About 2300 described species in about 430 genera.

mantis: soothsayer or prophet

Derived features:

• raptorial forelegs
• ultrasound "ear" on metathorax

Other characteristics:

• forewings leathery
• male genitalia asymmetrical
• eggs in foamy ootheca

View Mantodea Tree

Classification and relationships after Ehrmann (2002), Grimaldi (2003) and Svenson and Whiting (2004). See the Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships below.

The most commonly followed classification of Mantodea is that of Beier (1964, 1968), who divided the group into eight families. Chaeteessidae and Metallyticidae have traditionally been considered to have diverged early from the remaining Mantodea (Klass 1997, Roy 1999):

  

      ============ Chaeteessidae       |      |=========== Metallyticidae      |     ===|     ====== Mantoididae      |     |      |     |===== Amorphoscelidae       |     |      |     |===== Eremiaphilidae       ======|            |===== Hymenopodidae             |            |===== Mantidae             |            ====== Empusidae  

  

In a study of external male genitalia in select mantodean and blattarian taxa, Mantoida was the sister group of the remaining Mantodea, with first Chaeteessidae and then Metallyticidae diverging later (Klass 1997):

  

      ========= Mantoida (Mantoididae)   ===|      |  ====== Chaeteessa (Chaeteessidae)      ===|         |  === Metallyticus (Metallyticidae)         ===|            === Sphodromantis (Mantidae) 

  

Grimaldi (2003) performed a phylogenetic analysis of many fossil and extant mantids. This analysis suggested a basal grade of fossil taxa, with Baissomantis as sister to Mantodea sensu stricto. Ambermantis and all extant mantids (Eumantodea) formed a clade (Neomantodea). Chaeteessidae was sister to all other extant mantids. (In the phylogeny below, * denotes a fossil taxon.)  

      ===================== Baissomantidae*      |   ===|  ================== (paraphyletic grade of fossil taxa)*      |  |      ===|  =============== Ambermantidae*         |  | ===|  ============ Chaeteessidae    |  |    |  |  ========= Mantoididae    ===|  |       |  |======== Metallyticidae       |  |       ===|  ====== Amorphoscelidae    |  |  |  |===== Eremiaphilidae  ===|     |  === Empusidae     |  |     ===|== Hymenopodidae        |        === Mantidae 

 

  

Ehrmann (2002) revised the classification of Mantodea, recognizing several new families and subfamilies, and many new genera. Svenson and Whiting's (2004) molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed the paraphyly of several of these families, subfamilies, and genera.

Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Mantodea

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
                                                             

Specimen Records:	416
Specimens with Sequences:	298
Specimens with Barcodes:	283
Public Records:	144
Species:	147
Species With Barcodes:	146

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