Mantisflies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Slender net-winged insects whose raptorial forelegs resemble those of a praying mantis, used to grab prey
2. Neuropteran insects that look like small mantids and whose grasping front legs help them catch smaller insects
3. Lacewing-like insects of the family Mantispidae, named for their mantis-shaped front legs used for seizing prey

Etymology: "Mantisflies" is the plural of "mantisfly", a noun for a predatory insect that resembles a lacewing. The name combines "mantis", the familiar praying insect, with "fly", so the insect is named after a mantis even though it belongs to a different group. The second element, "fly", is the ordinary English word for winged insects of this kind, and the compound follows the pattern of many insect names built from a more familiar creature plus "fly".