Abstract The N eotropical praying mantis tribe V atini S tål is revised using total evidence phylogenetic analysis based on molecular and coded morphological data. The subfamily V atinae is redefined to only include N eotropical taxa with the removal of distantly related A frican and A sian lineages. A new tribe is erected under V atinae ( H eterovatini trib.n. ) for two unique genera with historically unstable taxonomic placement ( H eterovates S aussure and C hopardiella G iglio‐ T os). Phylogenetic results and morphology support the synonymy of three genera ( L obovates D eeleman‐ R einhold, Phyllovates K irby, and Hagiotata S aussure & Z ehntner) and the validity of Chopardiella G iglio‐ T os, H eterovates S aussure, C allivates R oy, P seudovates S aussure, Vates B urmeister, and Zoolea Audinet S erville. A new genus ( A langularis gen.n. ) is created for a former species of V ates with unique morphology and separate phylogenetic placement. All genera are redescribed based on external morphology and the male genital complex. A key to genera for V atinae is provided with dorsal habitus images of representatives for each genus. A distinct pattern of correlated evolution of morphological characters linked to crypsis was uncovered. Cuticular leg lobes within single leg segments are evolving as sets, and serially homologous lobes appear simultaneously or in close succession. The posteroventral lobes in the apical position on thoracic femora appear to be the precursors to multiple positive rate shifts in the evolutionary accumulation of cryptic features. One shift occurred early in the evolution of V atinae while the second occurred much later, after the loss and re‐evolution of the posteroventral lobes in the apical position on thoracic femora, a violation of D ollo's law. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:724C16AF-069A-46A1-B66C-007D8DE18C68 .