Mantidae is the largest
family of the
order Mantodea, commonly known as praying mantises; most are tropical or subtropical. Historically, this was the only family in the
order, and many references still use the term "mantid" to refer to any mantis. Technically, however, "mantid" refers only to members of the Mantidae family, and not the 14 remaining
families of mantises. Some of the most recent classifications have promoted a number of the mantid
subfamilies to the rank of
family, e.g.
Iridopterygidae,
Sibyllidae,
Tarachodidae,
Thespidae, and
Toxoderidae, while other classifications have reduced the number of
subfamilies without elevating to higher rank.
