The following list of mantis genera and species is based on the "Mantodea Species File", which is the primary reference for the taxonomy shown here.[1]
The insect order Mantodea consists of over 2,400 species of mantises in about 460 genera.[2][3] 75 of these genera are in the family Mantidae (the mantids), which formerly was sole family recognized within the order.
In some cases, common names in the English language are loosely applied to several different members of a particular genus, or even for species in various genera. For example, "giant Asian mantis" is used for various members of Hierodula, "dead leaf mantis" may refer not only to various species of Deroplatys, but to all brown mantises that use leaf mimicry for camouflage. "flower mantis" refers to numerous mantises, especially those belonging to or similar to those of genus Creobroter, and so on.
---For citation of common nomenclature and additional references, see individual articles.