thanks, John.

I put this peculiar animal to my Entomo-l listserv, thinking it might be the larva of a mantispid, but wanting confirmation. It 'is' a first instar mantispid larva! Credit goes to Dr. John Oswald for the identification. Congrats on the first image of one of these in Bugguide, AND making what might be a new host association! Woo-hoo:-)

Thanks everyone.

Great job Ken, Eric and John. Fabulous addition to the guide!

thanks so much, Eric and John!

I found this quote from an entomology abstract online - I'm particularly excited about the fact that this larva was exactly in the location (the pedicel) noted below:

Annu Rev Entomol. 1998;43:175-94. Biology of the Mantispidae.
Redborg KE.

"Members of the Neuropteran family Mantispidae, subfamily Mantispinae, are predators in the egg sacs of spiders, draining egg contents through a piercing/sucking tube formed by modified mandibles and maxillae. First-instar mantispids use two strategies to locate spider eggs: Larvae may burrow directly through the silk of egg sacs they find, or they may board and be carried by female spiders prior to sac production, entering the sac as it is being constructed. Mantispids that board spiders usually adopt positions on or near the pedicel; some species may enter the spider's book lungs. Larvae maintain themselves aboard spiders by feeding on spider blood . Transfers of larvae from spider to spider are possible during spider mating or cannibalism. All of the
major groups of hunting spiders are attacked by spider-boarding mantispids; the egg sacs of web-building species are also entered by egg-sac penetrators".