A new genus and species of praying mantises, Roythespis israelensis gen et sp. n., is described from Israel. The new genus belongs in the subfamily Toxoderinae (Toxoderidae), and is most closely related to Belomantis Giglio-Tos, 1914 and Calamothespis Werner, 1907, from which it differs in having a weakly rounded and very short pseudophallus, and conspicuous but not overdeveloped juxta­ocular bulges. The new species features an elongated body and slender ha­bitus, short legs, a prognathous head and greatly extended and distally flattened cerci. The holotype of Toxomantis sinensis Giglio-Tos, 1914 is illustrated for the first time.