Mantidae Latreille 1802
Creators: name: Kamila, A. P.
name: Sureshan, P. M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Mantidae

description: Family MANTIDAE Latreille, 1802
Four subfamilies with 9 genera are currently recorded from India.
1. Lateral pronotal expansion highly dilated. pronotum anteriorly boat-shaped, enfolds the posterior part of head (Fig. 123) (Choeradodinae).............................................................................. Asiadodis
- Lateral pronotal expansion a little dilated. Pronotum anteriorly rounded, does not enfolds the head (Fig. 125)............ 2
2. Mid and hind femora without genicular spine. Fore coxa often ventrally with an oval black basal patch, sometimes with a white patch inside it (Figs. 128, 130) (Mantinae)................................................................. 3
- Mid and hind femora with genicular spine. If not, then eyes a little conical. Fore coxa ventrally without black patch....... 4
3. Fore coxae ventrally with numerous prominent white granules. Fore femora ventrally without black patch, but with a yellow patch near tibial spur groove (Fig. 128)............................................................... Mantis
- Fore coxae ventrally without pale white granules. Fore femora ventrally with a black patch near tibial spur groove, often with a yellow patch merged to it (Fig. 130)................................................................ Statilia
4. Pronotum often with lateral pronotal expansion (Figs. 125, 126). Hind wings mostly without any pattern (Figs. 124, 126) (Hierodulinae)....................................................................................... 5
- Pronotum without lateral pronotal expansion (Figs. 131, 132, 133). Hind wings with blackish transverse patterns (Figs. 132, 133). If not, then eyes a little conical and mid and hind femora without genicular spine (Tenoderinae).................. 7
5. Lateral pronotal expansion restricted to supra-coxal area (Fig. 124)....................................... Hierodula
- Lateral pronotal expansion extending up to base (Figs. 125, 126)................................................ 6
6. Pronotum rhomboidal shape. Metazone about 1.5 times as long as prozone (Fig. 125).................... Rhombomantis
- Pronotum oval shape. Metazone more than twice as long as prozone (Fig. 126).......................... Rhombodera
7. Eyes conical. Lower frons about 4 times as wide as high. Hind wings without any pattern (Fig. 131). Mid and hind femora without genicular spines........................................................................ Mesopteryx
- Eyes round. Lower frons not that much wide as high (Fig. 134). Hind wings with pattern (Figs. 132, 133). Mid and hind femora with genicular spines.................................................................................. 8
8. Anterior part of hind wings with a black wide transverse patch and hyaline oval patches in it (Fig. 132)......... Tenospilota
- Anterior part of hind wings with more or less chess board- like pattern (Fig. 133)........................... Tenodera
description: Published as part of Kamila, A. P. & Sureshan, P. M., 2025, An illustrated key to the praying mantids (Insecta: Mantodea) of India up to generic level, pp. 446-480 in Zootaxa 5566 (3) on page 464, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5566.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/14703192