ORDER Mantodea


	Contact Information:
	Department of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology 250 Townsend Hall Newark, DE 19716 302/831-2526

Entomology and Wildlife Ecology Insect Database

ORDER Mantodea

Peters includes Mantodea as part of order Dictyoptera - others include as a group in Orthoptera.

Meaning:

Pronunciation: Man-TOE-de-a

Common name(s): Praying mantid or mantids

Mouthparts: chewing

Wings: 2 pair: Mesothorax wings toughened (=tegmina) to protect membraneous, folded (fan-like) metathoracic wings.

Metamorphosis: Paurometabolous

Body characteristics: adult

front legs modified for grasping

elongate, thin body & legs for camouflage egg - distinctive egg case

Where found: Camouflaged in vegetation - highly predacious so found alone.

Economic impact: General predators but don't consume large numbers of prey. Familiar insects a symbol of biological control.

Size of order: 1200 species worldwide (only 20 in N. America)

References: Peters pg. 407 (included with roaches in order Dictyoptera)

Species

Links to other Mantodea Sites