Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
For the first time ever, researchers in Europe have spotted an invasive hornet species that is quite large and preys on animals such as butterflies, mantids and even geckos.—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024 Aquatic insects eat the worms' offspring and are then consumed by other mantids, and the cycle repeats.—Darren Incorvaia, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024 For example, there are fish, moths, mantids and grasshoppers with hidden warning color patterns that place them in the middle of the conspicuous-camouflage spectrum.—Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2023 The mass production of baby mantids led to (by accident) my first biocontrol program: by setting the tiny nymphs free on my mum’s fuschias, an infestation of whitefly was combated.—Nicole Miller-Coleman, sandiegouniontribune.com, 22 July 2017
Word History
Etymology
New Latin Mantidae, group name, from Mantis, genus name
Share