The order Mantodea consists of approximatively 2,300 species, of which a majority are in the family Mantidae.  Mantids are notable for their large size and nimble reflexes. Their diet usually consists of living insects, including flies and aphids. Most mantids are ambush predators, waiting for prey to stray too near to them. The mantis then lashes out at remarkable speed. Some ground and bark species, however, pursue their prey rather quickly. A mantid's prey is caught and held securely with its grasping, spiked forelegs.