any neuropterous, mantislike insect of the family Mantispidae, the larvae of which are parasites in the nests of spiders or wasps.
Origin of mantispid
< New LatinMantispidae family of insects, equivalent to Mantisp(a) genus name (apparently erroneously for *Mantiopa, equivalent to manti(s) mantis + Greek-ōp(s) having a face (of a given sort), resembling (adj. use of ṓps face, eye; cf. -opsis) + New Latin-a-a2) + -idae-id2
