This is not what you think it is.

I saw this out in the field (pulled 10 ticks off today) and was captivated. "What the hell is this? It has the body of a wasp but the head and forearms of a mantis!". After taking several shots (of course), I finished up collecting my Stipa and headed back to the farm house.

A quick google (wasp mantis) brought me right to what it was: Climaciella brunnea. The Wasp Mantidfly is really none of those things. It's not a wasp (order Hymenoptera, includes bees and ants, too) nor is it a mantis (order Mantodea, pretty much just mantids). It's actually more related to lacewings and antlions (order Neuroptera).

These are wasp mimics and apparently parasitize other insects and their eggs. Crazy.