Mantis is a large insect, with a body length of 55 to 105 mm, and it is said that some of them can even reach 145 mm, with a long body, mostly green, brown or variegated. The iconic feature is that there are two "broadswords", that is, forelimbs, with a row of hard serrations and a hook at each end for hooking prey.

Except polar regions, they are widely distributed all over the world, especially in tropical regions. There are more than 2000 known species in the world. About 147 species are known in China. Including China big knife mantis, narrow-winged big knife mantis, big knife mantis, brown static mantis, thin-winged mantis and green static mantis, mantis is an important natural enemy of agricultural pests.

Mantis is a terrestrial predator (carnivorous), and all kinds of insects can be preyed by mantis, especially the eggs, larvae, naked pupae and adults of flies, mosquitoes and butterflies are suitable prey. Even large insects like cicadas and migratory locusts are their prey.

Mantis's life cycle is completed within one year, and it goes through three stages of development: egg, nymph and adult, so it belongs to incomplete metamorphosis. Nymphs molt for 7~ 1 1 time and reach the adult stage after 8~ 12 years.