螳螂目 (Mantedea)

Introduction About 2300 described species in about 430 genera 属. mantis: soothsayer 占卜者 or prophet 预言 者

Characteristics Front legs spined 有刺 and modified for grasping and holding prey 捕食. Prothorax 前胸 and procoxae prolonged; middle and hind coxae shorter. Tarsi 跗骨 5 segmented. Head in frontal view triangular. Antennae short, filiform 丝状. Similar looking phasmids and hemipterans lack the head shape, mouthparts 口器, and prothoracic characters that distinguish the mantids. Mantodea species range from 1 cm long (Mantoida tenuis) to over 17 cm long (Ischnomantis gigas ）

Adults: Filiform antennae Head triangular with well-developed compound eyes Mouthparts mandibulate, hypognathous 下口式 Prothorax elongate with large, spiny front legs adapted for catching prey Front wings thickened, more slender than hind wings Tarsi 5-segmented Cerci short, multi-segmented

Immatures: Structurally similar to adults Developing wingpads often visible on thorax

Distribution Worldwide the order Mantodea has about 2000 species in 8 families. The 20 North American species are all in the family Mantidae. North American Mantodea usually live from spring to late autumn with eggs overwintering. Tropical 热带 species of Mantodea may live longer.

Food Mantids are predaceous 捕食的, typically feeding on insects and other arthropods 节 肢动物, and can be highly cannibalistic. Large mantids have also been known to prey on small birds, lizards 蜥蜴, and amphibians 两栖类

Life Cycle Mantises go through incomplete metamorphosis 变形, generally molting 蜕皮 seven or more times prior to reaching maturity. Eggs are laid during the autumn in a foamy 泡沫的 structure forming an ootheca 卵鞘 (egg case), which hatch en masse 全 体的 in the spring.

Major Families 怪螳科 Amorphoscelidae 螳螂科 Mantidae 缺爪螳科 Chaeteessidae 金螳科 Metallyticidae 类螳科 Mantoididae | 方额螳螂科 Eremiaphilidae 花螳科 Hymenopodidae 锥头螳科 Empusidae 乳螳科 Phyllotheliidae

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