James Wood-Mason was an English zoologist. He was the director of the Indian Museum at Calcutta, after John Anderson. He collected marine animals and lepidoptera, but is best known for his work on two other groups of insects, phasmids and mantises.
Hymenopus coronatus is a mantis from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is known by various common names including walking flower mantis and (pink) orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantises from their resemblance and behaviour. They are known to grab their prey with blinding speed.
The Stephanidae, sometimes called crown wasps, are a family of parasitoid wasps. They are the only living members of the superfamily Stephanoidea. Stephanidae has at least 345 living species in 11 genera. The family is considered cosmopolitan in distribution, with the highest species concentrations in subtropical and moderate climate zones. Stephanidae also contain four extinct genera described from both compression fossils and inclusions in amber.
Flower mantises are praying mantis species that use a special form of camouflage referred to as aggressive mimicry, which they not only use to attract prey, but avoid predators as well. These insects have specific colorations and behaviors that mimic flowers in their surrounding habitats. This strategy has been observed in other mantises including the stick mantis and dead-leaf mantis. The observed behavior of these mantises includes positioning themselves on a plant and either inserting themselves within the irradiance or on the foliage of the plants until a prey insect comes within range. Many species of flower mantises are popular as pets. The flower mantises are non-nocturnal group with a single ancestry, but the majority of the known species belong to family Hymenopodidea.
Liturgusidae is a family of praying mantids in the new (2019) Neotropical superfamily Acanthopoidea. A substantial number of genera, previously placed here, have recently been moved to the new or revived other families:
Metallyticus splendidus is a rare species of praying mantis found in Southeast Asia. It has an iridescent appearance.
Chlidonoptera is an African genus of praying mantis in the family Hymenopodidae and tribe Hymenopodini.
Empusa fasciata is a species of praying mantis in the genus Empusa in the order Mantodea.
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis.
Galinthiadidae is a family of 24 African mantis species in four genera.
Harpagomantis is a genus of praying mantises in the family Galinthiadidae found in Africa. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Harpagomantis tricolor.
Iridopteryginae is a subfamily of mantises in the family Gonypetidae. There are two tribes, distributed in tropical Asia.
Tropidomantinae is a subfamily of mantises in the new (2019) family Nanomantidae. Within the single tribe Tropidomantini there are six genera, distributed in Asia and the Pacific.
Acontistini is a tribe of neotropical mantises in the superfamily Acanthopoidea, and family Acanthopidae. There are 7 genera and more than 30 described species in Acontistini. In 2016, several genera were moved from Acanthopidae to a newly created family Acontistidae, but this has not been accepted in most recent classifications.
Coptopterygidae is a family of mantises in the order Mantodea. There are at least 2 genera and more than 20 described species in Coptopterygidae.
Photinaidae is a family of mantises in the order Neotropical Mantodea, in the superfamily Acanthopoidea. There are about 11 genera and more than 40 described species in Photinaidae.
Thespinae is a subfamily of mantises in the family Thespidae. There are 16 genera and at least 40 described species: found in Australasia, Central and South America.
Haaniinae is a subfamily of mantises, now placed in the new (2019) family Haaniidae; the species can be found in Asia.
The Nanomantidae are a new (2019) family of praying mantises, based on the type genus Nanomantis. As part of a major revision of mantid taxonomy, genera and tribes have been moved here, substantially replacing the old family Iridopterygidae.
The Deroplatyidae are a new (2019) family of praying mantises, based on the type genus Deroplatys. As part of a major revision of mantis taxonomy, the subfamily Deroplatyinae has been moved here from the previously-structured family Mantidae.
I. diabolica
I. lateralis
