Other Common Names
Wasp Mantidfly, Western Mantispid, Brown Mantidfly
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Climaciella brunnea Say, 1824
Climaciella brunnea var. instabilis Opler, 1981
Climaciella rubescens Stitz, 1913
Climaciella rubescens var. laciniata Stitz, 1913
Climaciella rubescens var. unicolor Stitz, 1913
Mantispa brunnea Banks, 1911
Climaciella brunnea var. occidentis (Banks, 1911)
Climaciella occidentis (Banks, 1911)
Climaciella varia var. occidentis (Banks, 1911)
Climaciella brunnea (Banks, 1911)
Mantispa brunnea var. occidentis Banks, 1911
Mantispa burquei Provancher, 1875
Mantispa denaria Taylor, 1862
Mantispa moesta Hagen, 1861
Climaciella varia (Erichson, 1839)
Symphrasis varia (Erichson, 1839)
Mantispa varia Erichson, 1839
Mantispa brunnea Say, 1824
Identification
Large mantidfly,
Batesian mimic of
Polistes wasp, compare:
Found on flowers in spring, may come to lights into summer.
Range
Southern parts of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec (
Cannings & Cannings, 2006). Widespread in the United States. South to Costa Rica.
Habitat
Old fields, etc., with flowers.
Season
Spring (late May), into summer. Males short-lived, just in spring. Females live longer.
Food
Predatory on other insects (and other Mantidflies), especially those coming to flowers. Also takes some nectar and sap.
Life Cycle
Males and females found on flowers in spring, where mating presumably occurs. Larvae are
parasitoids of spiders. Adults come to lights.
eggs; adult female; adult male:
Print References
Cannings and Cannings, 2006. The Mantispidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) of Canada, with notes on morphology, ecology, and distribution. Can. Entomologist 138: 531-544 (
abstract).
Eaton and Kaufman, pp. 222-223, color photo
(2)
Evans, p. 149--color photo
(3)
Marshall, photo 255.1
(4)