In the vast and diverse world of invertebrates, natural selection often produces some pretty odd looking animals. Some of the most interesting ones would look as though Dr. Frankenstein took the parts from different insects and fused them together to create a whole new creature. I like to call these Chimera insects. For those who don't know, the Chimera in Greek mythology is a beast with a snake for a tail, and the head/body of a lion and a goat, sometimes depicted with wings either of an eagle or bat. As we take a look at some of these "Chimeras", you'll see just why we make this comparison.
The Mantidfly (Order: Neuroptera, Family: Mantispidae)
The mantidflies, sometimes referred to as the wasp mantidfly (depending on species) or mantis lacewings, seem to be a combination of a mantis (order: Mantodea), a wasp (order: Hymenoptera), and a lacewing (order: Neuroptera). They are in fact most closely related to the lacewings, except their raptorial front legs and more wasp-like abdomen makes them stand out. Found in diverse habitats across the world, mantidflies are predatory, using their modified front legs to capture and hold prey much like a praying mantis would.
However, it's their immature stages that are most fascinating to us. They are parasitoids of bee, wasp or beetle larvae, but species in the subfamily mantispinae are particularly interesting parasitoids of spiders. First, these mantidflies are hypermetamorphic - meaning they don't just go from larva to pupa to adult. Typically, metamorphosis involves larvae increasing in size, but remaining pretty uniform in appearance. Mantidflies have two distinct larval forms.
One is campodeiform - meaning it is mobile with well-developed legs and a flat body. This form is perfect for hitching a ride on a female spider. As the spider passes, the larva will jump aboard and hide somewhere around where her head meets her body. Then, the larva waits patiently, sometimes feeding on the spider's hemolymph (blood) while waiting for her to start making an egg sac. Once started, the mantidfly larva will crawl into the egg sac before it's completed. At this point, it will enter it's second larval stage, or instar, which is scarabaeiform - or more resembling a beetle grub with a more bulbous body and less useful legs since it won't need to walk around and actively search for spiders anymore. It will feed on the spider eggs, draining them of their contents with its piercing & sucking mouthparts. After the mantidfly has had its fill, it will then pupate, protected by the egg sac like a cocoon. Again, unlike many pupa you may know of, they become mobile and pierce through the egg sac and exit, finding a safe space to continue it's metamorphosis into the adult we see flying around. Fascinating animals, from start to finish!
The Scorpionfly (Order: Mecoptera, Family: Panorpidae)
You may recognize this creature as the Global Entomology Coalition's mascot featured in our logo. The scorpionfly is an incredibly beautiful, albeit unusual looking animal. With the body that's almost mosquito-like, a tail reminiscent of a scorpion's (hence the name), and an elongate head like an elephant's trunk or bird's beak, the scorpionfly is a marvel of insect diversity.
While it may look and sound menacing, they are completely harmless to humans; non-venomous and unable to sting or bite. In fact, what looks like a scorpion's tale, is actually the male's genitalia!
The bulbous end of the tail has two claspers that look like they could pinch, but are actually just used to help hold on to females during mating, which is an interesting process in itself. To increase their sperm transfer and mating success, some scorpionflies provide a nuptial gift; or some food/nutrients to keep the female occupied. The nuptial gift could be in the form of a dead insect/arthropod to feed on, or a transfer of nutrient rich salivary secretions... So in a way, they may be seen giving each other some sloppy "kisses" during the act.
The Pelican Spider (Order: Araneae, Family: Archaeidae)
Part sea bird, part spider? It's easy to see where the pelican spider gets its name. Their elongated "neck" (which is just the head), and equally elongate chelicera, or jaws, are kept compact until ready to strike. Also known as assassin spiders, they feed exclusively on other spiders!
They were first recorded from fossilized amber, and thought to have only been a now extinct prehistoric species of spider. It wasn't until the 1880's when the first living species was found in Madagascar. And to this day, these incredible arachnids have currently only been found in South Africa, Madagascar and Australia. (Join an expedition with us and maybe we can find some together!)
The pelican spiders don't make webs to catch prey, instead they are active hunters. They find dragline silk, or silk that other spiders lay down as an anchor while they travel in case they need to make a hasty escape. Some will even pluck at another spider's web to lure them out! Once they come upon an unsuspecting spider, they use their jaws in a similar way to that of a preying mantis. With immense speed, they'll shoot their jaws out like arms to catch the other spider, using their reach and strength to grapple with, and disable their prey.
The Pseudoscorpion (Order: Pseudoscorpiones)
And last, we'll leave you with another scorpion-like animal, the pseudoscorpion! They are extremely small, and rarely noticed by humans, but when they are recognized, they're often mistaken for a tick or little spider. Understandably so, as they have tick-like bodies with scorpion or crab-like pincers. However, like most insects and spiders, pseudoscorpions are harmless to humans and in many cases considered beneficial arachnids; efficient predators of mites, small ants and flies, book lice, and other "pest" insect populations.
Psuedoscorpions are most often found hanging on the legs or bodies of larger flying insects. Usually not to harm the insect, but mostly because they are avid hitchhikers - this mode of transportation is called phoresis.
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