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 14 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 to higher rank.
Subfamilies and genera
Following the major revision of the Mantodea in 2019,[2] the Mantodea Species File includes ten subfamilies:[3]