Amorphoscelidae

Definition

A family of mantises (order Mantodea) characterized by relatively small body size and reduced wing development in many species. Members typically exhibit cryptic morphology adapted for arboreal or ground-dwelling predation. The family is distinguished from larger mantid families such as Mantidae by features including shortened pronota and, in males, often vestigial or absent tegmina.

Etymology

From Greek amorphos (without form, shapeless) + skeletos (dried body, skeleton), referring to the family's somewhat reduced or inconspicuous body structure compared to more typical mantids; family name established by Stål, 1877.

Example

The genus Amorphoscelis, type genus of Amorphoscelidae, comprises small, slender mantises found in tropical Africa and Asia that rely on bark-matching coloration and reduced wings to avoid detection while ambushing prey.

Related Terms

• Mantodea
• Mantidae
• Liturgusidae
• Thespidae
• Amorphoscelis
• tegmen
• pronotum

Usage Notes

Family rank. Formerly treated as a subfamily within Mantidae in some classifications; modern phylogenetic studies recognize Amorphoscelidae as a distinct family within the superfamily Mantoidae or as part of a broader reclassification of mantid higher taxonomy. Distinguish from the superficially similar but unrelated family Eremaiphilidae (also small, cryptic mantises).