author(s)
T. V. Sathe and Patil Vaishali J.

abstract
Mantids (Mantodea: Insecta) are very potential biocontrol agents of several agricultural insect pests. Therefore, present work was aimed to study morphological, biodiversity, predatory potential and abundance of mantids during the years 2011-13 from Kolhapur district, India. A total of nine species of mantids belonging to the genera Creobroter, Humbertiella, Eremoplana, Deiphobe, Hierodula and Schizocephala have been reported feeding on moths, caterpillars, grasshoppers, jassids, scales, mealy bugs, white flies, aphids and termites on various economically important crop plants.