Although it looks a lot like some kind of mantis ... at first look, at least ...
... this is actually a very different kind of insect ...
... a Neuroptera from the Mantispidae Family, pretty closely related to green lacewings ...
... and in fact, after a better, more up close look, it becomes clear that aside those mantid - like praying forelegs, the Mantispa looks just like an ordinary lacewing. This young Mantispa stryiaca just came out of its larval skin some minutes before the shot was taken. You can see the empty molt on this photograph. The following shot ...
... was taken using only the natural light.
And that's it ... as always in these Stock Images kind of posts on HIVE, the photographs are my work ...
... and you can use them and change them however you like.