Below are some books about mantids.  They are split into two sections.  The first section contains books which deal predominantly with mantids.  The second section deals with books that have a wider scope but do have a significant  mantis content.

 

Books mainly about Mantids

An introduction to rearing praying mantids by Phil E. Bragg (1997)

A beginners' guide to rearing mantids. 16 pages. Published by P.E. Bragg. ISBN 0-9531195-0-5. Out of print.

Rearing and studying praying mantids by George Heath (1980)

With 22 pages and 9 black and white photographs, this was the first beginners’ book to be published on rearing mantids. Published by AES Publications. Out of print.

Praying mantids and stick insects by A. S. Schoeman (year not known).

A general introduction. One of the publisher's "Insight” Series. 40 pages with colour photographs and line drawings. Published by De Jager-Haum, ISBN 0-7985-1368-8. Out of print.

Orthoptera, Mantidae by E. Giglio-Tos (1927)

Published as volume 50 of Tierreich. With 707 pages, in French, this is the standard work for identification of mantids. It gives keys to all known species. Out of print.

Mantodea (Fangheuschreken) by M. Beier (1968)

This is volume 4 part 2 section 12 of Handbuch der Zoologie. 47 pages, in German, this gives keys to subfamilies. It is particularly useful for the long list of references. Out of print but widely held by university libraries.

 

Books dealing with mantids

Grasshoppers and mantids of the world by Ken Preston-Mafham (1990)

Aimed at the general reader, this book deals with all aspects of Orthoptera, mantids, cockroaches and phasmids, and includes many colour photographs. Published by Blanford, ISBN 0-71372148-0. Price about £20.

How to know the grasshoppers, cockroaches and their allies by J.R. Helfer (1963)

Published by W.C. Brown Co., Iowa, USA. This 353 page book has ten pages on common USA mantids and includes a key and illustrations of 18 species. Out of print but occasionally available second-hand.

Grasshopper country by D.C.F. Rentz (1996)

Published by University of New South Wales Press. This 284 page book about Australian orthopteroid insects has ten pages of general text about mantids, and 26 of the 425 small colour photographs are of mantids. ISBN 0-86840-063-7. Price about £50.