Mantidflies have six legs but the front pair has been modified for catching and holding insects. Photo by Jeff Mitton. I was hiking in the canyon of the Purgatoire River when something odd buzzed my ...

With its wasp-like body and forelegs resembling those of a praying mantis, the brown mantidfly seems fearsome. But this inchlong fly is a friend to humans. Adults prey on insects, keeping them under ...