Evolutionary relic or a curious coincidence? A mantisfly emerging from a mud-dauber nest

Abstract

Mantispoidea exhibit a remarkably diverse morphology and life history for a relatively small group of insects, in part, complicating our understanding of its evolutionary history. Dietary specialisation of the larvae, however, seems to have played an important evolutionary role in this group. Symphrasinae (Rhachiberothidae) larvae are thought to be predators of aculeate Hymenoptera brood, while Mantispinae (Mantispidae) larvae are predators of spider eggs. Herewith the rst observation of a Mantispinae adult emerging from the nest of a mud-dauber wasp (Sphecidae) is described. This is also the rst genus record of Afromantispa Snyman & Ohl from the Oriental Region, including three new name combinations. The curious coincidence of a Mantispinae emerging from an aculeate wasp nest, the food source of a related taxon, is discussed in the light of our current understanding of Mantispoidea classi cation.

The strange holometabolan beak larva from about 100 million years old Kachin amber was physogastric and possibly wood-associated

“…The physogastric trunk in the later larval stages of modern larvae seems often to be coupled to confined spaces. Physogastric larvae of mantis lacewings (Mantispidae) live inside egg cocoons of spiders (Redborg & MacLeod, 1985;Redborg, 1998) or in nests of eusocial insects (Maia-Silva et al, 2013;Ardila-Camacho et al, 2021;Snyman & Binoy, 2022). The latter is also true for physogastric larvae of beaded lacewings (Berothidae), which live in termite nests (Wedmann et al, 2013;Komatsu, 2014), as do physogastric larvae of different beetles and flies (Mergelsberg, 1934;Komárek, 2003).…”