devil horse
Folk name for a praying mantis, and sometimes other big insects.
Also called devil's horse, praying mantis.
Updated September 21, 2026
devil horse pronunciation
/DEV-uhl hors/
Meaning
Devil horse (or devil's horse) is an old country label for a scary-looking bug. In Ozark and Appalachian talk it usually means a praying mantis. Kids get warned not to pester it or it'll spit tobacco juice in your eye (it won't). In Louisiana the same name often means the big eastern lubber grasshopper. Some lowland speakers also use it for a mean horsefly.
How folks use it
- “Leave that devil horse alone on the porch rail.”
- “The garden's got devil horses all over the tomato plants.”
Origin and etymology
Southern folk naming for odd or fearsome insects. Vance Randolph recorded Ozarkers calling the praying mantis a Devil's horse and tying bad luck to bothering it. Louisiana French cheval-diable points the same nickname at the lubber grasshopper. Exact first use is murky; the label stuck because the bugs look meaner than they usually are.
Frequently asked questions
Is a devil horse always a mantis?
Often yes in the hills. Elsewhere the same words can mean a lubber grasshopper or, less often, a big horsefly. Ask what the speaker points at.