I saw this insect that looked like a ground mantis but it had red wings and antennas.Does anyone know what it is?
2006-12-09 07:50:41 · 3 answers · asked by ItsSarahYo. 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I think its back was red which gave the effect of the wings being red. Yet IT WAS not a mantid fly.
2006-12-09 11:21:13 · update #1
It looked a lot like a lace wing.
2006-12-09 11:28:20 · update #2
This was probably a Mantis fly. They are actually in the order Neuroptra, which makes them closely related to ant lions, dobsonflies (technically Megaloptera) and lacewings.
I have been studying insects for a long time now, and have never seen one, very good find!
They actually use their forelegs in a similar fashion as the ture mantids do, to capture prey.
The larva of these incredible little critters are actually parasitoids of spider eggs. They crawl around until they find a spider eggs sac and the larva feeds on the developing spiders Pretty cool stuff!
well i hope this helps!
here is a picture:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/51099
http://bugguide.net/node/view/60604
could it maybe have been some sort of red grasshopper or Katydid?
see below:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/72656
2006-12-09 08:33:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What throws me off about your question is the red wings.
It could maybe be a mantis fly as others have said, but if it had the red antennae only I'd say it was my neighbor Iggy. Are you sure the wings aren't artificial?
2006-12-09 08:42:19 · answer #2 · answered by JIMBO 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sounds like a mantidfly:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/68302/bgimage
2006-12-09 08:36:52 · answer #3 · answered by Strix 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋