Mantis families

Mantidae is one of the largest families in the order of praying mantises, based on the type species Mantis religiosa; 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 Toxoderida

Hymenopodidae is a family of the order Mantodea (mantises), which contains six subfamilies. Some of the species in this family mimic flowers and are found camouflaged among them; these are called flower mantises. Their coloration is aggressive mimicry, luring prey to approach close enough to be seized and eaten.

Acanthopidae (from Ancient Greek ἄκανθα (ákantha), meaning "spine", and ὅψ (óps), meaning "eye") is a family of South American mantises consisting of 16 genera in the order Mantodea. The group was first formally split off as a separate family by the German entomologist Reinhard Ehrmann in 2002. In 2016, five genera (Acontista, Callibia, Paratithrone, Raptrix, and Tithrone) were moved from Acanthopidae to the newly created family Acontistidae, but this has not been accepted in most recent classifications.

Empusidae is a family of plant-mimicking mantises, consisting of 10 genera, in two subfamilies. Unlike many other mantis families, the Empusidae are a monophyletic lineage. Empusidae mantises are ambush predators, with mouthparts adapted to feeding on other insects and small animals. The majority of Empusidae species are distributed throughout Africa, but they are also found in Southeast Asia and in the southern parts of Europe.

Eremiaphilidae is a small Old World family of praying mantids, based on the type genus Eremiaphila. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, this family now contains the subfamily Tarachodinae, which includes tribes and genera previously placed in the now obsolete Tarachodidae.

Amorphoscelidae is a family of mantises in the order Mantodea.

Liturgusidae is a family of praying mantises in the new (2019) Neotropical superfamily Acanthopoidea. A substantial number of genera, previously placed here, have recently been moved to the new or revived other families: Dactylopterygidae Gonypetidae Epaphroditidae: subfamily Gonatistinae Majangidae: subfamily Majanginae Mantidae: subfamily Mellierinae Nanomantidae: subfamily Fulciniinae

Thespidae is a family of insects in the order Mantodea. Following a major revision of this order in 2019, the old-world subfamilies Haaniinae and Hoplocoryphinae, previously placed here, have been upgraded to family level. Thespidae are mostly Neotropical and few species have reached the Nearctic realm.

Toxoderidae is a family of praying mantises.

Iridopterygidae was a family of praying mantids the members in order Mantodea whose members, having formerly been moved here as a subfamily within Mantidae, have now been transferred elsewhere as part of the recent (2019) major revision of mantid taxonomy.

Tarachodidae is a now obsolete family in the order Mantodea, of genera found in Africa and Asia.

Mantoididae is a family of mantises which contains Neotropical species of praying mantises from tropical North and South America. The family was formerly represented by the sole genus Mantoida, until the genus Paramantoida was described in 2014 and Vespamantoida in 2019. The family differs from the closely related Chaeteessidae in having an apical claw on the fore tibiae which are also less curved. Males have ocelli and a cylindrical body shape, unlike the dorsoventrally flattened Chaeteessidae. The cerci are also shorter.

The mantis family Amelidae was previously placed in the family Mantidae. Species have been recorded from Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Chaeteessidae is a family of praying mantises. It contains a single extant genus, Chaeteessa, native to South America which is thought to be the most primitive and earliest diverging lineage of living mantises. Fossil genera are known from the Paleogene of Eurasia and North America.

Epaphroditidae is a family of the Mantodea, containing species found in Africa and the Caribbean. Before 2015, it had been placed as the subfamily Epaphroditinae, in the Hymenopodidae, but is now excluded.

The Rivetinidae are a family of praying mantids, based on the type genus Rivetina. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, this family contains many genera moved from Miomantinae: tribe Rivetinini; some genera previously placed there have now been moved to the new families Deroplatyidae and Chroicopteridae. The new placement of this taxon is in the superfamily Eremiaphiloidea (of group Cernomantodea) and infraorder Schizomantodea.

Coptopterygidae is a family of mantises in the order Mantodea. There are at least 2 genera and more than 20 described species in Coptopterygidae.

Photinaidae is a family of mantises in the order Neotropical Mantodea, in the superfamily Acanthopoidea. There are about 11 genera and more than 40 described species in Photinaidae.

The Gonypetidae are a new (2019) family of praying mantids, based on the type genus Gonypeta. The name was created by Westwood and it has been revived as part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy; the subfamily Iridopteryginae having been moved here from the obsolete family Iridopterygidae. The Gonypetinae include Asian genera transferred from the obsolete taxa Amelinae and Liturgusidae.

The Nanomantidae are a new (2019) family of praying mantises, based on the type genus Nanomantis. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, genera and tribes have been moved here, substantially replacing the old family Iridopterygidae.

The Leptomantellidae are a new (2019), small family of praying mantids, based on the type genus Leptomantella. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, genera have been moved here from the Caliridinae in the now obsolete family Tarachodidae.

The Chroicopteridae are a family of praying mantids, based on the type genus Chroicoptera. The name is derived from first use, for subfamily Chroicopterinae, by Giglio-Tos and it has been revived as part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy. Some genera have also been moved here from the tribe Rivetinini, with others placed elsewhere including the subfamily Miomantinae.

Galinthiadidae is a family of 24 African mantis species (order Mantodea) in four genera.

The Majangidae are a revived (2019) family of praying mantids from Madagascar.