ORTHOPTERA 



FAM. MANTID^ 



SU BFA M. VATIN.^: 



by Ja.mks a. (j. REHX 



^^Hii V^atinae is a heterogeneous group of Soothsayers or .Mantids primerally characterized 

 ^i^/V by having the anterior tibias with the external margin spinulose, the internal margin of 



the anterior femora with equal or biseriate spines, and the posterior tibia' and temora 

 more or less carinate(i). The subfamilv comprises t\vent3'-eight genera and one hundred 

 and three species, roughl\- divisable into six sections. Alany of the species are very rare, in fact a number 

 ot the genera are known only from unique specimens, while the proportion of genera with more than 

 four species are few, the only genera containing a considerable number of species being Siagmatopiera 

 and Vat es. 



Geographical distribution. — In distribution the Vatin;u cover the greater portion of the 

 Tropical and Subtropical regions of the earth. In the Neotropical region thev range practically over its 

 entire area, extending north of it as far as .\rizona and Texas, and extending south in it as far as the 

 northern portion of .\rgentina. In Africa the group ranges from Algeria to Cape Colony, and in the 

 Oriental legion it ranges from the Himalavan subregion to Ceylon, while a single species has been 

 doubÜLÜly recordeil from Australia. 



Systematic position. — It seems the closest rchitionshq) of the \'atin;e is with the Creobotrin;e, 

 a group almost co-extensive in distribution with the former, although of greater range in the Oriental 

 region. Certain of the American genera, however, show apparentlv decided tendencies toward the 



(i) Tliis latter character is not absolute, tlie male of dirdioptera bein^' an exception. It is poorly indicated in several other ffener;i 



