Wasp mantid fly in wolf spider egg sack.

[jbooth]

Imagine my surprise when I noticed the egg sack had opened... then saw this creature sitting on the lid of the enclosure... I've never even heard of such a thing

 

[The Snark]

Proof non educated laypersons should not give animals names. Lovely animals. https://entomology.umn.edu/wasp-mantidfly

 

[jbooth]

Proof non educated laypersons should not give animals names. Lovely animals. https://entomology.umn.edu/wasp-mantidfly

At least it wasn't a man-bear-pig, or half-shark-alligator half man, half shark... It can always be worse. I'm wondering how it gets away with such a thing. Is the spider just too surprised to kill it? Maybe it still thinks it has a sack, so it won't fight...

 

[The Snark]

@jbooth Or jackalopes.
Spiders often rely on visual identification of prey, or mannerisms, for both web based and roaming hunters. This animal appears to have a refined emulation of the anathema - hymenoptera, of most of the arachnid world.
It is fascinating that it not only visually looks wasp like, it has developed the neurology and musculature of the wasp, vibrating it's abdomen as wasps do to stimulate the venom glands when about to sting. That's just plain highly sophisticated.

 

[kadupul]

It can always be worse.

Like Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man.

 

[jbooth]

@jbooth Or jackalopes.
Spiders often rely on visual identification of prey, or mannerisms, for both web based and roaming hunters. This animal appears to have a refined emulation of the anathema - hymenoptera, of most of the arachnid world.

It had me fooled at first for sure. Look how the wings are darkened to make them look thinner, just like a paper wasp. It did emerge as a nymph and molt into an adult, I'm trying to work out what this nymph looked like. Kinda like a jackalope lmao.

 

[The Snark]

Like Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man.

Allow me to correct: Animal, Mineraal, Vegetable (man), Sapiens.
Dang I'm snarky today. Blame it on my occasional sanguinary inclinations.