Mantoididae

Distinguished from the closely related Chaeteessidae by: apical claw on fore tibiae (absent in Chaeteessidae), less curved fore tibiae, cylindrical body shape in males (dorsoventrally flattened in Chaeteessidae), presence of ocelli in males, and shorter cerci. Wasps-mimicking species exhibit narrowed waists and bright warning coloration.

Tropical primary rainforest, particularly near river margins and tributaries. Nocturnal activity observed at light traps in dense forest settings.

Neotropical region: tropical North America, Central America, and South America. Documented from Northern Peru (Loreto Province), French Guiana, Brazil, and Venezuela. Distribution records sparse due to low abundance and nocturnal habits.

Nocturnal activity recorded within one hour after sunset.

Post-embryonic development involves ontogenetic shift in mimicry in at least one species (Mantoida maya): early instars mimic ants (Camponotus), late instars transition to wasp mimicry (Vespidae) as body size exceeds ant dimensions.

Wasp-mimicking species exhibit rapid, jerky locomotion with sudden starts and stops; rapid antennal movements; repeated up-and-down abdominal pumping. Nocturnal activity documented. These behaviors, combined with bright red/orange and black coloration and narrowed waist morphology, create effective hymenopteran mimicry.

Predators employing Batesian or Müllerian mimicry of hymenopterans (ants and wasps), potentially gaining protection from predators through resemblance to stinging or aggressive species.

• ChaeteessidaeMost closely related family; distinguished by absence of apical claw on fore tibiae, more curved fore tibiae, dorsoventrally flattened male body, absence of ocelli in males, and longer cerci.
• Other Mantodea familiesMantoididae represents an early-diverging lineage with specialized wasp mimicry not typical of most mantises; most other mantises lack the extreme hymenopteran mimicry in morphology and behavior.

• mantodea
• neotropical
• mimicry
• wasp mimicry
• ant mimicry
• nocturnal
• early-diverging
• phylogenetically important

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• Figure 8: Distribution of examined georeferenced specimens of Mantoididae (see Table S1; Data S1).
• A novel form of wasp mimicry in a new species of praying mantis from the Amazon rainforest,Vespamantoida wherleyigen. nov. sp. nov. (Mantodea, Mantoididae)