Eremiaphilidae

Definition

A family of Old World praying mantids (order Mantodea) characterized by desert-dwelling species, typified by the genus Eremiaphila. Following major taxonomic revision, the family now includes the subfamily Tarachodinae, which incorporates genera and tribes formerly classified in the obsolete family Tarachodidae. Members typically exhibit adaptations to arid habitats, including reduced wings and cryptic coloration.

Etymology

Example

The desert mantis Eremiaphila brunneri, a representative of Eremiaphilidae, possesses flattened, sand-colored body forms and reduced tegmina that minimize water loss in Saharan environments.

Related Terms

• Mantodea
• Eremiaphila
• Tarachodinae
• Tarachodidae
• mantid
• desert arthropod

Usage Notes

The circumscription of this family changed significantly with recent mantid phylogenetic revisions; older literature may use Eremiaphilidae in a narrower sense excluding Tarachodinae. Specialists now treat Tarachodidae as obsolete, with its former contents subsumed under Eremiaphilidae. The family is distinguished from other mantid families by molecular and morphological synapomorphies rather than solely by ecological preference.