Mantidae is one of the largest families in the order of praying mantises, based on the type speciesMantis religiosa; however, most genera are tropical or subtropical. Historically, this was the only family in the order, and many references still use the term "mantid" to refer to any mantis. Technically, however, "mantid" refers only to members of the family Mantidae, and not the numerous remaining families of mantises. Some of the most recent classifications have promoted a number of the mantid subfamilies to the rank of family, e.g. Iridopterygidae, Sibyllidae, Tarachodidae, Thespidae, and Toxoderidae,[1] while other classifications have reduced the number of subfamilies without elevating them to higher rank.
Details of a mantis modified foreleg
Subfamilies and genera
Following the major revision of the Mantodea in 2019,[2] the Mantodea Species File includes ten subfamilies:[3]
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