Species

The majority of the about 2,000 species' of mantids worldwide are found in Asia. There are about 20 U.S. native manitds. Two species ( Chinese Mantis, T. sinensis and European Mantis, M. religiosa) were deliberately introduced to act as pest control for agriculture. While it is completely legal to keep U.S. native mantids, Chinese and European mantids in captivity or for the purpose of release on farms or in the home garden (rocker Greg Kihn enjoys keeping and raising them as pets at his home in northern California), all other species of praying mantids are illegal to possess in the United States. Common names for some illegal mantids are : spiny flower mantis, orchid mantis, wondering violin mantis, ghost manits, devils flower mantis, Egyptian mantis among others are illegal under the Non Native Invasive Species Act of 1992. See a more complete list below.

Acanthops falcata - Venezuelan Dead Leaf mantis
Acanthops fuscifolia - Tropical Dead Leaf
Acanthops tuberculata - Tropical Dead Leaf
Acromantis sp. - Boxer mantis
Ameles decolor
Ameles spallanzania
Alalomantis muta - Cameroon mantis
Asiadodis squilla - Asian shield mantis
Blepharopsis mendica - Thistle mantis
Brunneria subaptera - Stick mantis
Brunneria borealis - Stick mantis
Camelomantis sondaica
Ceratocrania macra
Ceratomantis saussurii
Choeradodis rhombicollis - Tropical shield mantis
Choeradodis stalii - Tropical shield mantis
Cilnia humeralis
Creobroter meleagris - Flower mantis
Creobroter gemmatus - Indian flower mantis
Creobroter pictipennis - Indian flower mantis
Creobroter elongata - Flower mantis
Deroplatys angustata - Dead Leaf mantis
Deroplatys desiccata - Dead Leaf mantis
Deroplatys lobata - Dead Leaf mantis
Deroplatys truncata - Dead Leaf mantis
Empusa fasciata
Empusa pennata
Eremiaphila brunneri - Common desert mantis
Eremiaphila zetterstedti
Euchomenella heteroptera - Twig mantis
Gongylus gongylodes - Indian rose/Violin mantis
Gonatista grisea - Grizzled mantis
Heterochaeta strachani
Hierodula membranacea - Giant Asian mantis
Hierodula grandis - Giant Indian mantis
Hierodula patellifera - Indo-Pacific mantis
Hierodula parviceps - Philippine mantis
Holaptilon pusillulum - Jumpy mantis
Hoplocorypha sp.
Humbertiella ceylonica
Hymenopus coronatus - Orchid mantis
Idolomantis diabolica - Devil's Flower mantis
Idolomorpha madagascariensis
Ischnomantis gigas
Iris oratoria - Mediterranean mantis
Liturgusa lichenalis - Lichen mantis
Macromantis hyalina
Mantis religiosa - European mantis
Miomantis caffra - South African mantis
Miomantis paykullii - Egyptian mantis
Miomantis abyssinica - Egyptian mantis
Odontomantis sp. - Ant mantis
Oligonicella scudderi - Scudder's mantis
Orthodera novaezealandiae - New Zealand mantis
Otomantis sp. - Boxer mantis
Oxyopsis gracilis - Peruvian mantis
Oxyopsis peruviana - Peruvian mantis
Oxyothespis dumonti
Paramantis prasina
Parasphendale agrionina - Bud-winged mantis
Parasphendale affinis - African banded mantis
Paratoxodera cornicollis - Giant Malaysian stick mantis
Phyllocrania paradoxa - Ghost mantis
Phyllovates chlorophaea
Plistospilota guineensis
Polyspilota aeruginosa
Popa spurca - twig mantis
Pseudocreobotra ocellata - Spiny flower mantis
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii - Spiny flower mantis
Pseudovates arizonae - Arizona unicorn mantis
Rhombodera basalis - Giant Malaysian shield mantis
Rhombodera extensicollis - Giant shield mantis
Rhombodera megaera - Giant shield mantis
Rivetina baetica - Ground mantis
Stagmatoptera biocellata
Stagmomantis californica- California mantis
Sphodromantis balachowskyi
Stagmomantis Carolina - Carolina mantis
Stagmomantis limbata - Bordered mantis
Stagmomantis floridensis - Florida mantis
Sibylla pretiosa
Tamolanica tamolana
Tarachodes afzelii
Tarachodula pantherina
Theopropus elegans - Elegant mantis
Tisma freyi
Taumantis sigiana - Lime-green mantis
Tenodera australasiae
Tenodera angustipennis - Narrow-winged mantis
Tenodera aridifolia sinensis - Chinese mantis
Toxodera denticulata - Giant Malaysian stick mantis
Yersiniops sophronicum - Yersin's ground mantis
Yersiniops solitarium - Horned ground mantis
Zoolea lobipes