantispidae (Neuroptera). Acta Amazonica, 12:209-233 (listed in a bibliography from an Internet search)
Internet References
Insects of Cedar Creek
Familia Mantispidae--in Spanish
TAMU
BugPeople --discusses California species
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
By Ross H. Arnett
2.Photographic Atlas of Entomology and Guide To Insect Identification
By James L. Castner
3.National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects and Spiders
By Lorus and Margery Milne
Contributed by Cotinis on 13 July, 2004 - 5:21pm
Last updated 11 December, 2006 - 1:43pm

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