Order Mantodea

(praying mantids)

1. mantis = soothsayer, deviner; Common name Praying mantis, mantid, soothsayer
2. Diagnosis:
   1. Small to large (over 100 mm in largest)
   2. Body usually elongate, cylindrical with elongate prothorax
   3. Hypognathous mouthparts, powerfully mandibulate
   4. Triangular head with large compound eyes, three ocelli or none
   5. Binocular vision
   6. Short filiform antennae
   7. Wings normally present in males, reduced or absent in females
   8. Forewings are tagmina, hindwings membranous
   9. Medium-sized to large insects; with wings, forewing usually thicker than hind wing
   10. Raptorial forelegs with fore coxae greatly lengthened, fore-femora and tibia with spines
   11. Other legs unmodified with 5-segmented tarsi
   12. Prothorax elongate
   13. Eggs layed in capsule
   14. Short, multisegmented cerci

• Mantodea - from NCSU
• Gordon's Praying Mantis Page