mantidfly; mantispid
Refers to any insect of the family Mantispidae, resembling a small praying mantis with clear wings. Used primarily in biological contexts.
The mantidfly looks like a praying mantis, but it is a completely different insect.
Mantidflies are often seen in this region.
カマキリ is a praying mantis (order Mantodea), while カマキリモドキ is a mantidfly (order Neuroptera), a distinct insect that mimics a mantis.
Katakana spelling is the most common and recommended form for this insect name.
Rare kanji spelling using 擬 (pseudo) and 螳螂 (mantis).
Rare kanji spelling with reversed order; essentially the same as 擬螳螂.
From カマキリ (praying mantis) + モドキ (pseudo, imitation), literally 'false mantis', referring to its mantis-like appearance.