I can tell you that the Mantoids don't really care who's in charge; they didn't have interstellar travel before the Aurigans came and most of them are having a ball going out and hunting new things. They like Thace's infiltration well enough--he actually takes the time to tell them apart. He's made a good impression on them. Lots of the vertebrate species don't.

...the Mantoids are well aware they're just being used for soldiers and they don't care because it's fun. My overlay's never seen one take any real command of anything.