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Mantisfly

Dicromantispa sayi

Photo by LisaPowers
Published on Project Noah
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35.95, -87.31

Field Notes

Description:

Less than 1 inch long insect that has the hindquarters of a wasp, head and grasping legs of a praying mantis and wings of a dobsonfly.

Habitat:

Rural back yard, attracted to moth lights.

Notes:

The color in the eyes is actually refraction from the camera flash. No matter what angle you take the photo from, you get that cool pattern, even if you are above the mantisfly.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (29)
Tiffany McCormick
Oh my goodness, its eyes look like kaleidoscopic rainbows! Beautiful.
LisaPowers
Thanks PN! I am SO excited! I believe this is my first Ranger nominated Spot of the Week! Thank you to all who took the time to comment. This one is special to me. I have been wanting to find one for years. I found one years ago but did not get any good photos.
KarenL
Congrats Lisa, our Ranger team has chosen your awesome macro as its Spotting of the Week! These amazing hypnotic eyes belong to a mantisfly – which despite its name and appearance is neither a mantis or a fly but a member of the Neuroptera order and more closely related to lacewings. Facebook: https://upload.facebook.com/projectnoah/photos/a.10150595289465603.674700.10150120463815603/10154517810905603/?type=1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/503729961979486209
Ignacio Gamboa
Cool!! Reminds me of Skull kid from The Legend of Zelda.
AntónioGinjaGinja
Lisa beautiful series,those eyes are awesome,it look like aliens invaded Tenesse :-) Congrats and thanks for sharing
LisaPowers
Wow! Thanks everyone! I knew I had something special as soon as I snapped this one. I have been waiting for years trying to find another one of these. I did not get any decent pics the last time I found one. I stalked this one for hours last night. :-)
Caleb Steindel
don't look it in the eyes, they can sense fear ;) haha
sunnyjosef
Wow!!! Starry eyed wonder!! Great find Lisa..
LisaPowers
The color in the eyes is actually refraction from the camera flash. No matter what angle you take the photo from, you get that cool pattern, even if you are above the mantisfly.
Jae
Amazing shots, Lisa! Its eyes are like kaleidoscopes.
LisaPowers
Thanks Ernst and stephanielrickman. :-)

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Backyard Habitats of the World
Mission
Insects of TN
Mission
Fauna and Flora of Froghaven Farm
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project
Mission
The Bug Chicks Sofa Safari

Tags

Photographed
PublishedAugust 18, 2014

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