1a	Flagellomeres asymmetrical and lamellate (Fig. 4d)	Nampista
–	Flagellomeres symmetrical and moniliform (Fig. 4a, b, c, e)	2
2a	Crossvein between A2 and Cup in hind wing attenuated or absent (Fig. 2b, c, f)	3
–	A2 and Cup in hind wing fused (Fig. 2d) or crossvein between A2 and Cup in hind wing prominent (Fig. 2a)	4
3a	Prothorax granulated (Fig. 3e), white band present in distal third of antennae (Fig. 4a)	Afromantispa
–	Prothorax either smooth (Fig. 3c, d), rugulose (Fig. 3a, f) or covered in setae but lack granules (Fig. 3g) and white band in distal third of the antenna absent	7
4a	Prothorax smooth	5
–	Prothorax rugulose	Pseudoclimaciella
5a	Prothorax smooth and rectangle cell formed by fusion of Aa+Cup and Cua in hind wing (Fig. 2d)	Cercomantispa
–	Prothorax smooth (Fig. 3d, 4c) but no fusion between A2 and Cup in hind wing (Fig. 2f)	Rectinerva (in part)
7a	In the hind wing Cup forms a sharp angle when bending towards A2 (Fig. 2c)	8
–	In the hind wing Cup do not form a sharp angle towards A2 (Fig. 2f)	Rectinerva (in part)
8a	Median line on anterior surface of fore coxae present (Fig. 4b), prothorax lacks setae (Fig. 3b), Afrotropical distribution	Sagittalata
–	Median line absent on anterior surface of fore coxae, setae present on prothorax (Fig. 3g), Palaearctic distribution	Mantispa