From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Mantis \Man"tis\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? a prophet.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of voracious orthopterous insects
of the genus Mantis, and allied genera. They are predacious
long-bodied large-eyed insects of warm regions, are
remarkable for their slender grotesque forms, and for holding
their stout anterior legs in a manner suggesting hands folded
in prayer. The common American species is Mantis Carolina.
[1913 Webster]
Mantis shrimp. (Zool.) The Squilla, a tropical marine
burrowing crustacean with large grasping appendages. Also
called mantis crab and mantis prawn.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
mantis crab \mantis crab\ n.
Same as Squilla.
Syn: Mantis shrimp.
[WordNet 1.5]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
mantis crab
n 1: tropical marine burrowing crustaceans with large grasping
appendages [syn: mantis shrimp, mantis crab]