Stick mantis and twig mantis are common names applied to numerous species of mantis that mimic sticks or twigs as camouflage. Often the name serves to identify entire genera such as is the case with: In cases, some but not all members of a genera are called by a variation of one of these names. For example:

Similar insects

Stick mantises should not be confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea) although the latter were long-considered close relatives of all mantises according to classification which is now often considered paraphyletic and outdated. Likewise, both mantises and stick insects are separate from the recently identified Mantophasmatodea.