Mantispidae
Mantispa styriaca
The capture gorgeous ( Mantispidae ) are a family of lacewings ( Neuroptera ). They are found worldwide with about 400 species in Europe are only five native species in a genus, of which only one type, Mantispa styriaca, living in Central Europe. Their main area of distribution are the tropics and subtropics. The closest relatives are the Berothidae and Dilaridae.
Features
The fishing Illustrative achieve a wing length of 5 to 30 mm with a body length of 5-47 mm. Their basic color is green, brown, yellow and sometimes reddish. They have a very peculiar body shape that has a strong resemblance to mantis ( Mantodea ). The prothorax is pulled out long and thin and flexible. At its end sits just behind the head, the first pair of legs, which is formed as the mantis to catch legs. In these animals the fishing legs sit but at the end of the prothorax. The hip ( coxa ) of such a leg is extended significantly. To them, the flattened and spined on one side leg joins (femur). Rail ( tibia) and feet ( tarsus ) can be folded toward the spines of the legs to catch prey. Is similar to the triangular head, especially through the large, laterally strongly protruding compound eyes of the very mantis. The antennae are very short. The two pairs of wings are typical netzflüglerartig shaped and mostly clear, slightly darkened only in some species. At the front edge you can see a visible Flügelmal. The fact that the first pair of legs, the front sits well on the body, the animals are just on the other two pairs of legs. Between the thorax and abdomen, the body is more or less constricted.
There are some species that mimic wasps ( mimicry ), such as Climaciella brunnea.
Way of life
There are both night - like diurnal species, some of the former are attracted by artificial light sources. They are predators of other insects, which they actively hunt. Your flight characteristics, however, are bad.
The eggs are stalked, small and green and are placed in groups. A female can lay up to 8,000 of them. The resulting hatching larvae live as parasitoids of various insect larvae (especially bees and wasps ) and spider eggs. They develop hypermetamorphotisch, that change their shape during their development fundamentally. The well initially moving larvae showing antennae and legs have only stubby legs, a small head and mouth parts and see maggots similar to the second and third instar larvae. In the first stage, they take no food. Only from the second stage they live parasitically.
Fossils
The oldest fossil evidence for the existence of fishing Stick is a 44 million year old inclusion in Baltic amber. The larva was together with the spider that had befallen her, included. The Fund shall be construed as evidence that fishing pressure sensitive larvae even then the same strategies for food acquisition anwandten, like today.
Systematics ( Europe)
- Mantispa aphavexelte U. & H. Aspöck 1994
- Mantispa perla Pallas 1772
- Mantispa scabricollis McLachlan 1875
- Mantispa styriaca ( Poda 1761)
- Nampista auriventris ( Guerin - Méneville 1838)