Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mantis religiosa | /mantis ɾelixjosa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| rezadora | /reθaˈdoɾa/ /resaˈdoɾa/ |
feminine |
| campamocha | /kampamot͡ʃa/ (from spelling rules) | Mexico, feminine |
| mamboretá | /mamboɾeˈta/ | Argentina, Uruguay, feminine |
| santateresa | /santateɾesa/ (from spelling rules) | Spain, feminine |
| tatadiós | /tatadjos/ (from spelling rules) | Argentina, masculine |
| triquitesa | /tɾikitesa/ (from spelling rules) | Spain, Western, feminine |
| usamico | /usamiko/ (from spelling rules) | Northwestern Argentina, masculine |
| carpintesa | /kaɾpintesa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| mantis | /ˈmantis/ | feminine |
The term refers to any of the various predatory insects belonging to the Mantidae family.
Which one should you use?
While mantis religiosa and mantis are general terms, other words are highly specific to certain countries or regions. For example, tatadiós is a masculine noun used in Argentina, whereas many other terms for this insect are feminine.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Mantis religiosa is the formal or scientific name for the insect.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Various terms are used depending on the location: campamocha is used in Mexico, mamboretá is common in Argentina and Uruguay, santateresa and triquitesa are used in Spain, tatadiós is used in Argentina and usamico is used in Northwestern Argentina. Carpintesa is also a term for the insect.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mantis is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/mantis ɾelixjosa/
Did you know?
- The term rezadora is directly derived from the Spanish verb rezar, which means 'to pray', describing the insect's characteristic posture.
- The term mamboretá is a linguistic traveler that entered Spanish from the Guarani language in Paraguay.
- While most Spanish names for the insect are feminine, the Argentine word tatadiós is a masculine noun.
Examples in context
- Mami, ¿por qué no tenemos padre? preguntó la pequeña mantis religiosa."Mom, why don't we have a father?", asked the little praying mantis.This sentence uses mantis religiosa in a fictional context regarding a child's question.Tatoeba #10288666 by Seael, translation #6069550 by maaster
- Después de realizar la cópula, la mantis religiosa suele devorar al macho.After realizing copulation, the female praying mantis usually devours the male.This sentence uses mantis religiosa to describe a biological behavior.Tatoeba #2233955 by JLGQ_, translation #2234026 by JLGQ_
- En el jardín, hay una mantis religiosa.The garden has a praying mantis.
- Vi una mantis religiosa en el jardín.I saw a praying mantis in the garden.
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are observing insects in a park.
- María¿Qué es esa cosa verde?What is that green thing?
- AlejandroEs una mantis religiosa, María.It is a praying mantis, María.
- MaríaEs muy impresionante verla de cerca.It is very impressive to see it up close.
- AlejandroSí, es un insecto fascinante.Yes, it is a fascinating insect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “praying mantis” translations and entries mantis religiosa, rezadora, campamocha, mamboretá, santateresa, tatadiós, mantis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mamboretá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
