David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
_____________________________ Neuroptera 3 - Mantis Flies
MANTIS FLY Mantispa styriaca
MANTIS FLY Mantispa styriaca
- From
their appearance Mantis
Flies seem to be a strange hybridisation of several
different types of insect. The mantis-like front legs enable these
predators to trap smaller invertebrates in much the same manner as mantids and presumably both evolutionary lines have
developed their similar and very efficient weaponry in parallel (this is
an example of convergent evolution). The larvae specialise in eating less
demanding prey in the form of wolf-spider eggs which they access by
entering the egg sacs. These photographs were taken in the South of
France.
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