Columbia Encyclopedia World Factbook American Heritage Coll. The only predatory members of their order, mantids have strong, elongate, spiny front legs, used for grasping prey. The prothorax, or front portion of the body, is very long in proportion to its width, and the head, with its two large, protruding, compound eyes, can turn in any direction. Members of the 1,800 mantid species range in length from 1 to 5 in. Their typically green or brown color, in some cases with irregular patterns, camouflages them among the leaves and twigs in which they are found.
Mantids are voracious eaters, feeding on insects and other invertebrates, including other mantids.
They may even catch small vertebrates, such as frogs. Often the female eats the male after mating. The female lays 200 or more eggs contained in a papery case, usually attached to leaves or twigs. Mantids are sometimes used by gardeners, in place of chemical pesticides, to combat insect pests. They are found in all warm regions of the world, and are especially numerous in the tropics.