praying mantis

The mantises or Mantodea are an order of insects that contains over 2,400 species and about 430 genera in 15 families, by far the largest family being the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all have fore legs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with fore arms folded, has led to the name praying mantises.

Mantis is the common name of any insect in the order Mantodea, also commonly known as praying mantises. The word itself means "prophet" in Latin and Greek . This may also refer to:
In biology:

• Mantis (genus), a genus of mantises
• Mantis shrimp, also known as stomatopods, predatory crustaceans
• Mantidfly (Mantispidae), a small predatory insects whose front legs are similar to those of a praying mantis