MANTISPA. 



GENERIC CHARACTER. 



Antennae filiform, but little longer than the 

 head, the joints transverse ; eyes prominent ; 

 thorax having the anterior segment elongated, 

 cylindric-clavate, supporting the anterior pair of 

 feet at its anterior extremity; anterior feet 

 advanced, very conspicuous, cheliferous, the basal 

 joint very much elongated; wings reticulated, 

 deflected. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



A very small, but singular and natural group of 

 insects, allied to Mantis, and also to Raphidia. 

 Linne placed a species, which he described under 

 the name now adopted as generic, in the genus 

 Raphidia, and Lamarck assents to an alliance 

 with that genus, by placing Mantispa immedi- 

 ately next to Raphidia, in his system. Latreille, 

 who formed the genus, and most other authors, 

 refer it to the same family with Mantis and 



PLATE XXV. 



