Empusidae is a family of plant-mimicking mantises, consisting of 10 genera, in two subfamilies. Empusidae mantises are ambush predators,

Natural history

The Empusidae species Gongylus gongylodes (Linné, 1758) are all relatively large and bizarre looking. The prothorax is always surrounded by a crest and the femur of the middle and hind legs often have flap-like appendages. The pronotum is characteristically elongated and the abdomen is often lobed.

Phylogeny

The Empusidae belong to the superfamily Hymenopoidea, together with the Hymenopodidae.

See also

  • List of mantis genera and species

References

  • Tree of Life - Empusidae