Photo Feature

Guardian Of The Brood
While some mantidflies mimic wasps, most are green, yellow or red. This mother was photographed while guarding her eggs during a windy monsoon shower in Maharashtra’s Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary. Interestingly, the larvae thrive on spider eggs. They have been reported to ride piggyback on spiders and stealing eggs right out of the spiders’ sacs! Amazingly, a 44 million-year-old spider was recently found preserved in amber with a mantidfly larvae fastened to its underbelly. Photo: Lucky Jaiswal

lanternfly pyrops sp.