About the Project

The ZooTrophy Animal-a-Day project began on October 15th, 2013 as illustrator Angela "LemurKat" Oliver began working her way, systematically but selectively, through the alphabet and presenting, via social media, an illustrated animal to the world. Daily.

All pieces are drawn as 2.5 x 3.5 inch collectible cards, using a combination of polychromos and prismacolor pencils, along with other art materials. Many are still available for purchase ($10) or trade, so drop her an email if anything captures your eye or if there is an animal you wish to request.

It is predicted this project will take her at least two years to complete - with approximately 36 animals being drawn for each letter. She has also used the images to create a collectible hardback encyclopedia series, playing cards and a desk calendar, as well as the ZooTrophy collectible trading card game.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Creature Feature #451: Mantidfly

This post is dedicated to Robert Silberbauer, who introduced me to this almost-chimerical critter last night.
(He's an entomologist)

The Mantidflies are a Family of small-to-medium-sized carnivorous insects that resemble a hybrid between wasp and mantis. The wasp resemblance is an example of Batesian mimicry: in which one animal resembles another, usually more dangerous one, to deter predation. These nocturnal insects hunt in the same manner as the diurnal mantids, lying in wait for the prey to come close, then snatching it up with their front forelimbs. In some species, the juveniles, in their larval stage, predate spiders and their egg sacs, even going so far as to parasitise the female spider and draining her hemolymph (arthropod blood).
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