About the Brown Wasp Mantidfly
Climaciella brunnea, known sometimes by the common names wasp mantidfly, western mantidfly, and brown mantidfly, is a predatory neuropteran insect in the family Mantispidae. C. brunnea has a triangular head with large, compound eyes and a broad frons. It has straight antennae. Its raptorial forelegs are similar in shape and function to that of Mantodea; this adaptation has evolved independently in the two groups and is an example of convergent evolution. The wings of C. brunnea are distinctive in that they are often characterized by having thick brown edges and transparent inner edges. The species has a body length of 2 to 3 cm.
Its markings mimic those of wasp species within the Polistes genus. C. brunnea exhibits a large amount of color polymorphism as many groups will mimic the colorations of specific wasps found within their respective region.
Climaciella brunnea is a species in the genus Climaciella and the family Mantispidae. It is in the order Neuroptera, or the net-winged insects. Climaciella brunnea is found in Canada, the United States, and as far south as Nicaragua. While finding a single C. brunnea alone is difficult, the... Wikipedia →