Mantids (Mantidae) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Mantidae is a family of insects that wait for prey and catch it with spiny front legs. In the United States, the family includes the native Carolina Mantis as well as introduced Chinese, European, and Narrow-winged mantids.

In this group

Carolina MantisStagmomantis carolina

This native eastern species reaches about 2–2.5 in (5–6.4 cm). It is smaller and stockier than the introduced Chinese Mantis.

Chinese MantisTenodera sinensis

This large introduced species can approach 5 in (13 cm). Its rounded tan can look like a small piece of toasted foam on a twig.

European MantisMantis religiosa

This introduced species is about 3 in (7.6 cm) long. A black spot, often with a white center, marks the inside base of each foreleg.

Narrow-winged MantisTenodera angustipennis

This introduced species occurs in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic, including Virginia. It resembles the Chinese Mantis, so clear photos of the forelegs and wings help.

Appearance

Appearance: Green and brown forms blend into leaves, bark, and dry stems. Some family members are compact; others have long, large bodies.
How to recognize it: A mantid has a mobile triangular head, a long first section of the thorax, and spiny folded in front of the body. Those forelegs open quickly to seize prey.

Look-alikes

MantidfliesMantispidae

Mantidflies also grasp prey with their front legs, but they are usually smaller and have four net-veined wings. Adult mantids have tougher forewings covering broad, folded hind wings.

Why they get mixed upBoth groups have a triangular head and raptorial forelegs.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: meadows and old fields
woodland edges
gardens and shrubs
Range: Mantidae occurs worldwide and is especially diverse in warm regions. Several large species are familiar in the eastern United States, but the mix of native and introduced species differs by state.
Preferred conditions: Look where upright stems, shrubs, and tall grasses offer both cover and passing insect prey. Different species use different vegetation heights and edge habitats.

Behavior

Diet: and adults capture live insects and other small animals. They are general predators, so they may take pollinators and other mantids as well as insects people consider pests.
Activity: Many species wait nearly motionless on vegetation and strike when prey comes close. A disturbed mantid may raise its wings and forelegs to look larger.
Overwintering: Many familiar temperate species spend winter inside an ootheca. The timing and overwintering stage vary among species and climates.

Life cycle

Reproduction: A female surrounds batches of eggs with a foamy material that hardens into an ootheca. Young nymphs resemble small wingless adults and molt repeatedly without a pupal stage.

Name and classification

Group name: Mantidae is one family within the order Mantodea. In everyday English, “mantis” or “mantid” often means any member of the entire order, so the common word is broader than this family.

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: The name “praying mantis” comes from the way the folded front legs resemble hands held in prayer.
Egg cases are sometimes sold for gardens.

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