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Photo#4553
Mantidfly - Zeugomantispa minuta

Mantidfly - Zeugomantispa minuta
Springfield, Virginia, USA
July 2, 2004
Family Mantispidae

Moved
Moved from Mantispa.

#4553 Identification -- Zeugomantispa minuta
This is the mantispid Zeugomantispa minuta (Fabricius, 1775).

Nomenclature
check out http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=666579

Mantispa viridis is listed as a synonym for Zeugomantispa minuta.

awesome, habitat? comments on genus (Mantispa?)
Oh wow, excellent photo and a cool critter. What sort of habitat was this in? Now I'm itching to see one--I didn't know we had them in the east.
Incidentally, Insects of Cedar Creek has a page on them. They say 18 North American species, and three reported from that site: "One species, Climaciella brunnea, mimics a Polistes wasp in coloration. Two other species collected are Mantispa interrupta and Mantispa sayi." The Polistes mimic is very cool-looking, but probably now what you've got here. North Carolina State Univ. lists, for NC, Climaciella brunnea (41 pinned), and Mantispa (3 species: interrupta, pulchella, sayi). I'm betting Mantispa for your Virginia critter. Neuroptera of Florida lists those three for NC, plus some others, including Mantispa viridis, found in southeast, including Virginia. ("viridis" means green, of course, a bit suspicious given your photo.) They also say New World Mantispa have been placed in other genera now, uggh.

So I'm betting Mantispa, based on very quick research. Mantispa viridis is suspicous, based on the name.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
Mantidfly
The picture is actually upside down...the critter was crawling around the underside of a leaf on a pear tree growing in my backyard. Luckily the leaf was above me, otherwise I would never have seen the mantidfly. I originally thought it was a lacewing, and it was about the same size as one, but when I looked closer I saw the distinctive raptoral forelegs. This is the first time that I've actually seen one. I was aware of only two genera... Mantispa and Climaciella (aka "Brown Mantidflies"), the latter being the wasp-mimics. Actually, I believe the members of Climaciella were once included in Mantispa.

I feel pretty lucky to get a decent photo of it because I was practically holding the camera over my head to get the shot. Unfortunately it soon flew away to a much bigger tree in a neighbor's yard. It was definitely very cool to see one since I'm a big fan of mantids. I'll be on the look out from now on for other specimens.

 
SO jealous!
I haven't seen one of these critters in a long time. SO nice to see one, and a great shot. It's amazing how "mantis-like" it appears when cleaning it's forelegs.

I was once camping in the Virginia area and the lanterns attracted quite a few of these. Perhaps a night visit with a strong light may get you more pics...

 
Jealous
I'm envious as well. I've never even seen one of these, much less get a photo of one. This will make a great addition to the guide as well since we don't have any of these yet.

 
Guess who came for dinner last night?
Lo and behold, a mantidfly! I plugged my lamp in before going to see some fireworks. When I got home this evening and checked it I found a small mantidfly. It didn't take long before it snatched something for dinner and I good lots of shots both with and without prey.

 
two in Durham, NC on July 9
I just found two at my favorite over-lit pharmacy here in Durham. They were high on a wall. One was larger (a female?) and the other much smaller. I missed the female but captured the male. Looks like what I am presuming is a Mantispa. Photos later.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
Ditto here
I just found another one at my lamp this morning. The one I saw before was smaller and brown but this one was larger and green, much like the photo already here.

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