THE MANTID FAUNA OF INDIA (INSECTA, MANTODEA)

A comprehensive review of mantid taxonomy is attempted, including desc riptions of taxa, various developmental stages, notes on habitat prefe rence in relation to temperature, altitude, vegetation and other facto rs, and observations on offensive, defensive, prey capture and copulat ory behaviour. Biological observations on mortality, colour pattern of various instars and their significance, oxygen consumption and data o n morphometrics of some species are provided. The patterns of distribu tion within India and in relation to the Oriental Region and other zoo geographic regions is also discussed. A total of 162 species under 68 genera of mantids from India are listed, of which 118 species are stud ied and others reviewed from literature. Two new genera (Pseudothespis , Parananomantis) and ten new species (Acromantis nicobarica, Axaxarch a intermedia, Leptomantis nigrocoxata, Pseudothespis meghalayensis, Na nomantis lactea, Parananomantis brevis, Hierodula (H.) assamensis, H. (N.) beieri, H. (H.) nicobarica, and Mantis indica) are described. Hal dwania liliputana is synonymized under Gonypetyllis semuncialis (n. sy n.).