Other Common Names
Brown Mantidfly
Western Mantispid, Western Mantidfly
Wasp Mantidfly (note: this name applies to most all members of this genus so isn't very useful outside of our area)
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
Orig comb.: Mantispa brunnea Say, 1824
Explanation of Names
Climaciella brunnea Say, 1824
Climaciella brunnea Say in Keating, 1824
from the Latin brunnea ('brown')
Identification
A large mantidfly that's a hyper-variable
Batesian mimic of the local species of paper wasps in the genus
Polistes. compare:
Mimic of P. exclamans from Louisiana
Mimic of P. comanchus from Arizona
Mimic of P. carolina (center) / P. rubiginosus (right) from Louisiana
Mimic of P. aurifer from Colorado
Mimic of P. fuscatus from Ontario
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., on flowers in spring. May come to lights into summer.
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:
Remarks
A bit of movement in a windy, grassy field:
VIDEO #1 and
VIDEO #2.
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)
